Fish following your bait

Have you ever [I]felt[/I] a fish following your lure? I first felt this phenomenon in Alaska fishing for silver salmon. When the big fish got behind you big spinner it would change the feel of the bait, like the spinner had stopped turning. You could see the fish following, so it was easy to make the connection between feel and what was going on. I felt this at Laurel not long ago, with spinners and crankbaits. I kept getting the [I]feeling[/I] that I had a fish trailing my lure but couldn't get it to hit. Maybe it was trout, I don't think a bass would waist it's time playing games :)

So do you think you can feel a fish following you lure and if you do, what do you do to get it to strike?

pray!...... maybe try and slightly change you color or speed, pop it like a dying baitfish. I gotten bass following it all the way till they see it at the boat... was always told just a little something off on your bait color if they follow with out hitting it.

[QUOTE=birdstrike;313154]Have you ever [I]felt[/I] a fish following your lure? I first felt this phenomenon in Alaska fishing for silver salmon. When the big fish got behind you big spinner it would change the feel of the bait, like the spinner had stopped turning. You could see the fish following, so it was easy to make the connection between feel and what was going on. I felt this at Laurel not long ago, with spinners and crankbaits. I kept getting the [I]feeling[/I] that I had a fish trailing my lure but couldn't get it to hit. Maybe it was trout, I don't think a bass would waist it's time playing games :)

So do you think you can feel a fish following you lure and if you do, what do you do to get it to strike?[/QUOTE]

Try killing the bait. I have had them follow a spinner bait or a jig and when I would stop it they would hit.

rustedhook

I usually see them following, but never felt them. I am sure I will think I feel that now that it will be in my mind. Thanks!!!!! lol

Spinner baits are one lure I think bass will often chase without striking. When I get the spinner bait about 15 feet from the boat (usually just before I can see it) I will stop reeling and let it fall almost until vertical. Sometimes I get hit on the fall.

Smallies and spots at C land are bad about following baits. I have never "felt" one follow but I swear that I can feel them looking at my baits and sometimes I belive I hear them laughing, These new rods are so sensitive. LOL.

[quote=Bobby Headrick;313174]Smallies and spots at C land are bad about following baits. I have never "felt" one follow but I swear that I can feel them looking at my baits and sometimes I belive I hear them laughing, These new rods are so sensitive. LOL.[/quote]

COOL now i liked that answer Bobby and yes i still have those big orange jigs/Doll flys lol :)

[QUOTE=] and sometimes I belive I hear them laughing, LOL.[/QUOTE]

Ain't that the truth!!

The only time I have "felt" fish following my bait like a spinner and saw what it was it was a pack of baitfish -- minnows or shad tailing the bait all of the way in. They aren't trying to eat the bait but I wonder if they were trying to mate with it. :)

A far as fish following the bait and getting them to strike it has much to do with the species. With muskies they talk about doing a figure 8 at the boat although I have never done it. One time I was fishing trout on the C-river with rooster tails and had trout following like crazy and not committing. I would slow down the lure and let it fall which works for bass on spinners sometimes but the trout would scurry away. I finally figured out that by speeding up the lure when a trout was following it would trigger them into striking. Bass like a pause or drop. If they follow a crank bait you can stop and/or twitch it and usually they will commit. Bluegills like a drop and stripes like a speed up kind of like trout.

Each fish is a little different so you just have to keep and eye on your approaching lure and try different things.

kc

Two things, try killing it and if that doesn't work speed it up. I mean burn it, and hang on I've made smallmouth mad doing this and thy will try to break your stuff and ruin your day. Brown fish have attitudes, bad ones, largemouth are wimps.

I had this problem one day...tried everything to get them to bite instead of following...I finally figured it out, my line was too visible! I switched from 15 lb. green mono, down to 8 lb. clear fluoro and started getting hits instead of them following it.