As soon as a bite is felt, because if you wait longer there is often no bait lef
As soon as a bite is felt, because if you wait longer there is often no bait left on your hook. Fish such as plaice, whiting and bream will strip a hook in a remarkably short space of time, miraculously it often seems, without hooking themselves.When using larger baits for bottom fishing, such as a mackerel flapper or a whole calamari squid, wait a little longer. Sometimes till the fish begins to move off with the bait, so that you are totally sure that the bait has been taken before setting the hook.If you are using a large livebait such as a greater Launce, a mackerel or maybe a pout for large bass or pollack, then a different technique has to be used to get a reliable hook-up.Known as “dropping back” or more familiarly as “dropback” it means that you let the fish have line when it picks up the bait. Many of us “ol farts” believe that a big bass will seize a bait across the width of its chops, swim with the mackerel while it bites on it, then turns and swallow it head first, so that any fins will not erect themselves as the bait fish is swallowed. If the bass feels any unfamiliar resistance it will let go and not return to that bait. So it is essential that line is “dropped back”, sometimes twenty or thirty yards will be taken, then contact will momentarily appear to be lost with the fish. But as soon as you feel the line begin to move again this is when the hook should be set. Fish with your thumb on the spool of the reel, feel for the bite and have confidence in the dropback when fishing large livebaits, the first time you drop line back it is an act of faith, then it will become an essential move in your armory of fishing techniques.
Make sure your drag is set right, because the next move by the fish is often violent and forceful – itís the only way to live!!!