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So, I finally have a nice fishing hole on a river, that is stocked regularly. The place I go is teaming with fish from 1 inch to 12, mostly trout but a few bass too. My problem is I can't get them on the hook! They strike everything I throw at them, and nibble all my bait off. and I feel them bite, but they spit my hook out. I primarily use corn as bait. They devour everything but none stay on my line! Its so frustrating what am I doing wrong?!?!?!
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My guess is that you have the wrong type of hooks or that you are not setting them right. -
#10 or #12 treble hook.Comment
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You might try a smaller hook too.
I like circle hooks for bait fishing, just reel down when you feel a bite and usually it's "fish on". Not setting the hook takes some getting used to but they have worked well for me.Comment
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I agree with the others that you may have a hook that is too large for the fish - especially if you are going after 1" to 4" fish. I occasionally run into that problem with small panfish. If I want to go after these fish, I usually switch to one of my wet flies because the fish will usually not swallow the bait like they will with "real" food. Since most regulations prevent keeping fish (esp. trout and bass) this small, it is best if you can keep them from swallowing the bait - deeply hooked fish are hard to release in a manner that will allow them to survive the experience.
I agree with chuckles that circle hooks will increase your chances of hooking fish. I use these with zoom lures for bass and walleye with excellent success.Comment
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Thanks Guys! I've been using a #12 treble hook to start with. I should have mentioned that. One day I caught 5 fish with the same hook. The biggest was about 7 inches. Anyhow I'm going to give some circle hooks a try. There are big fish in there, I can see them, just cant get them to hook!Comment
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Make sure your hooks are sharp.
Good Luck!Comment
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You might be setting the hook to early or to lateComment
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