Bottom contact fishing technique

[jiggerjake]

When fishing any type of bottom contact do you place your index finger on your rod blank or on your line for better feel ?

[RANGER487]

I have always put my finger on the line for as long as I can remember. I do this with flipping and any slow moving bait same with a spinning reel. If you do it this way not having the most sensitive rod does not matter because you are feeling everything direct through the line.

[mrdeath]

I have always put my finger on the line for as long as I can remember. I do this with flipping and any slow moving bait same with a spinning reel. If you do it this way not having the most sensitive rod does not matter because you are feeling everything direct through the line.

Same here. I never rely on the rod to feel the bite.

[BigBass94]

I always put my finger on the rod. I don't notice a difference to be honest.

[Buck456]

I always put my finger on the line. Started doing this night fishing and to me it's the best way to feel even the smallest bites.

[Milehibird]

I can honestly say putting my finger on the line hasn't made a difference to me. For just about every bottom contact technique, there's only 2 options for me of when they bite, and that means only 2 ways to detect the bite.

1. They bite while the bait is moving. If they bite while it's moving, I'll feel it through the rod and see the line jump usually.
2. They bite it while the bait is sitting still. If they bite when it's stopped, I see the line jump and never feel a thing.

I prefer to watch my line when fishing bottom baits, just seem to do better that way.

[bgibson]

I can honestly say putting my finger on the line hasn't made a difference to me. For just about every bottom contact technique, there's only 2 options for me of when they bite, and that means only 2 ways to detect the bite.

1. They bite while the bait is moving. If they bite while it's moving, I'll feel it through the rod and see the line jump usually.
2. They bite it while the bait is sitting still. If they bite when it's stopped, I see the line jump and never feel a thing.

I prefer to watch my line when fishing bottom baits, just seem to do better that way.

Agree with this! Watch the line!

[DrewFlu33]

I'm also a line watcher. Past that, I'm in the camp that feels bites by placing as much of my hand as possible on the blank. After really paying attention to Aaron Martens fishing a drop shot, I started mimicking him by gripping a spinning rod with my entire hand above the reel seat and noticed a big difference. Not necessarily something you can do with a casting rod, but still contacting the blank as much as possible seems to help.

Like others have mentioned, I can't feel anything by holding onto the line, or at least can feel very little in comparison to what I can feel through the rod blank. I look at it like this: That line is going through the tip top guide and all the other guides on the blank before I touch it. That means that the blank receives any vibration long before the line gets to my hands, and I think the blank transmits that vibration to my hands so that I can feel it much more readily than I can feel it through the line. I also think that the blank almost has to act like a dampener as it absorbs vibration coming through the line before it ever gets to your hands. If you could feel the line for bites before it gets to the rod, maybe that would be better...

Given that lots of guys seem to feel bites through the line, maybe feeling through the line might be something that you have to learn?

[Walkabout7781]

I have always put my finger on the line for as long as I can remember. I do this with flipping and any slow moving bait same with a spinning reel. If you do it this way not having the most sensitive rod does not matter because you are feeling everything direct through the line.

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This, exactly. Yes, I also watch my line. I have seen my line move off, I have seen it jump a few times, but often a bite is just a "heavy feel". I hook the line over my finger with either a spinning reel or baitcaster. It's a bit easier with a spinning reel.

[slipknobber bot]

No. Just watch your line

[bpicinc]

Index finger under line ring finger on the blank + watch the line

[Skeeterbait]

I palm the reel loosely to be closest to the balance point for a light rod tip. I believe you feel the tick as much thru the reel as you do thru the rod itself this way because you are in contact with everything that is in contact with the line.

[Kodiak16]

Depends, if its windy or choppy water, finger on the line. Otherwise no finger and I watch the line.

[deadadrift89]

When fishing jigs/trigs I like to palm reel and wrap my index finger in front of reel resting on rod with line on top of finger. That said I bought 2 Revo ALX reels this Fall and I can't hold that way because of line roller so I just wrap finger under rod and I really don't notice any difference.

[Casslaw]

Wind negates much of what I do, but I can’t control that. I palm my reel to get the balance as neutral as possible. I keep my index finger on the blank, just above the reel seat and my thumb stays on the spool. I’m also a line watcher though, so if the line does anything unnatural on the fall, I set the hook. While working the soft plastic I feel the tap either in my finger or thumb.

One thing I’ve learned is that hooksets are free, and I don’t mind being wrong!

[Les Young]

Palm with line between thumb & index finger & the other 3 fingers under blank & i watch my line close too. If i don't catch fish it just reassures me that i suck.

[cbburke74]

My fingers is 90 percent on the line when I do bottom contact.

Rest is watching the line - white braid line (helps to see what's doing)

[majorbanjo]

I keep an index finger on the line, but keep the line in a nice bow off the rod tip.......most of the time I see the strike rather than feel it.....

[ifishinxs]

Finger on line. I have the line cuts and burns to prove it. If youfr finger is not on the line you will miss bites. Same with watching the line. If your not watching the line your missing bites..Night fishing your finger has to be on the line. A great rod is a must. I prefer a NRX but there are a few others that also work well.