Phil Ewanicki Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The only way I imagine one rod can "feel a fish"
> better than others is old-fashion bait fishing
> with J-hooks. Using circle hooks the wise angler
> does NOT want to feel the fish bite but lets the
> rod-holder "set the hook". Fly fishers, trollers,
> down-riggers don't "feel the hit" with the rod,
> and competent artificial lure casters point the
> rod at the bait during retrieve, minimizing the
> importance of rod "feel".



Phil , i don't think you really believe the above to be true , that's why i deemed it a post to just stir the pot . I can tell if a rod is more sensitive than another in a variety of ways and fishing bait with a J hook isn't really one of them. Attaching a jig and bouncing it along the bottom will give an angler a good indication if one rod is more sensitive than another and it is based on feel which is plenty good enough for me , it's NOT difficult to distinguish it becomes quite obvious right away. As long as each setup has the same line etc....

I LOVE to feel a fish bite when using circles i just know not to set the hook as i would when using hooks that are not of the circle hook variety and i really don't get the " Competent artificial lure casters point at the lure when retrieving minimizing the importance of rod feel " comment. The only time i point the rod tip at the bait/lure is if my rod is severely under powered and is about to complete a 360 degree circle or if i'm snagged and trying to break off .

Phil
I FEEL sorry for you.
To live in a world limited to numbers only, not being SENSITIVE enough to understand that others do not always live in such a small box.

Robs you from being RESPONSIVE to those able to express their ACCURATE feelings in a manor they are able to understand with out numbers.
It might suite you to SMOOTH your feathers, and do some SOULFUL searching with a professional.

The POWER of being freed from the box can be a STRONG experience, it's not always FAST, but it can take some of the CRISP out of a stuffed shirt world view.
LOL

“Those opposed to verified physical facts are free to ignore them.”
Are you referring to the bumble bee, who according to VERIFIED PHYSICAL FACTS
Can’t fly, but choose to take off anyway

PS: I love you Phil,
Dang there go those feelings again

Most of the bluefish I have caught in the past 60 years were caught on a fly, and the fish were anything but coy or gentle. Fish, even bluefish, can get fussy at times. If I ever made sensitivity a primary issue I would use tightly woven gelspun braid, no leader, and no rod, not even a bobber!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/10/2019 03:51PM by Phil Ewanicki.

can you put a number on coy, gentle, and fussy for me please

Yup. A fish strike that will break a #10 leader is not coy, gentle, or fussy. Your turn. How can I tell if my rod is "highly sensitive"?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/10/2019 03:56PM by Phil Ewanicki.

My God man , make it end . One thing i do know with 100% certainty , if this thread goes another 500 pages it will end with a post by Phil saying " Forget about feel , i need hard data" , hopeless i tell ya hopeless but i admit Phil is a gem and a personal favorite of mine.

I can't tell if your rod is highly sensitive
But I sure can tell mine are

-----------------------



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/11/2019 11:45AM by roger wilson.

I actually WOULD like to know how I can tell whether one rod is "Highly sensitive" compared to others. Do I have to go fishing and catch fish with it to determine whether it's "not sensitive," "medium sensitive," or "very sensitive," or can I just wave the rod around at the store or at home to determine its sensitivity? Is there any tackle expert whose pronouncements of the sensitivity of various rod blanks are accepted as more accurate than the opinions of ordinary fishermen? I'm out of my league here, thus my weakness for objective information.