Tennity's Guide Service & Fishing Charters

Rate of fall

 

Rate of fall can be determined by hook size, bait size, line diameter, wind, current, weed density and sinker weight. These all have to be considered. The fish will usually determine which combination is correct for conditions.

 

Hook size: The larger, heavier hook will add to the rate of fall. A lighter, smaller hook will make the rate slower for the more non-agressive fish.

 

Bait size: A slender bait like a zoom worm will descend faster than a bulky bait such as a Zoom lizard or a Lake Fork creature bait. Add a slippery spray  or treatment to mask scent on a bulkier bait, and that will allow the bait to slide through many of the thicker weeds.

 

Line diameter: The larger the diameter of the line, the slower the fall, but lighter line will have trouble pulling a bass out of heavier weeds – and fish live in the weeds. This form of structure is called their home.

 

Wind: Wind creates current. It also puts a bow in your line, which keeps a lighter weighted bait from descending in the water column. Therefore, you’d have to add weight to help the bait descend.

 

Current: If you are fishing a river system, you may want your bait to end up on an underwater point, but if you cast straight to the point, the current would actually take the bait downstream away from the target sight. For such a situation, you’d have to cast upstream quite a ways. Or you could experiment with additional weight to reach your objective goal.

 

Weed density: If the weeds are dense and you have a light weight and a bulkier bait, the bait may never get past the first few feet of the water column. By the time your bait hooks up on the weeds, the weight of the sinker may not be enough to take the bait any farther down.

 

Sinker weight: Shape and weight of the sinker is the major influence on rate of fall. Elongated, narrow, heavier weights fall faster than a lighter, wider, smaller weight.

 

Why the rate of fall is important:

 

There are times when bass will eat anything passing by and other times when they will bury-up their noses in a weed clump. Bass are opportunistic feeders, so when they are on the bite, they will eat anything passing by their noses. This is called a reaction bite. During this ultra feeding period, usually before a storm front, a heavier bait/sinker will work very well to get your bait down to where the fish might be, whether on the bottom or suspended in the weeds. When the sun is high and there is no wind , target deeper weeds and weed lines. When it’s windy and cloudy, cover water by throwing spinnerbaits and crankbaits.