Originally Posted by
FurFlyin
IMO, you're getting bit, you just don't know you're getting bit. I was in your shoes 4 years ago, and I asked the same questions. People told me to watch my line. So I did. Every once and a while I'd see it jump and I'd set the hook. I'd catch a crappie when I'd do that. I started catching more, but still not a lot. So I struggled along.... I was fishing with 2 crappie.com members about 6 weeks ago. Slabprowler and Lowe175. Mitch and Glenn. I tried using a float and jig since Glenn was in the boat. Glenn is a crappie catching ninja. I wanted to pick his brain. He told me if the float did anything that I didn't make it do, to set the hook. That worked. So I transferred that tip over to casting and reeling. I started catching way more fish. If your line has a 6" bow in it and the bow changes to 4" and then back to 6", you just missed a fish. I fish with 1/32 ounce jigs 99% of the time, so if there is any wind at all, my line is rarely straight. There's no telling how many bites I've missed over the years and I know I still don't know I'm getting bit, every time I get bit, but now if I think there's any chance I get bit, I set the hook. I may look like a spaz at times setting the hook when there's nothing there, but I'm catching more crappie! Use high vis line, the lightest jig you can cast and reel slower. If you think you're reeling slow, slow down more.
My point is, a lot of crappie bites aren't felt. They're seen.
I'm sure no expert and don't mean to sound like one, but I'm new to that breakthrough and it's still fresh on my mind. One simple comment, that finally clicked in my hard head, made me a way better crappie catcherman. I don't want to be a fisherman, I want to be a catcherman.