Do you use your finger to detect bites when jigging?

[Ironeagle]

What i mean is, Do you hold the line under your finger to help you detect bites or do you just watch the rod and try to feel the bite through the rod?

[buttlesdog]

Pure feel of the rod. Ding

[teacup13]

depending on the fish i am going for... but for panfish... 99% of the time this line is in my fingers

[lotwfisher]

I use a spring bobber and when I fish outside I rely on the feel of the rod.

[irishjigger]

Yes !!

[vermonner]

Finger all the way

[Skipper]

St Croix legend UL spring senses things my fingers never could without the fish feeling me. I used to use my fingers, but this legend rod put an end to it!

[swantucky]

Depends, if I am fishing with cold hands I watch the rod, if my fingers are good I use them. 

[Rat-Man]

I usually watch the line, on a reel finicky bite the line will just twitch, where a spring bobber wont even move.

[tarmitten]

Sure do especially when its warm enugh to fish without gloves on.  It's not that warm up here in NFLD yet though.   

[blaster22077]

I use a spring bobber and when I fish outside I rely on the feel of the rod.

This is the same way i fish it seems to work out ok.

[Quack_Attack]

I've become a line watcher, many light bites will barely move the line, if in doubt I drop the rod tip a few inches to see if the line is slack.

Never have used my finger, as a good rod will give you a lot more feel than your finger on the line.

[Wisc.whitetailer]

 my hands are so dried and cracked this time of year i wouldn't feel a thing. i do however feel my line when jigging walleyes on open water.

[Thriller]

For me, it depends on the rod I am using, species targetted, and temperature (i.e. can I comfortably expose my finger).  So, the answer to the question is sometimes.

[Jigmeister]

As a rule I use the rod, but when the fish are finicky I use my finger.

[putback]

my hands are so dried and cracked this time of year i wouldn't feel a thing. i do however feel my line when jigging walleyes on open water.

Me to, real pain. An old heavy sock with toe cut out can slide up your arm and cover your hand and rod handle. Sounds ridiculous but smelly jelley in the cracks helps and doesn't leave the scent of hand lotion on your offering.

[keva]

I made strike indicators to put on the end of my jiggin rod from a steel lieter and a bead. It works excellent! I will have to get a pic to post later.

[PondPro]

my pole is light enough to detect the litest crappie bite but when i forget my light at night ill use my fingers.

[BASSandICE65]

Spring bobber picks up the slightest bite can't use fingers when it is real cold

[teacup13]

Wisc.whitetailer on Today at 10:02 AM
my hands are so dried and cracked this time of year i wouldn't feel a thing. i do however feel my line when jigging walleyes on open water.

Me to, real pain. An old heavy sock with toe cut out can slide up your arm and cover your hand and rod handle. Sounds ridiculous but smelly jelley in the cracks helps and doesn't leave the scent of hand lotion on your offering.

well usually at this time of the year...i rest the line on my finger but i have a small round bobber attached to the line cupped in my hand and set the hook with that

[Icenutter]

St Croix legend UL spring senses things my fingers never could without the fish feeling me. I used to use my fingers, but this legend rod put an end to it!

This is the ticket for light bitters.  If you don't want to spend the money on a St.Croix then you can make your own.

[keva]

Here is a picture of the strike indicator I made. It works amazingly well.


I take a steel lieter and cut the ends off. Slide a beed on one end, then bend the end of the lieter around to form a loop and pass it through the beed again. I used electrical tape to attach it to the rod.

[John_BZ]

another vote for the UL st. croix legend ice rod here. since i switched to that rod i have caught more fish for sure. lets you see bites you couldnt see before.

[Bassfishin1983]

I normaly use my finger to detect bites for walleye and perch. I also use a bobber stop. I set the depth and the smallest strick will move your line enough to tell if you gettin bites.

[Reel Wet Ride]

Nope, the only time I do that is when bass fishing with rubber worms. A good rod, with good line will tell you everything you need to know. With my setup and my Spiderman senses...I can feel a fish breath on my lure. In the wind, I'll still go oldschool and use a spooly pole with a springbobber.

[crafty1]

can any one tell me what is the best #pound test line,and brand for jigging lakers w/about 5' pole

[putback]

can any one tell me what is the best #pound test line,and brand for jigging lakers w/about 5' pole

Probably should match #test to your rod and lure/bait. Have seen lakers up in the teen#s brought in on 10 & 12 # line. What brought you to the 5 ft rod? Have'nt seen that long used in a while.

[crafty1]

well i barely fish in my pop up shanty,i just bring it just in case,so i usually bring my 5'er cause i found i get better hook sets with it,and i dont miss any hits and never had a laker get off.i guess the learning curve for me was when i used my small pole for the lakers i had a nice one on (high 20"s-low 30"er)and i got it all the way up to the hole from about 100' depth and when it was just under the ice about a foot i watched it just shake the hook and mosey back on its way.