Bite Detection

I was out fishing at the weekend and managed to get a few fish but to be honest I didnt know any of them were even on the hook till it came out of the water.

My question is what to do when you see the tip of your rod jumping ??

Ive tried leaving it to see if the fish hooks its self and ive tried giving it a good tug to try hook the fish but it always comes back with nothing.

it depends what type of fish is biting.

if its a flat fish or a dog fish i'd usually leave it a while and let the bites develop.

but with round fish like coalies or even bass id usually strike straight away to set the hook.

Tactics are a lot to do with it. If you're fishing a griplead with a standard flapper/Loop/Pully, You'll probably find the fish should hook itself against the resistance of the griplead. I only find the need to hit bites quickly if I'm fishing plain leads that don't offer as much resistance.
As stated above, it's down to what you're fishing for as well, I wouldn't be leaving bits to develope for too long when Flattie fishing as they tend to take the hook deep if you do. Its all trial and error, just do what works for you.

i'd agree that different fish require different approach.

generally and for example if i'm bass fishing and get a bass bite then i'll lift the rod and wait for another pull to be sure he is still there and i generally find the bass had broke out the grip lead so all i'd have to do was wind down to take up slack and as long as hook point has been presented well then i find the bass will be hooked.

if its flatties i am after then i'll let it sit 30 seconds or so until the bite gets a bit stronger and I think its hooked. then i just wind it along the bottom slowly incase there are any more flatties looking to hang themselves on my rig too.

i think hook sizes should be a factor though too because if i'v got a decent hook on the rig and i believe the fish biting is a bit small for that hook then i'll let it sit longer so the fish has time to find the hook point.

if its ray fishing i'd let it sit for at least a min or untill the rod bends down and doesnt come back up and you could assume the ray is trying to move off with your bait.

i think its all trial and error as drew previously said

i would find that there is no need to strike,if the hook size is the right size for the species your chasing,and the hooks are good quality, and SHARP, then you will have hookups all the time by just lifting into the fish.but i know lads that will fish the same rigs over and over without changing or sharpening the hooks,you will not catch fish with blunt hooks,and if you rest a hook on your finger and it does not dig in,then its blunt and needs to be changed stright away.also i would subscribe to the theory that "small hooks catch big fish,but big hooks wont catch small fish"(except whiting!!)

what main line are you using?

i think its 20 pound line

i ment braid or mono ,if you want good bite detection swap to braid ,20 or 30 will be plenty and alot thinner than 20 lb mono,if you have a spare spool keep mono on it if its mad rough or windy braid can be a nightmare,it will take a bit of getting used to you wont need to stike fish just wind into them and it will have you jumping up alot to grab your rod at first but this will wear off after a while,a tapered shock leader will give you an extra bit of stretch and a very small knot if you need any help give us a pm and i,ll meet you for a session at the weekend and you can pick my brain(shouldnt take long)

one thing, doggie3131 ment to stick the hook point onto your NAIL not your finger