Strikes

[domavius]

I have a general problem with hooksetting or strikes, so I want some general advice

My problem is that I either strike too late or too early, and I basically miss strikes or don't even notice them, (I use 9.1kg/20lb braid). Most of my catches come from fish 'accidently' hooking themselves. But when I strike it either to hard (which ends up flying out of the water and yes I hooked myself in the shoulder) or too softly (softly as in trying to hookset with slack line), also I don't know the difference between hooking weed or fish

Any advice on helping me improve on my reactions, setting, strikes, etc (I might take a picture of my rod+reel setup to show you if you want an idea of how you could help me but that might take time)

ps I watch alot of videos, read articles on spinning as such, but I always thought that bass react to prey differently then pike or perch, so I generally search on topic on how to catch pike, perch, zander and chub

[Tom]

you are probabaly just not getting bites at all. You say at the end that you can't tell between snags and fish, and i think thats whats happening. I think you are just striking when your lure hits a snag, and thats why your not hooking your "fish" lol. To be honest, when you do get a bite, you sure know about it.Where you say that fish hook themselves, that is the only time i ever catch a fish. If your rod is just pulled round and doesn't move, its not a fish. When your rod starts shaking, then a fish has grabbed your lure and you need to strike. A pike will grab the lure, not pluck at it, which means a pike will hold on to your lure for a few seconds before letting go anyway. Therefore, you actually start playing your fish before its even hooked. Thats how you know if you have a bite or not; your rod will start shaking because a pike is attatched to the end of your line, you then need to strike before it lets go.

[domavius]

One time when i threw my new original floater near some reeds, reeled it in, i didnt see my rod tip move or shake or anything strange nothing basically, but as i looked at my lure when i got it out of the water i saw a bite mark on the tail, now im like wtf how didnt i notice anything, but looking back i didnt feel and see anything 'fishy' or felt like snags it was just a steady retrieve. explain that please

[sfw1960]

LOL
Try using a MH 6'6" high modulus spinning rod (like a Shimano Clarus or Compre) spooled with 10-20LB Fireline.........
Hooksets are free and you won't miss much with a setup like that, but you'd better have a decent reel with a GOOD drag.

Robert