I've got a bite.....HELP!

[dowly]

Right, feel like a tit asking this but when I get bite I'm never certain what to do? Do I strike up or let the fish hook itself?

How many times do you let the rod knock before reeling in?

I need to stop loosing fish mid retrieval.

[wheres the fish?]

All a judgement call mate, it all depends on what fish you are targeting. You will learn from experience what to do. Whether you strike or not is all down to your gear too. Say your using circle hooks? Generally you don't need to strike to set them. But with any other hook the general rule is to strike.

'How long to wait?' Well that's just down to trial and error. And seeing whats going on with the tip of your rod. I generally give it a bit until the knocks get stronger, on the acceptation of a really strong bite. Where i wait for the slightest twitch. Yet again mate nobody on here can tell you exactly what to do and when. Just gotta pick it up as you go along. Experiment with it.

And most of all have fun

[Pete from shields]

Pretty much same as above mate trial and error, I myself wait for a strong rattle. I have noticed the rod with a continuous slight vibration is crabs stripping away at the hooks, but other than that it's your call.

I would however advise against striking at the first rattle unless it's a big one and wait for the bite to develop second or third rattle, hope that can help.

[codseeker]

one time i almost nearly had a bite i cudnt stop shaking thinking what can about to happen

[lambtonworm]

i rarely ever strike at bites just lift into them and wind most times they will hook themselves,line stretch just about kills any power in the strike anyhow ....

[ecoli]

i rarely ever strike at bites just lift into them and wind most times they will hook themselves,line stretch just about kills any power in the strike anyhow ....

same here just lift and wind

[Ddywalgi]

I agree with Lambton - however Bass are different - they will pick the bait up on the incoming wave and slacken the line - no bite - your line hits the sand - then you pick up and reel in the slack furiously and pray you adjusted the drag properly.

[mick dunn]

You see some people lashing into the slightest bite. Personally i leave it to develop. If its a slack liner- when the fish actually picks up your sinker the hook is normally set anyway.
Mick.

[Iva-Cod-on]

I agree with the line stretch thing unless you have just plopped a 30 yard cast into a gulley etc, you will find that a cod bite will be a thump thump thump where a coalie is a swift rattle, a flattie rattle and Pull
a crab or lobster pluck nowt pluck.
I normally see a codling bite or feel it when holding my rod take up slack rod down to 45 degrees then when it pulls like it means it lift and wind then either fish on or missed it but either way don't stop winding if possible ESP fishing in rough stuff even if your arm is falling off and your breathing out of your backside another thing you can try is to put tension on the line and gently tease the weight back to see if the fish is on careful on breaking the sinker legs out when fishing a beach with a sea on.
This question reminds me of being a kid and asking my dad "was that a bite?"
And the answer being "you'll know when it's a bite!!" means sometimes the rod goes mental and all your have to do is reel in lol best kind!!