Fishbites question

[evilduck]

So me and the wife have been using fishbites the last two outings. Our issue is we will get fairly substational hits and numerous hits on them but have only got 1 ~8" croaker to actually take the hook. I've tried various hook sizes with no luck. I generally bottom fish and have always caught using dead shrimp.

I have tried hooking the fishbite strip on one side and also hooking both sides of the strip. Results are always the same. Great hits but not fish

Any advise on what we could be doing wrong?

[Spectre5922]

I have found the same thing after trying them out once. I think that maybe the fish are hitting them, then realizing they aren't bait, and let go before the hook can be set. I have stopped using the stuff and now consider it a waste of time.

[non pro angler \m/]

I've tried them in the area where I normally catch drum with dead shrimp. Caught hard heads with it. I haven't had much success either. I maybe doing something wrong but I thought there a sit and wait bait. Maybe the drum wasn't there that day...I didn't have any shrimp that day to compare with. May give it one more shot before moving on. I use a circle hook. Someone here posted video with him using it with success.

[Z~MAN]

U have to use a small hook. I had same issues went to a small snell type hook for live bait and bingo! Fish on all the time! Orange works best for me,


Let's go Fishin......Coco!
Z-man

[Yaklash]

I generally bottom fish and have always caught using dead shrimp.

Never used fishbites. But I wonder why you switched, if you were catching on dead shrimp.

[Z~MAN]

I generally bottom fish and have always caught using dead shrimp.

Never used fishbites. But I wonder why you switched, if you were catching on dead shrimp.

Reusable, less waste and no smell!

Gonna try the shrimp tails now!

[evilduck]

It was last second trip. We broke in the new Kayak's on our normal spot (always catch with dead shrimp). Since it was late and we wanted to try out the yak's we opted to skip bait store since I picked up a few packs of fishbites.

I generally bottom fish and have always caught using dead shrimp.

Never used fishbites. But I wonder why you switched, if you were catching on dead shrimp.

Reusable, less waste and no smell!

Gonna try the shrimp tails now!

[jefferymac]

I've found that the pink shrimp Fishbites are crack to Whiting in the surf. That's about all I use them for.

I usually thread about a one-inch strip twice on a circle hook. Never had a problem with missed hits.

[xmatador2000]

I didn't catch anything the first time I used them even though I was catching a lot of hardheads and gafftop with dead shrimp. I gave them another try recently and caught a lot of small whiting. I changed to a slightly bigger hook and still got a lot of nibbles, but no hook ups. In retrospect, I should have cut the small whiting and use them instead.

[SurfRunner]

I have used and caught a lot of fish on fishbites for years - Exclusively in the surf. Mainly whiting, reds, and drum. I combine shrimp with a fishbite on one hook. If you lose the shrimp, then you probably still have the fishibite. That's how they use them on PINS during the pompano run since the pomps tend to be attracted to color.

When fishbites first came out, we found that sometimes they out fished the shrimp and sometimes they didn't...That's why we started combining them.

[rickster04]

Use the shrimp/pink with great success on reds and drum. Hook a half inch piece on a #2 kahle hook

[Troutless]

Like others above I use them in the surf ( Pink Shrimp ) and have caught Whiting, Reds, Black Drums. I can't think of a time that I've caught Hardheads on them. I use small circle hooks and let them catch themselves. I also use Shrimp on doubles hooks leaders, one and one and sometimes the Shrimp out catch the Fish Bites and other times the Fish Bites out preform the Shrimps. I like to use them in the winter when you catch the bigger Bull Whiting. I like eating them.

[AcousticTennis]

I've been using pretty much nothing but fishbites going on 4 years now. A 4/0 lazer sharp circle hook is the right size. If your getting small croaker then thats just part of the game. More to blame on the area you are fishing with those conditions then the bait. Doesnt take long during the day for the pins and croaker to find your bait. In fact they are the first to rush to see what just splashed in the water. The drum bite has been weird lately if you fish corpus. 6:45 - 7:45 and then it just shuts off of gets extremely slow and the trash fish move in. Keep at it. Drum are schooled hard right now so find the tails and cast into em with it.

[mickeyd]

Good advice here. The roommate swears by the white Fishbites and sometimes uses them by themselves. I prefer to make a "sandwich" using a one-half piece of dead shrimp threaded on after putting a strip of Fishbite on a 3/0 circle hook. I push the Fishbite up on the shank and then thread the piece of shrimp on covering the rest of the hook. Drum are nibblers so they might not be given enough time to set the hook when they first bite. We started using the pink Fishbites years ago when we were going after pompano as we were told to use the pretty colors but now white seems to be good for drum, reds, large croaker and even shark. As mentioned earlier, whiting also love em.

[non pro angler \m/]

Gave the pink fish bites another try yesterday evening, no drum but the croaker were hitting them pretty good. I was using a #3 circle hook.

[FishingSETX]

They work good for tipping jigs for flounder. The gulp strips work even better though!

[mpg2yahoo]

I bought two packets one time. One shrimp flavor and one crab flavor. Did not catch anything and since I did not got hits they went bad and I tossed the bags after a couple of months sitting in my milk crate.


However, I do use procure shrimp flavor with my VUDU and DOA shrimps and I catch fish. The difference is that I work my bait instead of soaking it waiting for a bite. I guess the reaction and taste works better!

No more fishbites for me!

[pshay4]

I went fishing last Tuesday to a flat. The moon had been full all night and I think the reds were full too. Water was at most, 18" deep, with reds everywhere. I threw every color plastic at them, using all sorts of alluring retrieves, only 1 hit. Put a blue crab flavored fish bite on the jig head on the spare rod and tossed it out the back. Caught two 25" on the fish bites, while drifting and casting. Nice fish, but my fishing ego took a hit. I think they had gorged all night and weren't interested in making the effort to hit the plastic. But when that slimy, crab-smelling lump came by, they took it hard.