This fish is fast!

Ever wonder how fast a Bass can strike your lure?

We @coaffieldteam have often wondered how fast a Bass can strike a lure. Which may explain why some of us - specifically, a certain member of the Team who will remain unnamed, misses more Bass than the rest of us.

A quick search online resulted in interesting information about other fish and anecdotal observations concerning Bass. Yours truly plans to continue to search for a definitive answer.

For the interim, below are interesting items found while researching the answer, and what led yours truly to create the "Hookset Timer" posted below.

Do give it a try!

Interesting Items:

Frogfish can strike prey as fast as 6 milliseconds! Although a slow swimmer that ambushes prey while lurking motionless near the bottom floor, its strike is fast as seen in the embedded video above! Wikipedia
Northern Pike were observed capturing prey at an average 1.9 m/s and a maximum 3.97 m/s. Journal of Experimental Biology
Largemouth Bass studies have been limited but it was noted Bass can swim at speeds up to 2.5 times their body length per second. Largemouth Bass Biology and Life History
For reference, the speed of sound is 331.29 m/s and the average blink of an eye is 100-150 milliseconds or 0.10 - 0.15 seconds! Britannica, Wikipedia

Did you miss the hookset?

Test your response time when a Bass strikes!

See how to play below.

How To Play

Click "CAST" to start the counter.
And then, watch for the color change in the section above.
Be ready as the color change is randomized; you may be caught off guard!
When the color changes, the timer starts.
Click "STRIKE" immediately to set the hook and stop the timer.
Watch for the message that pops up.
What did you hook, or did you miss the hookset?

Response Time Table

Logic used in the Hookset Timer is based on a Bass swimming 2.5 times it body length and covering a 12 inch distance to strike a lure. The table below is used for entertainment purposes and is not based on published research. Additionally, response times are rounded up/down in the application.

Bait Finesse Systems Fishing aka Ultralight Baitcasting?

Want to try casting a 1/16oz lure on a baitcaster but don't want to spend $100s? The combo below should keep you under a $100 if you time promotional sales to your purchase.

The Bass Pro Shops MicroLite Fiberglass Rod goes for ~$25 and has the "bendy" action that helps casting light lures! Also, does double duty casting Super Dupers for Rainbow Trout during the stocking season!

For the reel, try the KastKing Zephyr! Once you have it set right, you should be able to educate your thumb to cast it well and start catching those finicky fish that ignore larger lures they have become accustomed to!