Fighting a fish in New Caledonia
Misc Tips
Try to maintain a positive attitude when fishing. If you are doing the right things, the fish will eventually bite. There have been countless times where I have toughed it out through a slow day and finally been rewarded with a big fish that makes me forget all the down time. I see many people giving up if they don’t have success right away; fishing doesn’t work that way. Even the best fishermen have slow stretches but they persist and are eventually rewarded.
When fighting fish, do not let them rest. If they are not pulling line off the reel, you need to be putting line on the reel. The line should always be moving in one direction or another. Even a small amount of rest can give fish a second wind and double the amount of time it takes to reel them in.
It is important to know the limits of your tackle. Before you go out fishing, you should know how much pressure your line will take before it breaks. That way will know how much pressure you can apply to fish.
When fighting fish, if you rest your rod on the side of a boat (generally not recommended unless you have to), make sure you do it as close to the reel as possible. The farther up the rod you rest the rod, the more likely it will snap if the fish dives.
You should avoid “high sticking” when fighting fish below you. High sticking refers to bringing the rod angle too close to vertical when pulling up on a fish. This puts a lot of pressure on the rod tip and can snap it. You can do this if the fish is far out in front of you as the angle will not put as much pressure on the tip.
When fighting a fish, make sure the line does not touch the side of the boat or anything else. It doesn’t not take much to snap taught fishing line if it rubs on something.
When fighting large fish that will take a long time (30 mins or more) to reel in, calm down and take a deep breath. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Don’t try to reel like a maniac in the first 5 mins and tire yourself out. Also, make sure you stay well hydrated throughout the fight, especially in hot weather.
When setting a hook (for non-circle hooks), first make sure the line is tight, point the rod towards the fish, and then snap it from 0 degrees to 90 degrees quickly. You will have to do this very fast if you are fishing with a lure; with bait you can often get away with a slower reaction since fish will hold onto it longer. Do not set the hook unless the line is tight as that will not do much. Most beginners set the hook too softly rather than too hard. Set it like you mean it; rod bend and line stretch will cause there to be much less pressure at the end of the line when you set the hook than you might think.
Once you set the hook, do not let up on the pressure even for a split second. Make sure the rod stays bent at all times to keep pressure on the fish and eliminate slack. It is amazing how quickly fish can throw hooks if given just a bit of slack.
When setting the hook, the rod tip should not go behind your head as this will cause you to have to move it forward again and give the fish a little slack.
If a fish swims into some rocks and won’t budge, try letting the line slack and just sitting there for a bit. Many times when the pressure is removed the fish will swim out of the rocks and then you can bring it in.
If your line gets snagged, try grabbing the line with your hand, pulling it back, and then letting it snap forward like a bow and arrow. Sometimes that dislodges the hook. If that doesn’t work, let out some slack, point the rod vertically, and try hitting the end of the butt with your hand. If neither of these things work, motor over (assuming you are in a boat) until you are directly over the snag and try pulling it out (unfortunately this will spook any fish that are there). If that doesn’t work try motoring past it to change the angle and pulling from there.
Be alert after you free your lure from a snag. Sometimes fish will be attracted to the commotion and bite as soon as your lure is free. Once in a while they bite when the lure is still stuck, which often frees it.
Try to maintain a positive attitude when fishing. If you are doing the right things, the fish will eventually bite. There have been countless times where I have toughed it out through a slow day and finally been rewarded with a big fish that makes me forget all the down time. I see many people giving up if they don’t have success right away; fishing doesn’t work that way. Even the best fishermen have slow stretches but they persist and are eventually rewarded.
When fighting fish, do not let them rest. If they are not pulling line off the reel, you need to be putting line on the reel. The line should always be moving in one direction or another. Even a small amount of rest can give fish a second wind and double the amount of time it takes to reel them in.
It is important to know the limits of your tackle. Before you go out fishing, you should know how much pressure your line will take before it breaks. That way will know how much pressure you can apply to fish.
When fighting fish, if you rest your rod on the side of a boat (generally not recommended unless you have to), make sure you do it as close to the reel as possible. The farther up the rod you rest the rod, the more likely it will snap if the fish dives.
You should avoid “high sticking” when fighting fish below you. High sticking refers to bringing the rod angle too close to vertical when pulling up on a fish. This puts a lot of pressure on the rod tip and can snap it. You can do this if the fish is far out in front of you as the angle will not put as much pressure on the tip.
When fighting a fish, make sure the line does not touch the side of the boat or anything else. It doesn’t not take much to snap taught fishing line if it rubs on something.
When fighting large fish that will take a long time (30 mins or more) to reel in, calm down and take a deep breath. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Don’t try to reel like a maniac in the first 5 mins and tire yourself out. Also, make sure you stay well hydrated throughout the fight, especially in hot weather.
When setting a hook (for non-circle hooks), first make sure the line is tight, point the rod towards the fish, and then snap it from 0 degrees to 90 degrees quickly. You will have to do this very fast if you are fishing with a lure; with bait you can often get away with a slower reaction since fish will hold onto it longer. Do not set the hook unless the line is tight as that will not do much. Most beginners set the hook too softly rather than too hard. Set it like you mean it; rod bend and line stretch will cause there to be much less pressure at the end of the line when you set the hook than you might think.
Once you set the hook, do not let up on the pressure even for a split second. Make sure the rod stays bent at all times to keep pressure on the fish and eliminate slack. It is amazing how quickly fish can throw hooks if given just a bit of slack.
When setting the hook, the rod tip should not go behind your head as this will cause you to have to move it forward again and give the fish a little slack.
If a fish swims into some rocks and won’t budge, try letting the line slack and just sitting there for a bit. Many times when the pressure is removed the fish will swim out of the rocks and then you can bring it in.
If your line gets snagged, try grabbing the line with your hand, pulling it back, and then letting it snap forward like a bow and arrow. Sometimes that dislodges the hook. If that doesn’t work, let out some slack, point the rod vertically, and try hitting the end of the butt with your hand. If neither of these things work, motor over (assuming you are in a boat) until you are directly over the snag and try pulling it out (unfortunately this will spook any fish that are there). If that doesn’t work try motoring past it to change the angle and pulling from there.
Be alert after you free your lure from a snag. Sometimes fish will be attracted to the commotion and bite as soon as your lure is free. Once in a while they bite when the lure is still stuck, which often frees it.