How To Catch Any Fish
  How To Catch Any Fish
  • Home
  • Species Guides
    • Saltwater Fish >
      • Barracuda >
        • Great Barracuda
        • Pacific Barracuda
      • Barramundi
      • Bass >
        • Calico Bass
        • Sand Bass
        • Spotted Bay Bass
        • White Sea Bass
      • Billfish >
        • Black Marlin
        • Blue Marlin
        • Pacific Sailfish
        • Striped Marlin
      • Black Drum
      • Bonefish
      • Groupers >
        • Broomtail Grouper
        • Goliath Grouper
        • Leopard Grouper
        • Tropical Cods
      • California Sheepshead
      • Dorado
      • Emperor Fishes
      • Giant Needlefish
      • Halibut (California)
      • Halibut (Pacific)
      • Lingcod
      • Mackerels >
        • Cero Mackerel
        • King Mackerel
        • Pacific Sierra
      • Pink Salmon
      • Redfish
      • Rockfish
      • Snappers >
        • Barred Pargo
        • Golden Snapper (Fingermark)
        • Green Jobfish
        • Mullet Snapper
        • Mutton Snapper
        • Pacific Cubera Snapper
        • Red Bass
        • Red Snapper
        • Yellow Snapper
        • Yellowtail Snapper
      • Sheepshead
      • Silver Salmon
      • Snook
      • Speckled Trout
      • Tarpon
      • Trevallies and Jacks >
        • African Pompano
        • Amberjack
        • Blacktip Trevally
        • Bluefin Trevally
        • Brassy Trevally
        • California Yellowtail
        • Giant Trevally
        • Jack Crevalle
        • Longnose Trevally
        • Queenfish
        • Rainbow Runner
        • Roosterfish
      • Tuna >
        • Albacore
        • Bonito
        • Dogtooth Tuna
        • Skipjack Tuna
        • Yellowfin Tuna
      • Wahoo
      • Yelloweye Rockfish
    • Freshwater Fish >
      • African Tigerfish
      • Arapaima
      • Arctic Grayling
      • Arowana (South American)
      • Bass >
        • Hybrid Striped Bass
        • Largemouth Bass
        • Peacock Bass
        • Rainbow Bass
        • Smallmouth Bass
        • Striped Bass
        • White Bass
      • Catfish >
        • Blue Catfish
        • Channel Catfish
        • Redtail Catfish
        • Sharptooth Catfish
        • Suribim Catfish
        • Vundu Catfish
      • Clown Knifefish (Featherback)
      • Dolly Varden
      • Golden Dorado
      • Jacunda
      • Jaguar Cichlid
      • Machaca
      • Muskellunge
      • Nembwe
      • Panfish >
        • Bluegill
        • Crappie
        • Central American Cichlids
        • Yellow Perch
      • Payara
      • Pike
      • Piranha
      • Sardinata
      • Sheefish
      • Taimen
      • Tilapia
      • Trout >
        • Brook Trout
        • Brown Trout
        • Lake Trout
        • Rainbow Trout
      • Walleye
      • White Sturgeon
      • Wolf Fish
  • Tackle Tips
    • Lure Reviews >
      • Bomber Fat Free Shad
      • Heddon Super Spook
      • Heru Bobara Lure Review
      • Sebile Stick Shadd
      • Heru Cubera Popper
      • Surface Iron Review
      • Yo Zuri Crystal Minnow Review
    • Gear Selection
  • Fishing Tips
    • Why Do Fish Bite?
    • Fishing Knots
    • How to Release Fish
    • Lure Fishing
    • Bait Fishing
    • Intro to Fly Fishing
    • Pound for Pound Fight Ratings
    • Miscellaneous Tips
    • Seasickness
    • Getting Kids Into Fishing
    • California Party Boat Fishing
    • Float Tube Fishing
    • Fishing Travel Tips
    • Preventing Insect Bites
    • How Not To Catch Fish
  • Trip Reports
    • US and Canada >
      • San Diego 10 Day Long Range Trip
      • 100 Trout in Montana
      • God's Lake Canada - Pike, Trout, and more
      • Colorado Trouting
      • Admiralty Island, Alaska Lings and Things
      • Lake Tawakoni - Catfish and Stripers
      • Shallow Water Bull Redfish - Louisiana
      • Lake O the Pines Texas Crappie
      • Cocodrie Louisiana Marshes
      • Alaska Sportsman's Lodge - Rainbows, Salmon, and Bears
      • South Florida Freshwater Exotics
      • Aniak River, Alaska - Trout, Salmon, Sheefish
      • Calcasieu and Venice Louisiana - Redfish and Trout
      • Southern California - A Summer of Party Boat Fishing
      • White River Arkansas - Brown Trout
      • Dry Tortugas, Florida - Massive Reef Variety
      • Boca Grande - Goliaths and Much More
      • Hawk Lake Ontario - Bass, Pike Walleye
    • Central America >
      • Quepos Marlin and Roosterfish
      • Drake Bay, Costa Rica - Inshore Quick Trip
      • Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica and Punta Burica, Panama - Offshore and Inshore
      • Osa Peninsula Costa Rica - Inshore Pargo and Roosters
      • San Quintin, Mexico - Yellowtail and Calico Bass
      • Cebaco Bay, Panama - Inshore Popping and Jigging
      • Rio Indio Nicaragua - Tarpon, Rainbow Bass, and More
      • Lake Agua Milpa Mexico - Family Bass Trip
      • Puerto Vallarta - Marlin, Mahi, Tuna, Pargo
      • Puerto Vallarta - Big Offshore Giants and Pargo
      • San Quintin, Mexico - White Seabass and Barracuda
      • Puerto Vallarta - Roosterfish Mania and Freshwater Bass
      • Puerto Vallarta - Inshore/Offshore Slam
      • Puerto Vallarta - Summer Inshore Monsters
      • San Evaristo Mexico - Baja Inshore Variety
      • Rio Parismina, Costa Rica - Tarpon
      • Mariato Panama Fall Giants
      • Mariato, Panama Inshore Bonanza
      • Mariato, Panama - Wind and Tuna
    • South America >
      • Jurassic Trout in Patagonia
      • Amazon Arapaima and Peacocks in Brazil
      • Parana River Argentina - Golden Dorado
      • Colombia - Amazon Peacocks and Payara
      • Trinidad Tarpon Madness
      • Colombia Pacific Coast
      • Amazon Bolivia - Big Payara and Variety
      • Amazon, Brazil - Peacock Bass, Wolffish, and Catfish
      • Amazon Brazil - Peacock Bass and Exotics
    • Asia and the Pacific >
      • Mongolia - World's Largest Trout
      • Burdekin, Australia - Big Barramundi and Reef Variety
      • Great Barrier Reef Australia - Insane Reef Variety
      • Aitutaki, Cook Islands - Giant Trevally Popping and Napoleon Wrasse
      • New Caledonia - Popping Giant Trevally
      • Marshall Islands- Remote Reef Exotics
    • Africa and the Middle East >
      • Malagarasi Tigerfish
      • Zambia - Floodplain Tigers and Bream
      • Madagascar - Wild Reef
      • Tanzania Offshore
      • Tanzanian Tigerfish
      • Oman GTs and Inshore Variety
  • About/Contact
  • Videos
    • How To Videos
  • Best Places to Fish
    • Aitutaki
    • Amazon
    • Bolivia
    • California
    • Costa Rica
    • Florida
    • Great Barrier Reef
    • Mexico Fishing - Baja
    • Panama
    • Puerto Rico
    • Puerto Vallarta
  • Trophy Gallery
Picture
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.