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Posts: 113
Location: Shoreview, MN | Last night I lost a really big fish at boatside using my new 8' St. Criox rod (& bucktail). I love the rod (long casts, easy figure-8's, etc.) but it has a couple drawbacks.
1) when a fish hits at/near boatside it's pretty difficult to maintain pressure on the fish without lifting the rod tip (which in turn causes the fish to headshake/jump and wave goodby. I know some guys just put the first 1-2' of rod in the water to prevent the fish from jumping, but how do you keep pressure on the fish this way - especailly when the fish just wallows and headshakes at boatside rather than making a run/dive?
2) I mostly fish alone. Handling a big net in one hand and leading the fish into it with a long rod in the other is pretty tricky. Any suggestions? |
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Posts: 4266
| I fish alone alot too and don't anything under 7'6". Same scenario as you, 8' St Croix rod/bucktail, boatside strike....I set the hook low instead of up and then I stick the rod as far as I can in the water and get on the trolling motor and kick it in high and drag the fish until it wants to run, then I back off the drag and let it run. I find that boat control after the fish hits is even more important than before it hits. Stay on the motor to keep pressure on the fish. It works for me.
Beav |
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Posts: 124
Location: Rice Lake,WI | I guess I'm the odd man out because I love the 8'hy cat series. The little extra flex you get . I find it more forgiving at boatside especially going solo as I'm grabbing the net. Beaver was right on the money with getting the upper hand via boat control. Fine line between turning,keeping pressure on and pulling the hooks out of a not so well hooked fish. If you have a fish crush you at boatside with rod in water and hooksetting underwater usually you can keep them down,thumb them out as needed to definitely give you some room towork so to speak . Grabbing the net and netting solo is and should be one fluid movement to prevent the dreaded
from happening. Be fast and efficient and bag em' as soon as feasible as to
prevent stress and all those little dumb things that sometimes take place alone! Goodluck this fall.
Jon Torok |
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Posts: 1996
Location: Pelican Lake/Three Lakes Chain | One thing I would like to add is to take the fight to the fish. When I have a boatside hit I stick the rod in the water and drag the fish around the boat. It is much the same concept of using the troller but I have all the control of where the fish is going when I drag the fish around the boat. By initiating the fight you are able to control where the head goes and keep it under the water. Usually it doesn't take a whole bunch of dragging before the fish makes its first power run and gives you adequate line to finish the fight in a more conventional manner.
If you are fishing with a partner many times you can drag the fish in a big circle and lead it right into the net(your partner needs to be on the ball though). I think the element of surprise stuns the fish allowing you to get a quick capture and some cool pictures. |
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| Any fish at boatside,big,little,whatever, use the long rod to your advantage!side set the hook opposite fish travel,then get the rod up in the air and let it do what its supposed to do,fight the the fish.My opinion in dragging that fish around with the rod in the water is a diaster waiting to happen.Plus to land the fish the rod has to be in the air anyways so its ready to net or hand-land.A long rod, a little drag,a thumb and some common sense will put those big fish right where you want them. Really, just think about it! |
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Posts: 4266
| I must disagree. Flex in the rod keeps the line tight. Not keeping the rod high. There isn't any rule that says that the rod must be up in the air and bent down to create flex. The rod will bend side to side and even upward if you want it to. I think that if you put upward pressure on a fishes head, he will follow the pressure and come up to the surface and thrash. I prefer to keep their heads under water with the rod bent to the side and down. Many times I have actually taken a hooked fish and pulled its head down to keep them from surfacing by burying the rod in the water.
I bet that almost every time that I fight a fish, at some point, the rod or rod tip is under the water. I fight a lot of fish from my knees.
The rod fights the fish as long as it's flexed, period.
As far as the rod being out of the water to net a fish, yes I agree. Usually it's about 6" to a foot above the water leading the fish into the net. That's high enough.
I still prefer a side set and a low rod tip to an upward jerk and fighting the fish with a high rod.
Keep their heads down and their bodies will stay down.
Beav |
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Big fish & long rods at boatside