|
|
Posts: 622
Location: Seymour, WI | Last Mon. I was twitching a Grandma bait and did a nice smooth figure 8 at the boat. I did not see a fish follow, but as I looked up from the water a 41-42" fish smashed the bait. I'm not sure if the bait was in or out of the water when the fish hit. Scared the crap out of me. The fish was going nuts on just a couple feet of line. I was trying to loosen the drag, but eventually the fish did a head shake while facing me and was gone.
So my question to you guys is do you rely on the drag in a situation like this or do you do your figure 8's in free spool? I know I've read lots of posts from pros who rely on the drag and just loosen it up when a fish hits at the boat, but I can't help but think I would have had a better chance of getting that fish if I'd been in free spool. My drag was not set overly tight when the fish hit.
Grass, |
|
| |
|
Posts: 600
Location: West Bend, WI | When I make my first turn in the 8 I hit my thumb bar,after the eight you are ready to throw again.When I get a fish on, I tend to freespool and fight the fish.I just control the tension with my thumb and let her go when she wants to go,when it's time to turn her I start cranking and turn her the way I want (would like) to go.Does anyone else fight there fish like this?I have never lost a ski to date (only 18 though) like this.I feel letting em run a little,is better then ripping a hole for the hook to back out of , broken line,or straighting the hooks ect... |
|
| |
|
Posts: 20281
Location: oswego, il | It is a good idea, just a plitzzz said to release the spool during the 8. Keep your thunb on the spool when setting the hook. Casting requires a tight drag setting to get a decent hookset, loosening on a boatside strike will take too much time and keeping a loose drag will not allow a good hookset. |
|
| |
|
| Yeah, I will free spool during an "eight" as well. Me using a left side crank and being right handed (meaning I never have to hand the rod to the other hand) I do this real smooth like. When they hit, I hit em, the give the line (under tension, of course) and let them fight away from the boat a bit. If I am not cranking on the fish I will have my thumb on the spool and the free spool button pressed.
If you ever get a chance to see Pete Olson fish with Bob Mesihkomer you can hear him doing this as well, if he not cranking he's in free spool fighting a fish. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 469
Location: Downers Grove, IL | i always set my drag as tight as it goes. Not only for a solid hookset, but most importantly for when the fish is making runs at the boat in free spool. Having the drag set tight, allows me to "go go go''. I find this helps a ton when trying to pick up slack line. Having your drag slip when this happens might mean the difference between baggin her and not. Muskies can haul @$$ and Im always ready to try and keep up with them.
thedude |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1335
Location: Chicago, Beverly | Every time I start a fig 8 I hit free spool and thumb the line.. I have gotten a burn or two from the line doing it but I think its worth it as far as controlling the fish goes. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 113
Location: Shoreview, MN | Sometimes when a fish strikes at boatside it will turn and swim off - I guess in this case being in freespool first would be ok, but more typically when they hit at boatside they will just start thrashing - usually with thier head up. You need to stop the thrashing fast or they'll be gone. If you're in freespool under these conditions it's real hard to have much control over the fish unless you've got an awefully strong thumb. For me the best way I found to stop the thrashing is with fairly strong pressure in one direction. I try to "initiate the fight" by keeping the rod tip down in the water and pulling the fish in one direction - usually forward and around the front of the boat. A long rod helps. Some guys jump on the trolling motor to help keep pressure on. If you can get them moving in one direction they will usually start swimming - then you can hit the freespool. A fish that's swimming has it's mouth closed on the bait and usually ends up in the net.
I lost several fish last year on boatside strikes and this same type of advice from somebody else on this message baord worked for me later in the year. |
|
| |
|
Location: Woodstock, IL | I hit the thumbbar just as I start my figure 8 as well. Once the hook is set and the fish runs, I rely on the drag.
Eventually, I'll replace all of my Garcia's without the thumbbar because they are more cumbersome to get into free-spool. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 3242
Location: Racine, Wi | I always fight my fish on freespool, and freespool at boatside for the 8 as well. Just like The Dude, I tighten my drag all the way, and use the freespool instead.
That being said, I think the problem with relying on your drag all the time, is that the drag can lock up, and that will always happen at an inopportune time. If you are going to use your drag, make sure to pull on your line occasionally to make sure that the drag isn't locked up. You will start to notice, that at times, it is tougher than !@#$ to get line out. That is why you should check it from time to time. |
|
| |
|
| To all of you out in muskie land,
I think the body of water may dictate whether to freespool or drag. I crank my drag down, almost hammer tight. If I lose a smaller fish, I am not too worried. What I don't want to see happen, and yes I've seen it, is a guy getting his thumb buried up underneath the cross member, peeling his thumbnail off, and being stuck there, while the fish finally straighten's a hook, or breaks the line. I've seen two fish in the 50+ pound category swim away from my boat on Eagle after such a mishap.
I hang onto the cork ALL the time. With the lever of hookset from that position, I feel I have more of a stronger fulcrum at the reel, and more strength. As well, I've done seminars, where I've had my son, Weston, come up in front of a group, and lift a cinder block with the front cork, while a full grown man couldn't, while palming the reel.
Just my 2 cents worth....and trust me, that's about all it's worth!!!
Donnie  |
|
| |
|
| I too am one who will crank the drag down tight for one purpose only...solid hookset. I have found when a fish hits at boatside, the thrashing starts and all I can do is hang on....except for one thing...I manually peel line off the reel to give me some room to work with the fish. With my pulling and the fish pulling, the line will come off pretty easy, and if the fish thrashes, all you have to do is grab down on the rod....since the hand is right there.
I have found that when trying to go to freespool AFTER the fish has hit is no easy task since the reel gears are tightened up.
After dark, I really like this style since you may not be able to see the fish and it will get your knees going...A panic with a freespool is a birds nest and a lost fish.
Good luck on what you find works best for your style of fishing..
Steve |
|
| |
|
| I depend on the drag and feel it gives me more control compared to free spooling which I have done on occassion depending on the size of the fish.
Edited by muskyboy 9/15/2004 8:29 PM
|
|
| |
|
| I lost the biggest fish of my life because I felt I was good enough to freespool and control the fish. When they are a tremendous tank, like this big girl off of Stretch Reef, August 29th, 1992, I realized that I just let mw drag do it's job, and if it's tries to seize up, I force feed the line to the muskies, by pulling a little line, to get them started. After this experience, I spoke with a number of top name guides, and they mentioned, especially for the NEW guys, that hanging onto the cork and letting the drag do it's job, works a whole lot better than trying to freespool.
Just my 1 cent worth.....Donnie |
|
| |
|
| I have tried this out a lot this year. There is no way I would ever freespool at boatside during a figure 8.
I set the hook extremely hard and there is no way my thumb stops the spool from slipping. I would rather take my chances at getting a good hookset first and then worry about the fish fighting later.
It isnt really that hard to loosen the drag a bit after a punishing hookset. If push came to shove with a big one
at boatside I would set the hook and then freespool with my thumb if I couldnt immediately loosen the drag.
I am a firm believer in a hard hookset. |
|
| |
|
| Yes full body hookset is the key no matter what method you prefer! 
Steve |
|
| |
|
Posts: 80
| Longer rods certainly help as well, I always forget to hit the freespool when I figure 8. But I have had quite a few fish hit pretty close to the boat, when I am in the process of reeling in the lure. In those instances I rarely hit the freespool but I rely on the long rod when playing the fish. After the initial hook up I will back off on the drag and use my thumb to control the fish....
Works for me.... |
|
| |
Drag or free spool?