Hi S-B members:

While I fished at my local water, I have experience strong hit but I just can not land the fish at all---Strange!

I am using fisher finder setup with 3 oz bank weight, 30 inches and 80-lb leader (to endure blue's bite), and 50 lb. spider-line on a 10' diawa sea-line rod. The hook that I was using is eagle (5/0)
I used 1.5-2 inch cutted mackel for bait and hook it either at the back or the belley.

Stanggly, I frequently experience strong hit (pull) but when I set the hook, the fish either fight at the berginning moment when I set the the hook or no response at all. I am wonder whether the chunked mackel tha I was using is too big or my habit of tighten up the losing line reduce the impact of hooking the fish or ???


Ching-Wei Liao

Sounds like a dogfish or a skate. Where there abrasion marks on the bait??

Hi Duke41 :

Some of them have abrasion marked indeed. Some of them look like it has been through a meat grounder, but others look like nothing has touch it at all. Most of the time it look like it has not been bitten at all. Also, I did check and shapen my fishing hook and test it (it is extremely sharp) before I do S-B fishing!


Ching-Wei Liao

crabs big ones
:mad: :mad:

You could be pulling the bait right out of the fish' mouth, set your drag and let em take it for a bit and then set the hook. You could also try circle hooks, they'll hook themselves.

I bet it is a skate. Let it run for 90 seconds to 2 minutes then start to slowlt retireve it it feels like your pulling up a mooring its a skate.

Watch out with the 50lb fireline on that rod. That matbe too much for that rod go with 20, which I believe breaks at 27

sounds kinda fishy too me but its crabs !
Ching you fishing in Taiwan or United States ?

He is north shore mass. It just dawned on me that he could actually be ripping the hook out of the mouths of the ones he starts fighting. No stretch in the fireline.

Hi S-B friends:

All your comment are possible and I appreciate your attention!

Regarding Duke41 comments: I have pondered that it is highly likely that I pulled my bait right out of the fish's mouth. Since the spider-line don't delay any response between my hand and fish and since I always hold my rod whenever I do S-B fishing on the rock. However, I thought the 30" leader will buffer the time and let S-B swallow my my bait a bit longer.

But about the drag, if I set it lose, how can I set the hook right to penerate the hard mouth of the S-B. Unless the way I set the hook is wrong. I heard that tighten up the lose line is wrong since the momemtum to penetrate the S-B 's mouth is more important than the force to do it. Nevertheless, how do you losen your drag and set your hook right and efficient!

Ching-Wei Liao

When the fish gets running, hold the spool with one hand, set the hook, then tighten the drag.

Like Specialist says, palm the spool when you set the hook and you can palm the spool when you need a little extra drag but it's probably not best to tighten a drag on a spinner, OK to losen but you really shouldn't tighten. Turn a little too much - POP! goes the line.

Hi S-B friends:

You are really experienced!

With all your help, This year I have caught S-B more than what I caught in thel last 9 years. Besides I have caught 14 more keepers so far more than the sum of last nine years.

Indeed, I always losen my drag whenever I fight with a monster (39" two week ago) and tighten the drag when I am waiting for a bite. My way to use he the spin reel is questionable, indeed.


Thanks,

Ching-Wei Liao

Hi -S-B friends

After all your helps in the way I set my hook, I plan to turn on the bait-running switch when I am waiting for the bite. And Let the fish drag my light drag line for a while before switch it off and setting the hook.

Ching-Wei Liao

Mr. CWL...or LCW...

Would you be open to trying conventional reels and rods? :happy:

I think you might be able to get more leverage on the fish when chunking, particularly with the hookset.

I'm probably in the minority, but I don't chunk or even dunk worms with a spinner anymore. I use spinning for smaller plugs, jigs, and sometimes eels.

-FWW

Hi Fishweewee:

I use those spool reel for ocean fishing back at Taiwan 20 years ago, and I know the conventional reel has similar scheme that the line will run off (because of backlash) without thumb break. However, I have evaluate the convention reel recently and plan to buy the ambassador 6500 but there are more sub-models in this 6500 and I can not decide which one is the best. Any suggestations. By the way, I am so afraid that in the evening if I forget to use my thumb break, the messey line will spoil my evening fishing.. However, without trying it, how can I know whetehr it fit me or not.



Ching-Wei Liao

Mr. CWL...

Might I suggest an Abu Garcia 7500 CL Big Game Reel or a Calcutta 700 reel? I lean towards the former b/c it is cheaper and is less sensitive to sand.

The 7500 has a larger spool, but more importantly it has a larger spool flange that is easier to control with your thumb when you cast. It is the workhorse of a lot of bait dunkers and pluggers alike.

The drawback to the 6500 series is that there isn't much surface area for you to control the spool with your thumb.

Worth the money in my opinion...if you're going to do it, do it right the first time!

Regards,

FWW

Get some 8/0 hooks. If its stripers you are after , thats not too big for chunking.

CWL, the bait clicker should keep you from getting too bad a tangle with your conventional reel. Cast your line out, switch the clicker on and bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz FISH ON:happy: TUrn the crank to engage the reel and you're in business.

Yep to all of the above, certainly the conventional reels although that does sort of require a new rod too.

The good all around 7000/7500 Abu is the C3 - some places sell a cheap bushing based C model but opt for the C3 if you were to choose...

Oh yeah John...I forgot that Mr. CWL will need a new rod. :smash:

No need to go cuckoo...would I be reaching if I suggested a 10 foot medium heavy Shakespeare Ugly Stick? It gets the job done...

-FWW

Free spool the fish. Open the bail and let him take line as soon as you feel a little tug.....especially if you hold the rod. Let him take some line while counting to 15. Then flip over the bail and set the hook. This should be enough time to let him get the bait. If you let him take it too long he is liable to drop the bait or wrap around an underwater structure. If this doesn't work, maybe you aren't using a large enough hook with the bait.

Circle hook....

15 count is going to probably gut hook a fish with a regular hook...

Trade some time for REALLY sharp hooks

Hi S-B friends:

Thnak you for all your advices!

I need time to digest all the information you had provided! But, my immediate corrections of my set-hook stuffs are:

For 1.5 to 2 inch chunk

a. using 7/0 hook
b. using 3 foot leader (40 LB if no blue presents)
c. considering point the rod-tip toward the bass once it strike and set the hook with slag line

or

For 1 inch or below chunk
a. using 5/0 hook
b. using 2 foot leader
c. set hook immediately

or

a. circular hook (5/0)
b. 3 foot leader
c. rise up my rod and let the fish hook itself

As for the new reels and rods, I need time to think about them!

Thank you again, and I wish you all well and have an excellent splash in S-B fishing.

Sincerely Yours,

Ching-Wei Liao

Hi S-B friends:

I tried circle hook with 30" 40 lb leader, 4 oz pyramid sinker and 50 lb spider line on my 10 ' diawa sealine-x , yesterday night.

Within two hours out-going tide on the PI river mouth, I have 10 hits.

1. Two with medium pull (hits), and I let the back-up line (6 ') on my hand and let the ??? take it, and set thehook, the results are nonthing!

2. Two strong pulls (hits) with bait-runner on, and I let it run (<3 second) to stop and set the hook the result are nonthing!

3. 6 with strong hits, and I just low down my rod tip and it take it for <1 second and set the hook by raising my rod tip and I got
4 schoolee (the biggest one is 24") and 2 sting ray

All comment are welcome!:


Ching-Wei Liao

what are you using for bait ?

If you are using mac. try this: cut a filet "cut the whole side #^&#^&#^&#^& or cut the strip of belly flesh off the bait the length of the fish. use the same rig you are using with the baitrunner set so the fish can run .
when the fish hits dont set the hook just close the baitrunner and aply pressure let the fish hook itself.

CWL,
I think maybe you are pulling the circle hook right out of the mouth of the fish. Like IRL said jus tlet the fish take the slack out of the line and it will hook itself.

Hi IRL:

I used 1-2" mack chunk (big) and 5/0 circle hook !


Indeed, I should also try mack filet or strips, since I frequently foun my hook stuck on the bone section of my mack chunk
for those missing hit.

Ching-Wei LIao