Fighting larger fish

[Striperhound]

The right equipment helps also. Last year I mainly fished with a Lami 1084 9 footer and had some issues pulling bigger fish out of the rocks when they would run. This year, I stepped up to a 10 footer and the stopping power is much different and the extra foot helps when dancing around rocks.

[JPowers]

capesams,

Exactly.

[steelhead]

You're right CS. I'm fishing in a very rocky area from shore. A shoal that goes out 400 yards or so. Current and waves come from both sides. On the left there is a very deep hole with a stony bottom. At low tide, the is just uner water. At high its about 12 to 14 feet under, with the usual larger boulders and gullies in between. I'm not too sure about the right of the shoal, as it'sd tough so steep and rocky that I'm afraid to even walk out there. I suspect that when I look at a chart, it drops there too. This place gets huge surf and swells.

[JHABS]

Keep the Pressure on and most Important give the Fish no Slack Line

[Nebe]

While i did just land a big bass, i really dont get alot of them, but when I am out I will always keep my drag almost locked down. This will help me really set the hook. Then after setting i will reach down right away and loosen the star drag a bit- Because of this style that i fish, i am considering switching to the avet lever drag, but i digress. I keep the drag tight, set the hook, loosen a tad and let the bass run. when its running I am standing still waiting for the bass to slow. As soon as it stops i start winching after i feel that i have turned its head. I try to get them in quick so I can release them..

oh, an if your drag is too tight after you set the hook, the bass will start head shaking. before i started loosening my drag after setting the hook, i lost a lot of bass... my guess is that with the braid, the bass simply rips out the hook. keep it loose and let them think they can get away...

I think you can get away with a locked drag the whole time with mono.. but with braid you have to have a loose enough so you dont rip lips.

my 10 ¢

[Backbeach Jake]

I've lost more fish with Braid and locked drag than any other way. The ones than did come in sported enlarged holes where the hooks were. Loose drag for me on the beach now.

[basswipe]

I lost several large fish this year on Mambos.In the end it was the hooks.I changed them to VMCs and started landing fish.I caught quite a few fish between 10-20lbs in the spring on one of Salty's bottle poppers and of course it had decent hooks.

I never overlook the hooks anymore.

[rizzo]

Water temp, current, fish size and the fishes mood determine how hard it will fight. I've had big fish come in like nothing, and had small fish 20-25#s fight like hell. This spring for example when the water was cold, the fish were tired from a long migration they came in like dead weight. One or two small runs and it was over (fish to mid 30#s). A couple weeks ago I had 12-15 pound fish that just wouldnt quit. This could be due to water temp, and that they were well fed and rested.

When I fight fish from the rock (exclude b-ways or inlets) I set on the fish with a fairly hard drag. From there I will loosen it quite a bit. If you keep a tight drag in this condition the hook could rip or tackle will break. Everyone always talks about "you gotta turn the fish, thats your only chance" or "I had to keep him outta the rocks. The problem is that when you fish braid it cuts like nothing under tight tension. So the fish goes in an area where the line touches a rock or barnacle and snap... fish off. With a loose drag the fish will have a hard time breaking you off.

The second issue is that if the drag is tight the fish cant pull line so it goes straight to the bottom where the odds of breaking off are even better. If it can take line they will run parallel to the bottom and you have good chances of landing it.

[Nebe]

Rizzo, we think alike read my post above

[NIB]

I don't hook any big ones.They just see me on the rocks an give up an beach themselves.

[RIROCKHOUND]

E:
Braid;
Locked Drag
Single Hook Bucktail worked well at you know where for me last year...
That spot is due for a look SOON

With plugs I'm a moderate drag kinda guy, unless you REALLY need to turn a fish...

[kippy]

Originally Posted by Eben

While i did just land a big bass, i really dont get alot of them, but when I am out I will always keep my drag almost locked down. This will help me really set the hook. Then after setting i will reach down right away and loosen the star drag a bit- Because of this style that i fish, i am considering switching to the avet lever drag, but i digress. I keep the drag tight, set the hook, loosen a tad and let the bass run. when its running I am standing still waiting for the bass to slow. As soon as it stops i start winching after i feel that i have turned its head. I try to get them in quick so I can release them..

oh, an if your drag is too tight after you set the hook, the bass will start head shaking. before i started loosening my drag after setting the hook, i lost a lot of bass... my guess is that with the braid, the bass simply rips out the hook. keep it loose and let them think they can get away...

I think you can get away with a locked drag the whole time with mono.. but with braid you have to have a loose enough so you dont rip lips.

my 10 ¢

I like this technique Eben. I fish braid so I'm going to try it out. I usually keep my drag loose but will try tightening it for the hookset and then loosening it up.