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[Saltheart]

Finesse my butt! You are needlessly killing fish so that you can play with them longer after a hookup. Light tackle fishing for stripers you are not going to keep means higher mortality for the ones you catch and release. You may think its cool to play a fish a long time so that you consider yourself "finessing" the fish with ultra light line but in fact you are wearing the fish down to where he can't even break 8 lb line. In that weakened state , its unlikely he will survive after the release.

You are also leaving behind lots of gear in the fishes mouths for the ones you do not successfully "finesse" in . These fish have a higher mortality rate too.

Anyway , fishing for stripers with freshwater bass gear is not finesse , its ignorance of the fishery and the consequences of such missapllied gear.

[GonnaCatchABig1]

Originally Posted by Saltheart

Finesse my butt! You are needlessly killing fish so that you can play with them longer after a hookup. Light tackle fishing for stripers you are not going to keep means higher mortality for the ones you catch and release. You may think its cool to play a fish a long time so that you consider yourself "finessing" the fish with ultra light line but in fact you are wearing the fish down to where he can't even break 8 lb line. In that weakened state , its unlikely he will survive after the release.

You are also leaving behind lots of gear in the fishes mouths for the ones you do not successfully "finesse" in . These fish have a higher mortality rate too.

Anyway , fishing for stripers with freshwater bass gear is not finesse , its ignorance of the fishery and the consequences of such missapllied gear.

pfft.. rarely took me more than 5 mins to get a fish in.never over 10. never had a line snap. never had a fish slow to swim away.

[bart]

thats because you've never caught a good fish. listen to what people are telling you.....

[GonnaCatchABig1]

listen to what im telling you.. i was never targeting "good fish".
i was targeting schoolies upto 20 inches.
let me add though, he does have a point. if you aren't comfortable with that style. don't do it. i had been fishing extremely light tackle (nothin over 8lbs, usualy 4lb and 6lb test and a 4ft light and a 5 ft medium rod) since i was i three. giving me 12 yrs experience with very light tackle before i switched over to striper fishing. bringing in fish the size of a decent large mouth was no problem for me.

and if you must know, that 1 keeper was brought in by my buddy in under 10 mins. on 10lb test. it was also when the limit was 36"

that said. no light tackle in waters with currents and/or rough surf. or when fishing for keepers. i know some people here may find incredibly hard to believe that people can go fishing for small schoolies. but they do. it's a fun day. no need to have 20lb test to bring in a 4 or 5 lb fish. unless of course you have never caught anything larger than a bluegill on anything less than 6lb test. also i wouldn't suggest casting any further than 30 or 40 yards.

[GonnaCatchABig1]

oh yeah.. and when i was fishing back then for the little guys.. i always clipped the barbs off my hooks. just incase of a break off, there was a better chance they could eventualy shake the hooks. not mention making it far easier to remove the hooks from the fish. and no stainless steel hooks.

[Mike P]

I'm a little confused here--didn't you post this recently in another thread?

06-30-2007, 10:53 PM
GonnaCatchABig1
must find the fish Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 72

i don't think throwing the eel would be the problem.. i think getting the cow that takes the eel might. though i am a fan of light tackle, throwing an eel on 12lb is asking for a break off (eventually). i would say go with some power pro, 25lb line. maybe even 30 if you plan of tossing eels around. the 25 is just as thin if not thinner than 12lb mono. in fact.. i think the 50lb stuff is only 15lb diameter. so 25 should be around 8 or 10. not too mention the stuff casts a mile.

after today.. i can't imagine pulling in anything over 15lbs on a 12lb line.. if you do it on a regular basis.. i salute you.

So what side of your mouth are you talking out of today?

[GonnaCatchABig1]

Originally Posted by Mike P

I'm a little confused here--didn't you post this recently in another thread?

06-30-2007, 10:53 PM
GonnaCatchABig1
must find the fish Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 72

i don't think throwing the eel would be the problem.. i think getting the cow that takes the eel might. though i am a fan of light tackle, throwing an eel on 12lb is asking for a break off (eventually). i would say go with some power pro, 25lb line. maybe even 30 if you plan of tossing eels around. the 25 is just as thin if not thinner than 12lb mono. in fact.. i think the 50lb stuff is only 15lb diameter. so 25 should be around 8 or 10. not too mention the stuff casts a mile.

after today.. i can't imagine pulling in anything over 15lbs on a 12lb line.. if you do it on a regular basis.. i salute you.

So what side of your mouth are you talking out of today?

i'm not a fan of light tackle anymore. i used to be. if you read this you'd see i moved up to 50. i still think its over kill. but i like it. cause i switched over to chunking for the time being. and i cant imagine doing it. since i never have. for fish under 10lbs.. i'm all about it. if i had 8-12lb test on, catching schoolies would be fun again. now it's lame. it's like .. hook up, barely feel a fish on, reel in and repeat. i loved fishing for schoolies in the river by my house on light tackle. their was some fear it MIGHT break off. and a feeling of slightly workin it. plugs+light tackle=catching small schoolies is fun. but it now doesnt matter, cause now i'm chunkin in a spot where there is close to nothing under 20", and there is a good fight on the other end.

if i could i would much rather use lighter crap. i just can't. throwin 8 and bait on 12lb would be a nightmare. aka losing 80% of the bait on casts. and god forbid hooking into another on of those 30"plus fish and pulling them in threw rough water and currents. helllll no.

if this guy is catching smaller fish with success on his 8lb stuff. i love that. thats like the guys tuna fishing with 25-50lb crap.