Sa nap

[Guppy]

Any tricks out there to keep fish above (out of?) boulders fishing from the beach?

They only seem to do it with big $ plugs :-)

[JohnR]

Tall rod, good line, good knots, pressure

[chefchris401]

Rod high
Tight drag
Great equipment

Fish sand
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[bloocrab]

Fish from the opposite direction..........like, from your boat

[Nebe]

pray

[Guppy]

Originally Posted by bloocrab

Fish from the opposite direction..........like, from your boat

Ya but, I'm trying to change my life, ending up with another addiction

It's numskulls fault, he sold me the rod..... :-)

Let cha know how it goes boys....

[Guppy]

Originally Posted by Nebe

pray

LMAO

[numbskull]

If you are into fish big enough to own you in the rocks while using 1201m you had best take me with you so I can examine the problem more carefully.

More seriously, the classic approach to your problem is:

1) #55 braid (or fireline even better)
2) A shock leader of #60 Fluoro about 8 ft long (for which you'll need to learn how to tie an FG knot)
3) Big drag to force the fish to the surface quickly.
4) When wrapped try first to muscle them out. If that is not working then back off on the drag and wait to see if they'll swim out on their own (doesn't typically work in current).
5) some guys advocate strumming the line to encourage the fish to move rather than hunker down.

[DZ]

Fish a presentation with a strong single hook

[5/0]

Take your time,your not the one with the hook in the mouth....
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[Guppy]

To get my nerve up I began at one side of the boulder field.
Water was churned up on the incoming and wind almost in my face made impossible to see with the head lamp for footing....
Once comfortable I came in and moved over to where I wanted to fish. Had a bear of a time getting there, these old knees are at thier end... Gets my feet planted and let's one go, ( yo zori that looks like the jumpin mino? ) two cranks and bamb! Fish heads straight out head shaking like crazy, rod tip up, cranking like crazy, thought I had him, not, he heads off to my left towards some boulders still showing, I tell you, full drag, hand on spool, rod bent to a half moon and I couldn't stop him..... It happen too quick to say a Hail Mary , (should have:-)) because not sure if a rock or equip failure but that monster got away... :-(
Don't mind loosing this one but just wish the fight lasted longer,,, this was a big fish for sure...

Stay tuned,,, I've got to go buy more amo and give it another shot. I think that's plug # 4 for this spot!

[Guppy]

Been waiting for last nights tides, to fish above spot, stopped couple times and sees f n seal out in front of me, moves down to rock pile and not even a rat!
First time without a rat.... If I remember right the SOB's came in there last year also

Do seals feed at night? Couple days that high water will be in the middle of the night
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[numbskull]

Alas, seals feed at night. They are also curious creatures and will sit out there in front of you checking you out.

[ProfessorM]

gup you need to take me to this spot so I can loose some too. Is it a place I am familiar with?

[Guppy]

Sworn to secrecy
Plus the fish that where there may be it for the year :-(
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[JohnR]

If not the biggest fish I ever had on, lost for the boulders and rap

[Rockfish9]

It's a tough situation Gup...I love fishing Rocks and they don't call these things Rockfish for nothing... I'm
no great lover of braid in rocks...or mussel shoals..maybe it's me ...but I've had it part on a light touch a few too many times for my liking.... even though it cast like crap.. 50 lb Ande and a long rod ( 11' St Croix) and an old Penn squidder has winched more than a few Jumbos from a massive boulder field north of me that is hard to fish anyway except from the land... the tall rod helps me get their head up and turn 'em..it doesn't always work... but I feel the odds are better... also the Ande will stretch and shred ...but it is rugged stuff..it takes a lot for it to actually break... I've had fish wrap up ...I've relaxed the line and had them swim out...I've had about a 50/50 success ratio with that tactic... most nights there... the fish are in close to the drop off and casting is not a problem.. especially with a 4 ounce plug..

catch'em up!

[Rockfish9]

Originally Posted by Guppy

Been waiting for last nights tides, to fish above spot, stopped couple times and sees f n seal out in front of me, moves down to rock pile and not even a rat!
First time without a rat.... If I remember right the SOB's came in there last year also

Do seals feed at night? Couple days that high water will be in the middle of the night
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Seals seem to feed around the clock.... have one try to swim between your legs and see what that does to your heart rate!... I had one many years ago crawl into my boat...it's pretty funny now... wasn't funny at the time..

[Guppy]

Geeeeees

[Rockfish9]

Originally Posted by Guppy

Geeeeees

I'll tell the story of the boat/seal incident now. Seeing I was fishing a rock pile and it kind is Jermaine to the topic..

it was late night/early morning ..last hour of the drop... there is a large boulder field in the river..... there is a small "stone wall" that sticks out and causes the current to back wash behind it... it is only accessible by boat because it is in the middle of the river.. by setting the bow on the stone wall you can cast into the flow as it pours over the end of the rocks never needing to tie the boat or anchorup it will just sit there... I had been casting for awhile and felt the boat rock.. then heard a loud grunt...a large seal was half way into the boat/over the transom...I grabbed my gaff and tried to push the beast back... I was met with a series of grunts ...snorts and barks...ever notice how big their teeth are?... oh and their breath stinks too!... anyway after a few minutes of jousting the unwanted freeloader wiggled his way back overboard and disappeared into the night...I carry a lot of stuff on board...clean "shorts" aren't one of the items I carry...

[Zeal]

Dug through John Skinner's "Striper Pursuit" and I'll be giving snippets of his advice when it comes to big fish and wrapping itself around rocks since it is no stranger to him: "Often you'll feel that sickening line rub when the fish is running hard. Just back down on the drag pressure and let it run. Braid is hard to cut if it's not under pressure. The fish will stop when it weakens, which seems to be helped along by the friction of the line against the rock. Once the fish stops, leave the drag loose but hold the spool as you pull back carefully with the rod, then drop the spool hand to the reel handle to crank the recovered line. Repeat this pumping and alternating of your cranking hand between the top of the spool and the reel handle. The hard part is when you get the fish all the way back to the rock and have to pull it off. Since the fish and tired and fish are slippery you can slide them over or around the obstruction."

"If I think that the fish is already weakened when it hangs, i"ll try to pull it off the rock immediately rather than loosen the drag and allow it to take more line. It's a judgement call...but if you focus on not applying heavy pressure to the braid, there's an excellent chance you'll clear the hang and continue fighting the fish. Once free...the line might have been damaged by the rubbing on the structure and you will want to reset your drag accordingly."

As far as a rod he does mention he used to use an 11 footer a lot and there are just some spots where you just need to try your hardest to keep the fish out of the structure but losing a plug will eventually happen.

[OLD GOAT]

With a light rod load try taping on your rod blank to cause a fish head ache.
sometimes works

[albythereforyou]

two years ago up on your rocky death beaches I lost the biggest bass of my life, a class above the 48" bass I got the year before. It was my own fault I lost it.

Had a good tight drag, kept the 10' 6" rod high and kept the fishes head on the surface of the water above all the giant rocks of doom below. And then, like an overconfident jackass, I thought the fight was over, and stepped off my rock into chest deep water in order to try to make it to shore with the fish. The fish took one last run, and because I was much deeper in the water, my rod was lower, line was lower, the fished rubbed me off on a rock 10 ft in front of me. stole my good luck jointed plug along with my dreams of a 50

I learned a lesson I will never forget, and a rule I never break now. I don't leave my rock until the fish is in my hands.