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Fighting fire...
No not wild fires.. the night fishermans albatross... that glow that lights up the water at night when so many one celled critters unite...
anyone on the north shore( Ma) or NH coast that has been out the last few nights realizes how bad it has been..
as i was preparing to go out last night, I had another angler ask me how I was dealing with it.. and if I had been catching.. I said I had been doing OK.. and gave him a few pointers that I will pass along to those who might be struggeling under these conditions..
Rule #1... do not let your presence be known...under intense fire ( a boat prop lit up the water 100' behind the boat and the wake was aglow in silver)... drift when you can.. even an electric motor leaves a silvery commet that most likely looks like a seal or great white to a fish... any sudden movements alert both prey and predator of their presense... bait fish move with the utmost caution so a fast moving bait is un natural.. in shallow water I even lift the main engine to keep turbulance to a minimum..
Rule # 2 go small... thin line.. thin leader and small baits will prevoke more strikes.. I use 15lb mono as my norm.. it's plenty thin... I use 18" of 30lb leader... under these conditions... that leader looks like a hawsaw line... I'll tie direct .. yup I loose a few fish ...gill rakers on fish over 20lbs can cut the 15lb test easily...but If the fish are that fussy.. I'll go that extreme.. and it works...
Small baits are the order of the day..any bait framed in fire looks alot bigger than it is.. if the fish are wary.. they'll take the shortest route to saftey rather than eat your offering.. a word about eels.. I like to fish python sized eels... but not under these conditions... I've got "shoe strings" I've had in my keeper since June...they are long and LEAN... perfect for the mission... I usualy like 'em lively... but not under these conditions... I want them a heart beat away from dead.. that normally whirling, writhing, spinning bass tempter looks like a tasmainian devil under those condition... give en a whack on the noggin to "cool "'em off..
Rule # 3 GO SLOW.. we all know go slow by night.. but i;m talking almost freeze frame here... I cast... pause and slowly lift the rod... taking as much as 30 seconds to reach the 1:00 posistion.. then slowly drop the rod tip as I retrieve line... extreme.. maybe.. but I'll take fish when others are racking their rods in disgust because they can't deal with or believe the fish will eat under these conditions..
Hits under these conditions are rarely violent... most often they are exploratory "nips"... IMHO, my light line gives less resistance. the fish will feel out the bait and if they find it appealing.. it's fish on...so be patient.. dont set up as quicly... I had an instance Tuesday night when a 5 count on a "sleeping" danny found the plug in the fishes mouth.. I missed several early on until i figured it out..once I got the initial bump... I could count to 5.. then set the hooks into flesh with even feeling the fish.. it can be THAT extreme..
Rule #4... if the surfs cranking or your fishing a screaming rip loaded with fire.. everything I said here( rule #3 )goes out the window... under those conditions, the world is a tumbeling confused ( scared) mass.. any baitfish tumbled into it wants to get out of dodge... a fast movement is it's only way to safety...it is not unatural..it is expected...
Hopefully this might help 1 person catch fish on a night when they other wise might only meet pepe le pew..
tight lines all
Roc
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