GUIDE'S CORNER FEATURED ARTICLE
PREPARED FOR THE FISH OF A LIFETIME
All of a sudden the rod is bent and it is fighting, you know it's a big fish, maybe a fish of a lifetime. Will you be prepared? When the fish of a lifetime strikes, there are some that have to fall in place that you have no control over, that's the luck part of it. But if lady luck smiles on you, there are factors that you can control and be prepared for that fish in advance. Those would be the reel, line, knots, hooks, and techniques that we will cover here. Factors, which are not only for fighting big fish, but should be incorporated on every fishing adventure.
First, we will start with the objects in your hand, the rod and reel. Other than having the rod in good shape, line guides clean and free of burrs, it is really of no consequence and I'll tell you why. If you are jigging for walleyes with light jigs you will be using a rod to match that situation. Now if that ten pound walleye strikes, there really isn't anything you can do about the rod you are using. With the reel, you can make sure that the drag is set before you start fishing. Set the drag according to the line that you are using, tight enough to set the hook, but loose enough to allow the fish to run without breaking the line. To do this, let out enough line to come to the end of the rod. Hold the rod straight up in the air as you pull on the line without it breaking, but with good tension. Doing it this way, will ensure the bend of the rod will be included in the drag setting and simulation of a fighting fish. Now remember that super lines can be very strong and maybe stronger than your rod blank, so take that into account when setting the drag. I know from experience. Certain situations may cause you to have to back reel instead of letting the fish fight the drag. This is where you disengage the anti-reverse and back reel the handle to let the fish take out line but still retain pressure on the fish all at the same time. This works well when you have on a very heavy fish that the line may not be strong enough for.
The next item would be the line. If you are targeting big fish, of coarse you would be using the appropriate line size, but that fish of a lifetime always seems to strike when you are not targeting big fish. What you can do, is make sure you are using quality line no matter what diameter the fishing situation calls for. Check the line for nicks all the way down to the lure. Running baits over rocks or catching a couple of toothy critters can put some nicks in your line in a hurry, so keep checking it periodically. At the end of this line is the next important factor, the knot. Most knots need to slip as you tighten the knot, so make sure you wet the line. This allows the line to slip easily as you tighten for a good strong knot without compromising line strength.
One thing about fish is, the bigger they get, the harder and tougher their mouths get. That is why I can stress enough about sharp hooks. No matter what brand or type, whether on a jig, on a lure, or just plain hook, they can always benefit from a little sharpening right out of the box. Not only does a sharp hook help to penetrate a tough mouth, but it can set the hook faster. Here is a personal example. I was perch fishing one day and I was getting bites but I could not set the hook fast enough to bring them in. A fellow fisherman near me saw my plight and asked if I sharpened my hook. Perch don't have tough mouths and I didn't think about it before I started fishing. I sharpened my hook and started reeling in perch. With the sharper hook, it gave me that small faction of a second of penetration that I needed to complete the hook up. Lesson learned.
You can't control how a fish bites. Muskies and northern pike all have rows of sharp teeth, and even walleyes with their spaced teeth can bite off a line. If you should happen to get lucky and the hook is in the lip or corner of the mouth, your next step is to control that trophy.
First, we will start with the objects in your hand, the rod and reel. Other than having the rod in good shape, line guides clean and free of burrs, it is really of no consequence and I'll tell you why. If you are jigging for walleyes with light jigs you will be using a rod to match that situation. Now if that ten pound walleye strikes, there really isn't anything you can do about the rod you are using. With the reel, you can make sure that the drag is set before you start fishing. Set the drag according to the line that you are using, tight enough to set the hook, but loose enough to allow the fish to run without breaking the line. To do this, let out enough line to come to the end of the rod. Hold the rod straight up in the air as you pull on the line without it breaking, but with good tension. Doing it this way, will ensure the bend of the rod will be included in the drag setting and simulation of a fighting fish. Now remember that super lines can be very strong and maybe stronger than your rod blank, so take that into account when setting the drag. I know from experience. Certain situations may cause you to have to back reel instead of letting the fish fight the drag. This is where you disengage the anti-reverse and back reel the handle to let the fish take out line but still retain pressure on the fish all at the same time. This works well when you have on a very heavy fish that the line may not be strong enough for.
The next item would be the line. If you are targeting big fish, of coarse you would be using the appropriate line size, but that fish of a lifetime always seems to strike when you are not targeting big fish. What you can do, is make sure you are using quality line no matter what diameter the fishing situation calls for. Check the line for nicks all the way down to the lure. Running baits over rocks or catching a couple of toothy critters can put some nicks in your line in a hurry, so keep checking it periodically. At the end of this line is the next important factor, the knot. Most knots need to slip as you tighten the knot, so make sure you wet the line. This allows the line to slip easily as you tighten for a good strong knot without compromising line strength.
One thing about fish is, the bigger they get, the harder and tougher their mouths get. That is why I can stress enough about sharp hooks. No matter what brand or type, whether on a jig, on a lure, or just plain hook, they can always benefit from a little sharpening right out of the box. Not only does a sharp hook help to penetrate a tough mouth, but it can set the hook faster. Here is a personal example. I was perch fishing one day and I was getting bites but I could not set the hook fast enough to bring them in. A fellow fisherman near me saw my plight and asked if I sharpened my hook. Perch don't have tough mouths and I didn't think about it before I started fishing. I sharpened my hook and started reeling in perch. With the sharper hook, it gave me that small faction of a second of penetration that I needed to complete the hook up. Lesson learned.
You can't control how a fish bites. Muskies and northern pike all have rows of sharp teeth, and even walleyes with their spaced teeth can bite off a line. If you should happen to get lucky and the hook is in the lip or corner of the mouth, your next step is to control that trophy.
Rod handling techniques now come in to play. Keep the rod at the 10 to 11 o'clock position and try to steer the fish slightly if need be. Slightly, because most likely you will be using lighter equipment than intended for the size of that fish and you won't be able to muscle it in, so go slowly. Now you have this big on and in the excitement you have to make some quick and important decisions. Where do you steer the fish? Rocks, weeds, timber, or even an anchor rope may be obstacles you are trying to avoid as you bring in the fish. Should I back reel or let the drag do it's thing? Answers to these questions really are determined by the situation, and experience is the best decision maker. A bonus is having a fishing partner that can clear other lines out of the way or take up the anchors if have to be, and of coarse, help net the fish.
Fighting a big fish is always fun no matter what the outcome is, but you seem to have a little more fun when you can land that fish. Paying attention to details are factors that you can control. So when that when all things fall into place, you are prepared for that fish of a lifetime.
Fighting a big fish is always fun no matter what the outcome is, but you seem to have a little more fun when you can land that fish. Paying attention to details are factors that you can control. So when that when all things fall into place, you are prepared for that fish of a lifetime.
Author with a 42 inch, 20 pound Tiger Muskie caught on 6 pound test line
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