BigHouse Posted June 7, 2009 Posted June 7, 2009 Hey everybody , I am a NEWBIE and I am having some trouble. I have had a lot of luck with getting fish hooked up on my line . But I have not been able to get them into my net. I am not talking about losing 2 or 3 fish, I am talking at least 10 -15 in a row. I would appreciate any helpful suggestions or tips that can help me out... I have a lot of fish Spitting the hook , any tips on rod position or anything else please post a reply> Thanks Mark Quote
grubas Posted June 7, 2009 Posted June 7, 2009 Hey Mark You may want to think about sharpening your hooks I'm no expert just replying on personal experience.I've taken up tying in the last few months and all the videos I've watch stress sharp hooks.It's helped me get more fish to hand. Good luck and tightlines Quote
wankykootiepooper Posted June 7, 2009 Posted June 7, 2009 Mark, Based on your description, it sounds like you're getting the fish close to you, but not in the net. Here are my thoughts, based on "not being there": 1. Are you playing the fish long enough? Obviously, I'm not a supporter of overplaying them, but if you're in a hurry, getting them into the net might be a challenge... 2. Is your net big enough for the fish you are getting? There are times I'm luck enough to have a similar problem... 3. When you are a beginner, it's better to have the fishing buddy you're fishing with do the netting. Holding the rod with one hand and netting with the other is a bit of a trick when you're new to it... Hope this helps. Eric. Quote
BigHouse Posted June 7, 2009 Author Posted June 7, 2009 Mark, Based on your description, it sounds like you're getting the fish close to you, but not in the net. Here are my thoughts, based on "not being there": 1. Are you playing the fish long enough? Obviously, I'm not a supporter of overplaying them, but if you're in a hurry, getting them into the net might be a challenge... 2. Is your net big enough for the fish you are getting? There are times I'm luck enough to have a similar problem... 3. When you are a beginner, it's better to have the fishing buddy you're fishing with do the netting. Holding the rod with one hand and netting with the other is a bit of a trick when you're new to it... Hope this helps. Eric. Thanks for the helpful tips. Quote
reevesr1 Posted June 7, 2009 Posted June 7, 2009 1. Are you playing the fish long enough? Obviously, I'm not a supporter of overplaying them, but if you're in a hurry, getting them into the net might be a challenge... Agree with everything else, but I would actually disagree a bit with this. If you are not breaking them off, then I would say that there is little chance you are not playing them fast enough. Want more fish to the net? Get on them HARD. It sounds counter-intuitive, but the more aggressive you are, the higher your laniding percentage will be. It's hard to do, particularly when you are loosing a lot of fish, but at this point, what do you have to loose. Give it a shot. And don't be afraid to break the odd fish off. That's the only way you will learn how much pressure you can put on for a given tippet size. Good luck! Quote
Hawgstoppah Posted June 7, 2009 Posted June 7, 2009 Yep. What Rickr said. Put max pressure on them. If there spitting the hook it's becuase they can... meaning your not putting enough pressure on them. Take the chance of busting a few off next time out rather than loose them to the same problem and see how it works for ya! Quote
BigHouse Posted June 7, 2009 Author Posted June 7, 2009 Hey everybody , I am a NEWBIE and I am having some trouble. I have had a lot of luck with getting fish hooked up on my line . But I have not been able to get them into my net. I am not talking about losing 2 or 3 fish, I am talking at least 10 -15 in a row. I would appreciate any helpful suggestions or tips that can help me out... I have a lot of fish Spitting the hook , any tips on rod position or anything else please post a reply> Thanks Mark thanks for the help everybody Quote
thefisherking Posted June 7, 2009 Posted June 7, 2009 I had similar problems in the begging as well. The issue i had was having cement feet and not chasing the fish down. Sometimes i end up 50 yards downstream. Quote
headscan Posted June 7, 2009 Posted June 7, 2009 Have to admit I've never chased a fish down the bank. I'd probably end up taking a swim or breaking an ankle if I did. Use the heaviest leader and tippet you think you can get away with especially when the water clarity is lower like now and put the boots to them. Today I was fishing a sjw and size 12 evil weevil on 2x and didn't seem to have any issues with fish shying away from my flies. If the fish are spitting the hook it could also be that you aren't getting good hook sets. Also when the fish is on, use side pressure instead of holding your rod straight up. I found that when I started using side pressure fewer fish were spitting the hook on me. Quote
Hawgstoppah Posted June 7, 2009 Posted June 7, 2009 Also when the fish is on, use side pressure instead of holding your rod straight up. I found that when I started using side pressure fewer fish were spitting the hook on me. that's funny. I find it exactly the opposite for me. when I do the new zealand rod high, hard pressure, good bend in the rod I lose very few. When my rod is low and I am giving side pressure, bye bye.... for me anyways, it doesnt work. Use what your confident with, though! Quote
darrinhurst Posted June 8, 2009 Posted June 8, 2009 I also use side pressure. When I was learning, they said that side pressure controls the head of the fish. Control the head, control the fish. Pulling the rod straight up, the fish can still drive side to side with little resistance, whereas you pull sideways, the fish has a harder time driving away from you, and if he turns into your pull, just pull to the other side. The Gospel according to Jim McLennan. Quote
seanbritt Posted June 8, 2009 Posted June 8, 2009 Another tip, don't be too hard on yourself. When I started I had a few great teachers, but still wasn't landing many. Then, after logging hours on the river, I got into my own "groove" or style for fishing. That's one of the things I like about this sport, you can totally personalize it to meet your personality/skill/body type/etc. Even after finding a good groove, you go through "slumps" like in any other sport. For example, I've had a number of days this spring where I hooked into a bunch, and didn't land any. In fact, this year I've hooked into more big fish than any other year, but my landing rate on those guys is really low (one reason why they've been big and are old!). Then, you also have other factors beyond your control (like that tree in the river that Quinn saw me lose my best one of the year on). All in all, I say log in some hours, and don't be too hard on yourself! Any day on the river is better than a day in the office... Quote
headscan Posted June 8, 2009 Posted June 8, 2009 that's funny. I find it exactly the opposite for me. when I do the new zealand rod high, hard pressure, good bend in the rod I lose very few. When my rod is low and I am giving side pressure, bye bye.... for me anyways, it doesnt work. Use what your confident with, though! See, now you made me think about it so today I consciously kept my rod high and didn't lose any that way. I think overall I find it more comfortable to use side pressure since I also pump and reel. Another thing to keep in mind with this thread is that you're never going to land 100% of the fish you hook. Tightline got it - the more hours you put in on the river the better you'll get at it. Nothing is better than experience. Quote
BigHouse Posted June 8, 2009 Author Posted June 8, 2009 Thanks to everyone for their tips and suggestions> Mark Quote
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