Drags
Most novice anglers are not really sure what a drag does or how to deal with one. I think they have heard the term before, but they appear to be too embarrassed to ask about it. Drags come on all except reels except those that have what we call a direct drive. It is the drag that allows the fish to run away from you and take line off the reel.The whole idea behind a drag is to allow the fish to run and tire itself to the point that you can bring it to the boat or shore. That drag can be set from super loose to so tight that it acts like a direct drive. The key is to set it so that line will be taken off the reel before the breaking point of that line is reached. Light line means a light drag setting – heavy line will mean a heavier setting.
Tight Lines
Perhaps the biggest mistake that a newbie makes is to allow the line to go slack when fighting that fish. They tend to drop the rod tip down or move the rod in a direction that takes all the pressure off the fish. Once that happens, it usually means a lost catch. One or two shakes of the fish’s head on a slack line will dislodge almost any hook.You MUST keep a tight line to the fish at all times during the fight. Keeping pressure on the fish will force it to fight and tire more quickly.
When to Reel
Turning the handle on a reel when you have pressure on a fish usually results in the reel spool turning with every crank of the handle. In short, if your drag is set properly, it simple lets the same amount of line out for every crank of the handle that you turn. You gain no line and the winding motion starts putting a twist on spinning reels.The trick to gaining line is to lift the rod and the fish without letting the drag release line. Then – keeping the line tight – reel line in as you gently lower the rod. You are using the rod as a lever to pull the fish toward you and then taking up the line as you reel back down. We call this action “pump and wind”. Lift and pull – then reel the rod tip back down and take in line. It takes just a little bit of practice to master it.
When NOT to Reel
If the fish decides to take off and run away from you during the fight, stop reeling! Simply hold on and let the drag do its job. When the fish tires, it will turn either sideways to you of it will turn over and come back to you. That’s when you need to be reeling.The next time you need to stop reeling is when the fish comes to the boat. Some anglers end up reeling a small fish all the way to the rod tip. A good rule of thumb is to stop reeling when the distance between the rod tip and the fish is between one and two rod lengths. At that point, you need to use the rod to guide and steer the fish to the side of the boat or into the net.
Be Good Sportsmen
Once word of advice is needed to help preserve the resource. Most if not all fish will literally fight to the death if you let them. If you plan on catch and release fishing, be kind to the fish you are catching. Using very light tackle for large fish, while very popular, can mean the death of that fish of you do not take care. After a long fight – and with light tackle it will be a long fight – that fish is tired. In hot weather and hot water conditions, they tire even faster and are susceptible to death from exhaustion.Make sure you revive every fish you plan to release by nursing it back in the water next to the boat. Look at my article on proper fish lease techniques for tips.
I have watched people release fish that ended up turning belly up and drifting to the bottom because the angler did not care for his catch. That’s a shame, because exhausted fish can be revived almost every time. Take the time to take care of your catch so someone else can have the joy of catch and release on another trip!
