Article by Capt. Mark Sampson
Whether they fish from a boat or from shore, sooner or later, almost anyone who fishes much is going to find themselves out with a friend or a relative who knows virtually nothing about fishing and it's going to be up to them to do their best to not only make the outing both enjoyable and successful, but also end the day with a little bit of sanity. If you're not set-up and ready for them - novice anglers can be very challenging to fish with!
Charter captains and fishing guides know that every day they will likely have someone aboard who knows nothing-from-nothing about fishing. Some will have never set foot on a boat before, let alone held a rod in their hands that was attached to a fish. Rather than complaining about inexperienced clients, it's the mark of a good captain or guide to work through the challenges of novice fishermen and help them to catch fish and enjoy their day. However, being prepared to do so requires an understanding of the common mistakes they make and weaknesses they often possess.
Not all anglers can easily make use of all tackle under all conditions. For instance, spinning reels are great for beginning casters because they don't backlash like conventional reels will, but they're not so great for beginner bottom fishermen or fighting big fish that pull a lot of drag because inexperienced anglers have a habit of cranking when the fish is pulling drag which can twist the line up so bad that the reel becomes unusable. Conventional reels are great for bottom fishing because it discourages novice anglers from casting (which shouldn't be done while bottom fishing) and for fighting bigger, drag-pulling fish because if they crank while the line is going out it won't twist up the line. The biggest problem with conventional reels in the hands of a beginner is that the reels will backlash if the line is not properly thumbed when it's being dropped to the bottom, or if (God forbid) an angler tries to cast one.
Using heavy tackle can be a problem for many anglers of all skill levels because of the physical challenge on anyone who does not have adequate strength and stamina to handle it. If heavy tackle must be used, the impact can be lessened on the angler by lightening up the drag and/or going after the fish with the boat (maneuvering the boat to chase down the fish). Using accessory equipment such as fighting belts and chairs, harnesses and belts can make heavy tackle easier to use for some anglers. Using light tackle lessens the physical strain on anglers, but requires more knowledge and application of proper fighting techniques to successfully land decent size fish.
If you know going in that your anglers are not necessarily going to be aware of all the "do's and don'ts" of handling and using your tackle, you can set it up to minimize potential problems. For instance; novice anglers have a habit of not knowing when to stop cranking the reel, even after they have the fish all the way in. You'd think that some of them want to turn a flounder into an eel by cranking it right through the rod guides! Problems arise when anglers crank the swivel into the rod tip and it gets jammed. Not only can it be a pain in the butt to get unstuck, but if the fish decides to make another run it's liable to pop the leader or pull the hook. Slamming the swivel into the end of the rod can also crack a ceramic tip or scratch a metal one.
Simple change-ups in terminal tackle can minimize the chances of lost fish or broken tips from anglers who don't know when to quit cranking. One-way is to eliminate the swivel altogether since a lot of offshore anglers have already done that with the use of wind-on leaders. The same can be done with lighter, inshore tackle by simply tying a loop at the end of the line and a loop at the end of the leader and doing a loop-to-loop connection instead of worrying about employing the use of a snap swivel.
In situations where a snap swivel must be used, anglers can prevent it from being jammed into the rod tip by slipping a small plastic bead on the line before tying on the swivel. The bead will provide a cushion that prevents the swivel from directly contacting the rod tip.
It's pretty much a reflex action for experienced fishermen to put a rod in a rod holder if they are not physically holding on to it. It's not something we have to stop and think about. It's just something we naturally do to keep rods from being damaged or lost overboard. This isn’t so with novice anglers who will often lay a rod down wherever they happen to be standing at the time. Rods will end up on the deck where they can be stepped on, across coolers, seats and consoles where they can be sat on or be in the way, and very often just leaned up against a gunwale or railing with the line in the water so that if the unattended rod gets a bite it will go overboard. I've seen that happen a couple times!
Inexperienced anglers should be advised about what to do with tackle when they put it down. Proper rod storage is much easier if there are enough holders on the boat for every rod, but not every boat can be so equipped. However, even on boats with no rod holders at all, there should be a place designated for putting tackle when it's not being used. Novice anglers also have a bad habit of relaxing their grip on a rod or even laying it down when they bring a fish up to the boat for the first time. This might not be a problem with small fish, but if the fish is big enough that it musters up the strength to make another dash for freedom, it might just do so and take the rod with it! Anglers should be instructed to hold onto the rod and keep it at the ready in case the fish makes another run before it can be properly boated or released.
Most beginning anglers are only used to just "cranking in" small fish, so they'll almost always need some kind of guidance when they actually have to "fight" a fish. The proper technique for fighting a fish usually involves repetitively raising the rod vertically and then cranking it down. Inexperienced anglers, however, will often pull a rod to the side rather than straight up. Besides being bad for the angler's back, this method poses safety issues because as the flexed rod is pulled to the side it's going to be right in front of anyone standing on that side of the angler (particularly someone preparing to help land the fish) and if the line suddenly breaks or the hook pulls, the rod will snap back and very likely whack someone in the face.
It's an endless list of bumbles a fisherman might witness when they take beginning anglers out with them. But remembering that "we all had to start somewhere", a little preparation and a lot of patience will help to make every outing an enjoyable and successful experience for all.
Capt. Mark Sampson is an outdoor writer and captain of the charter boat, “Fish Finder”, docked at the Ocean City Fishing Center.
