Article by Capt. Mark Sampson
Fighting Techniques and Mistakes
Last summer, there was a fellow on my boat who was hooked up to a 50 lb. shark on 20 lb. tackle and what should have been a fun little 5 to 10 minute battle turned out to be 20 minutes of pain and torture, not for the fish – for the fisherman.
It started out simple enough; bait gets hit, rod doubles over, line peels off reel, angler grabs rod and the fight begins. But just as soon as the angler got his hands on the rod, the whole process took a turn for the worse.
Over the years I’ve seen a lot of mistakes made by fishermen while fighting fish of all sizes, on everything from fly-rods to 130 lb. class conventional tackle, and I thought I had “seen it all” until this 20-something year-old fellow grabbed the rod and started cranking, and cranking and cranking. Most fishermen know that a fish that size on 20 lb. tackle is going to make some runs and pull some drag before being subdued. Most fishermen also know that when a fish is steadily pulling line off a reel there is no reason at all to be cranking on the handle because it’s not doing a darn thing but wearing down the one turning the handle. I think that most fishermen, and even non-fishermen, also know that if your captain and mate are telling you to stop cranking when the fish is taking line, that it might be a good idea to go with their suggestion and conserve your energy. But apparently this fellow didn’t get any of the aforementioned “memos” because the entire time he absolutely ignored everything we said and just cranked, and cranked and cranked for about 5-minutes until he could simply crank no more!
The shark, on the other hand, had essentially beaten the angler at his own game because after 5-minutes it had only made its first run and still had plenty of steam. So for the remaining 15-minutes the angler would crank like mad until he was exhausted, and then rest for a few minutes until he could crank some more, all the while totally oblivious to what we were saying to him or what the fish was actually doing. Eventually, I think the shark just got bored with the game and swam to the boat and allowed us to put an end to the ordeal. I’m sure after the release it couldn’t wait to tell its shark buddies how it put such a hurting on the poor guy it had on the other end of the line!
There are a lot of common mistakes I see fishermen make when fighting fish that cannot be simply cranked straight in after hook-up and most of them simply add fight time to an already lengthy process, but some can also end in a lost fish. Catching a decent size fish on relatively light tackle isn’t about brute strength. It’s all about technique and avoiding many of these common mistakes.
Don’t crank when line is going out.
As in the example I just gave, the most common mistake I see is when anglers are fighting a decent size fish and they keep cranking the reel when the fish is making a run. If a fish is pulling line off the reel there is absolutely no benefit to turning the handle. In fact, it’s detrimental to the angler because they are exerting energy that they might need to use later if the fight goes on for a while. When the line is peeling off the reel, it’s time to rest and let the drag wear down the fish. Once the fish lets up, “then” is the time for the angler to get to work cranking in line.
Without even looking down at the reel, anglers with just a little experience will feel the difference between when line is going out and when the fish lets up and they can crank. In other cases crew members must sometimes resort to telling anglers to “watch the reel not the fish” because they need the angler to pay more attention to what’s going on between their hands than what’s jumping around on the end of their line. This is especially important when fighting a fish on spinning tackle because, besides wearing down the angler, cranking the reel while line is being pulled from a spinning reel will twist the line up so badly that it can tangle up and break before the fish is brought in, or at the very least require that the line be untwisted by letting out the line, dragging it behind the boat and then cranked back on the reel before the tackle is used again.
Stay out of the chair and follow the fish around the boat.
Depending upon sea conditions, type of tackle being used and the anglers own abilities, using a fighting chair is sometimes the best option. But having the freedom to move around the boat can be a huge advantage to anglers who are able to stay on their feet during a battle because they can easily follow the fish from one side to the other, keeping the rod tip out over the water and quickly respond to a fish that goes under or around the boat.
When anglers plunk themselves down in a chair it suddenly puts the burden on the captain to fire up the engines and constantly maneuver the boat to keep the fish behind and out from under the vessel, which simply cannot happen as quickly as when an angler is on their feet.
When an angler takes to the chair from a drifting boat it’s probably also going to require that all other fishing lines be brought in to avoid tangling, and if the boat is anchored, the anchor is probably going to have to come up or be buoyed and cast off so the boat can be maneuvered.
Whenever possible, it’s a lot better for everyone aboard if the chair can remain an expensive showpiece in the middle of the cockpit rather than a piece of equipment used to land every fish that bites.
Keep the rod tip over the water and the rod off the gunwale.
For some reason, novice anglers often elect to stand a couple feet away from the gunwale while fighting the fish; I don’t know why, maybe they’re needlessly afraid that if they get too close to the water they’ll be pulled overboard. But by bracing their knees against the gunwale anglers gain much more stability and are also able to keep the rod tip out over the water and minimize the chance of the line contacting the side or bottom of the boat.
Anglers should also NEVER rest the rod on the gunwale while fighting a fish, as doing so will dramatically increase the chances of breaking the rod and at the very least scratch up the rod and/or the boat. And by the way, anglers fishing tournaments that follow IGFA rules should keep in mind that a catch is disqualified if the rod comes in contact with the boat during the fight.
Be ready to put the rod tip in the water.
At any time during the fight, but particularly when the fish is relatively close, anglers should be ready to react to a fish that makes a run or turn under the boat. With propellers, rudders, keels, trim tabs, transducers and a whole lot of other line snagging and cutting objects below the waterline, it shouldn’t be hard to understand why so many fish are successful in getting away when they shoot under the boat.
On big boats with high sides and deep draft, this can be a real problem and about all the angler can do is keep the rod extended out over the water as far a possible, quickly move around to the other side of the boat and hope for the best.
Anglers fishing from smaller boats will also have to move around the boat, but they should likewise be ready to drop the rod tip down into the water to allow their line to clear the hull obstructions. Known as “sweeping the rod” this maneuver requires that the drag be backed off slightly and the rod plunged straight down into the water, almost to the reel. To keep the rod low enough during the sweep, the angler will probably have to put their belly on the gunwale and then slide around from one side of the boat to the other. Once they’ve reached the other side, the angler can stand up, adjust the drag and resume the fight. The trick to successfully sweeping a rod is keeping the rod tip deep enough in the water that the line clears anything hanging below the hull.
Don’t lift the rod too high.
When pumping the rod, anglers often lift the rod so high that the foregrip points straight up. Particularly if the fish is relatively close to the boat, this over-flexes the rod and takes away the mechanical leverage advantage, as well as increasing the chance that the rod will break by bending it in a complete “U” shape.
Anglers shouldn’t lift a rod more than about 45-degrees off the horizon before cranking it back down to the low position.
Pump the rod only when you have to - and do it right.
“Pumping” a rod or lifting the tip up and then cranking it down, is a technique that usually comes to play at some point during most fights. However, the technique can result in lost fish if it’s employed at the wrong time or done improperly.
Pumping a rod is best done during a standoff, when a fish is neither taking nor giving any line. If a fish is taking line - pumping is pointless. If the fish is steadily coming in as the angler cranks the reel - the surging action created when the rod is pumped can result in slack line and a pulled hook.
Anglers will also make the mistake of pumping the rod way too fast, which again, only helps to tire themselves out before the fish. Properly done, pumping requires that the angler slowly lift the rod up and then crank it back down, all the while maintaining a constant bend in the rod. If the rod un-flexes (straightens out) as it’s going down, the angler is either dropping the rod too quickly or not cranking fast enough. It’s also important that as the angler lifts the rod they pay attention to their spool because if line is peeling off every time they lift, all they’re doing is tiring out themselves - not the fish. Anglers must get a feel for how quickly they can raise the rod without losing line off the reel. Any faster than that is only wasted effort.
Keep the rod in front and lift straight up - not to the side.
When pulling up on a rod, anglers should almost always lift it straight towards their face and not to the side. Notice I said “towards” the face not “to” the face - which would be lifting it too far up. Pulling a rod to the side is a technique sometimes used when fighting big fish on light tackle in shallow water, but it’s almost never appropriate to use around here, particularly when dealing with tuna, billfish or sharks.
Pulling to the side will flex the rod in the wrong direction, misalign the guides and bunch line up on one side of the reel. But most importantly, with a decent size fish on medium-to-heavy tackle, such action will torque the anglers back in a bad way often resulting in enough pain to pull them out of the fight prematurely and possibly put them out of commission for the rest of the day!
Don’t add drag by thumbing the line.
Anglers who encounter stubborn fish often apply drag pressure by thumbing the line against the fore-grip of the rod or on the spool of the reel. If the drag has been properly set for the breaking strength of the line, thumbing it can lead to a broken line or at the very least a burnt thumb. If the angler is certain that the drag was set light enough before the fight that additional pressure can be applied during the fight without causing a problem, then there is nothing wrong with using this tactic, but the angler had better be very familiar with everything about the tackle - from the reel all the way down to the hook in addition to also having some idea on how well the hook is set or it could end in a lost fish. It’s usually best for anglers to trust that the reel’s drag was set correctly from the start and let it do the job it was designed to do without additional assistance.
Move after a fish that’s taking too much line – don’t tighten the drag.
If the drag has been properly set, but a fish is taking so much line that an angler on a boat fears they are going to be “spooled,” it’s always better to regain line by moving the boat closer to the fish rather than trying to stop the fish by tightening the drag - which could likely end in a broken line. Anglers must keep in mind that as line is pulled from their reel and the diameter of the spool decreases, the RPM’s of the spool increases and so does the drag. Consideration must also be given to the extra drag that’s being applied to the line and the fish by water pressure on all the extra line in the water. So even if they do nothing, anglers end up progressively applying more pressure to a fish that makes a long run rather than one that stays close to the boat.
It’s also better to chase after a fish and not let it take out too much line in areas where there are any line-fouling obstacles such as anchor or fishing lines from other fishermen, buoys or commercial fishing gear.
Keep the rod at the ready until the fish is under control.
The first time a fish is brought to the boat it will often make at least one more attempt to get away before it totally gives up. Anglers must be prepared for this final surge by keeping the rod out over the boat and two hands on the grips until it’s obvious that the fish isn’t going anywhere. So often I see anglers start to put down the rod as soon as my mate grabs the leader the first time. Particularly when long leaders are being used, anglers must be very careful to keep the end of the rod in such a position (usually over the boat) so that as the wireman pulls the fish in close to the boat that the loose leader stays clear of any snags or tangles that might create a problem if the fish makes a final surge and the leader must be released.
Anglers must be particularly careful not to point the rod straight up during this final stage of the fight as doing so can allow the leader to wrap around the guides. I don’t have to explain how bad it can be if the leader is fouled on the rod when a big fish makes a run. We haven’t lost a rod overboard yet from such a move, but we’ve come close many times!
Be ready for anything.
Anglers working a fish need to be ready for the unexpected and never assume the game is over until either the fish or the end of the line is brought to the boat. More than a few times I’ve seen anglers give up and actually put the rod down because they think the fight is over when it’s not.
A few years ago I watched a fellow fight a big tuna for over an hour when suddenly the line went totally slack. Thinking that the line broke or the hook had pulled, the very dejected angler handed his buddy the rod announcing “Take this Chuck, I need a beer!” before slumping himself down in a chair. But within seconds Chuck went from cranking in slack line to being very much hooked-up to a tuna that had apparently done a 180, charging the boat and giving the first angler the impression that it had broken off. In about five minutes Chuck had the fish to the boat and was thanking his friend for being so kind as to spend an hour wearing the fish down before passing it over to him!
Stay calm!
Remember, it’s just a fish, so stay calm and fight it using proper techniques and strategy. An angler and crew that stay focused and have their act together will make landing even big fish on light tackle seem like a walk in the park.
Pay attention to your reel. Ensure that recovered line is not stacking up on one side of the spool or the other.
Follow the fish from one side of the boat to the other. Be ready to move quickly, but always be smooth so that you’re not knocking people over or stumbling on tackle or equipment along the way.
Don’t be afraid to request that other crewmembers move to locations on the boat that will keep them out of the way. And by all means, listen to, and follow the advice of more experienced crew members.
Have fun!
Don’t rush the fight. Once it’s over you’re just going to be back to hanging out waiting for another bite, so even if it becomes one of those battles that’s going to leave you hot, sweaty and physically exhausted, remember that this is why you came out here, so don’t rush through it. Take your time. Be efficient and precise in your actions and pace yourself so that you can go the distance with the fish without handing off the rod to someone else. Most of all “enjoy every minute of the fight,” because win or lose - the encounter might well be something you remember for the rest of your life!
Capt. Mark Sampson is an outdoor writer and captain of the charter boat, “Fish Finder”, docked at the Ocean City Fishing Center.
