Simply how to fish.

[BaggieRich]

Dispite the masses of information contained with these hallowed pages, I can see no reference made to the actual process of fishing.

What I mean by that is the actions taken once you've put your bait out.

Do you wind down to the lead once it's out? How long do you leave it before tightening the slack to let the sinker drop? Do you tighten enough to put a bend in your rod when it's on the rest, or leave a quantity of slack line?

Once you think you've got a take, do you leave it for a while, or strike straight in to the fish? How do you go about the actual process of a strike? Do you wind down in to the fish first, or just lift you rod tip and wind like billy oh?

Once you're into a fish, how do you know when to give the fish some room and when to bully the fish to the shore? Do you just keep winding until the beast is landed?

When do you know it's time to pack up and go to the pub?

A lot of questions I know, some extremley basic and I guess a lot of it depeneds on where, when and what for, but just in general I'd be intereseted to hear how you all fish.

Rich.

[Ben]

all depends on alot of things
once cast out i usualy walk up to the rod rest and take in all the slack so the rod is nice and tight but not tight enough to pulll the weight out, if i am fishing a deep water beach i will let the lead sink 1st
when it comes to striking a bite it all depends how i feel, match fishing i leave it unless the lead gets poped, other than that it depends on if i can be arsed, usualy not with little fish, especialy if there are lots, big fish they usualy hook them selfs but i like to strike into them to set the hook nicely
you have got to remember about all the stretch in mono, if you are fishing any proper distance striking for little fish will do very little other than take up the stretch
when it comes to playing a fish i just blag it, depends on if i fishing for big fish with big hooks n strong line, you can afford to bullly them more but it aint usualy worth the risk
you have got to remember to let the rod do the work not the reel, reels aren't made for winching in fish, stupid as it sounds, the rod needs to take most the stress out of it, do this by pumping, this just means lift the rod up, then wind while lowering the rod back down, then lift again etc..
hope this makes sense and might even help

[big guy]

all this is down to experience and trial and error.

everytime you do things wrong and not had a great day, remember it and log it to your brain. and the same when things go right.

[sacha]

waht does strike mean cos im a bit new to fishing?

[fishypaul]

the strike is the action of bringing the rod up to set the hook when you have a bite

[maghouse]

Wow - what a question Rich

I had just the same questions when I started fishing & still have a few I don't know the answer to - but I'll give you some of my hard learnt knowledge, works for me but cant guarantee anything ... might be completely wrong

When I cast - I let the lead hit the water (or watch the spool feathering up at night) and stop it dead in its tracks, then unless there is a force 28 blowing, release the spool to let the lead sink and a bow of line form.

When I think the lead has hit bottom and the line has pulled the lead around and set, I will wind in until I feel the tension & place the rod in the rest and wind a fraction more to make the line taught & a slight bend in the tip ..... if I am casting down the beach away from the rod rest, all the above but when I think the lead has hit bottom, will walk back to the rest in 'free spool but thumb on to control the spin and onto the rod rest & set the rod tip to the same bend.

So far so good ..... if it blowing a gale then all the above but generally brake the spool and more or less hold it there till the lead has sunk, otherwise the wind will take buckets of line.

The bow helps the lead to 'set and line with the wind/current so the wires are set in the strongest position (difficult to explain) but hopefully you get the drift.

For a FS reel, exactly the same except you don't need to brake the spool but as soon as you are sure the lead has set, close the bail arm - I used to put my hand on the spool to feel the lead sink after it hit the water so the line didn't spool off and worked almost as well as a Multi.

Striking a fish - the million $$$ question and one I cant answer - generally as Ben says, small fish fishing and/or comps - I leave the fish to hook themselves, there is no point striking as you are simply pulling against the bow or the line stretch and I don't think achieves anything, plus if the lead has gripped, the rig will be flowing so you are effectively trying to pull the weight and hook the fish all at the same time .... as I say, dont think it works IMHO

The only time I do 'strike is storm beach Bass fishing where I am in the surf or on the edge and holding the rod where the bass hit quick and hard so worth doing then - indeed had one of my best days doing just that at Hayling - thanks Gully !

I have also seen people 'striking for Smuts but again not sure if that does the trick - will admit on pulley rigs you are pulling against the hook more than the lead perhaps You will know when a big smut/Bass is on the end so wind down and pull the rod up hard and firm to 'set the hook and reel him in !

On retrieving if there is a fish on-board, the pumping of the rod helps as long as you do it gently and as Ben says, beach reels aren't really designed for winching fish in so let the rod do the work especially if there is the dreaded weed as well Big fish you have to let them play a little to tire them out so they don't take off and snap the line

Well thats my tenpeneth worth - hope it is of some use ...

All practice mate

[maghouse]

Sorry, a few more bits spring to mind ...

When you are pumping the rod - keep some tension on the line so it is not all loose and causes loops of line ...

When you set up, set the rod rest at an angle to the wind so the bite detection is enhanced by there being little wind movement on the tips although I have heard it said when Smut fishing set the rod 90 degrees to the water so the tripod is at its strongest otherwise even a small Smut will pull the rest over ..... don't worry about bite detection for a big Smut - you will know !!!

[ctwhitelaw]

1 thing i have never learned fully in 8 years of fishing is how to tie a dropper my dad never showed me how