Anchovy Teaser Head Rig Losing fish

[blackvelvet]

Salmon feed up, and that means they can swim straight up the line right at you. When that happens you must reel until you literally pin the fish hard (not a hookset, just tight-lining it as you first catch up to it).

Mistake most make is when the salmon is running up, the flasher is actually behind it and reeling to get that flasher back in front of the fish is essential. I've seen waaaay too many fish lost when a person thinks they have a straight line to the fish, but in actuality they are still plowing that flasher thru the water sideways and never get the flasher in front of the fish. This is a recipe for slackline and most that slackline occurs when the flasher first comes to the surface. If you have the flasher directly in front of the fish before the flasher breaks the surface, the odds of landing it will increase.

You have a bait that is rolling perfect if you're getting that many strikes. Bigger hooks or putting your stinger farther back may change the roll just enough to turn them off.

If you are by yourself, then perhaps you should leave the boat in gear thru most of the fight. That will help to keep the fish pinned when it decides to run straight atcha.

 

[Seafever]

Personally most of the fish I have lost are from straight "pullouts"...that is :- the boat is in gear and the fish is straight out in a line behind being wound in with a flasher in front of it.

I leave the boat in gear now.....but I slow it down a bit.....just enough to get a little forward movement.

On the other hand I don't lose very many if at all when the fish swims ahead.

90 percent of the fish I catch make a run straight away from the boat and then suddenly turn around and charge straight for me.

Usually it's almost impossible to wind that fast so there's no slack. Eventually you catch up with them....but not right away.

Often they will come straight at you and then stop halfway and turn out to the side......so that you think you've lost it....and then "Holy Moly!!....it's still on there!!"

So you wind like a maniac again to take the slack up and bring in the reins........meanwhile the flasher could be doing anything.

If it's a "lip-nip" bite the hook will be in the outer lip-skin of the fish....not good....pull-out imminent.

If the hook is inside the mouth and caught inside nicely........you're better off ....unless the teeth snap the leader.

When the fish gets within about 40ft of the boat now, I go neutral and turn the engine off.

Most Chinooks are "Tail biters"..........so I like the hook back where it's going to be effective.

 

[dmurph]

Make sure you have the release clip set into the tight setting, this will help in getting a good hook up. Like others, I always leave the boat in gear. Have you been reeling right down on the clip? Stinger hook and set up all sound good and your getting into a lot of fish, just need the good hook set. That being said I had a day like that last week at the bell and t10 had four big fish all come off right at the boat though but on the surface

 

[Bows Up]

As others have suggested, reel hard and lift the rod when the flasher breaks the surface or keep the flasher in the water by reeling to the side when it gets close to the surface. Consider going over to the dark side, two Gami 4/0's with the stinger just past the tail.