Do you fight or do you play the fish?

[Steplift]

I’ve always been one to put the backbone of the rod into fighting a fish when hooked. Saltwater salmon fishing seems more important to fight the fish and boat it as soon as possible. We list one spring and one coho right behind the boat last year to a sea lion. It makes sense to me that the fish will be in better shape when landed and healthier to be released. Is this common thinking or is it using light gear and drag more the norm? I noticed some west coast are drastically different one almost has no bend in the rod and the fish peels off line like a fright train. Big long runs until the fish is belly up. Another show hooks up and keeps a big bend in the rod all the way to landing the fish. What’s common practice for most?

 

[Rain City]

I get them in fast. I think I'm on season 7 now and I've never been sealed. And yes I catch a lot of fish.

 

[eroyd]

Yup. Bend the rod. Your not going to break it as long as you keep a even bend and hands on the cork. If your towing a flasher this is especially true as half the fight is with the flasher. Slack lines lose fish.

 

[Olde School]

I get them in fast. I think I'm on season 7 now and I've never been sealed. And yes I catch a lot of fish.

Find some wood. Knock on it.

 

[Rain City]

Find some wood. Knock on it.

Not to worry. I bang my head all the time.

 

[banger17]

If I understand your question correctly, I definitely flex out the rod but I certainly don’t over do it. I like to “play” the fish by giving and taking through the battle without horsing it or doing anything too aggressive.

I am a general believer of not trying to net a good sized fish until it’s ready, either. Maybe it’s just me, but rushing things has taught me a few hard lessons over the years.

 

[Local Hali Hunter]

I’ve always been one to put the backbone of the rod into fighting a fish when hooked. Saltwater salmon fishing seems more important to fight the fish and boat it as soon as possible. We list one spring and one coho right behind the boat last year to a sea lion. It makes sense to me that the fish will be in better shape when landed and healthier to be released. Is this common thinking or is it using light gear and drag more the norm? I noticed some west coast are drastically different one almost has no bend in the rod and the fish peels off line like a fright train. Big long runs until the fish is belly up. Another show hooks up and keeps a big bend in the rod all the way to landing the fish. What’s common practice for most?

With spring fishing I find them unpredictable, yes I play them. After all its call sports fishing. Pulling them straight in will almost always lose the fish. Its skill that will let you land the fish and if you don't that's how it goes. If you horse them in your most likely ripping their jaw bone. Keeping the bend isn't easy but will always tell you what the fish is doing. Just my 2 bits

 

[Radar88]

I’ve always been one to put the backbone of the rod into fighting a fish when hooked. Saltwater salmon fishing seems more important to fight the fish and boat it as soon as possible. We list one spring and one coho right behind the boat last year to a sea lion. It makes sense to me that the fish will be in better shape when landed and healthier to be released. Is this common thinking or is it using light gear and drag more the norm? I noticed some west coast are drastically different one almost has no bend in the rod and the fish peels off line like a fright train. Big long runs until the fish is belly up. Another show hooks up and keeps a big bend in the rod all the way to landing the fish.hat’s common practice for most?

Don’t try to “horse in” a big Chinook on a single action mooching reel. They will make you pay for that. They will pull back even harder and Snap! Just another “One that got away story”!
Makes sense if there are sea lions or seals or Orcas around to reel em in a bit quicker and try not to make a lot of noise. Those guys are listening to you riggers and reels too!

 

[Rain City]

I don't think we're talking about doing anything stupid here. Obviously you let the hogs take a second run. Obviously you don't reel against a running fish. I think the question is more like "Do you Brendan Morrison a 4 pound chinook to keep Islander sending you reels or do you actually use that sweet sweet drag to keep that rod bent and utilize all this 40+ pound gear we all use? I for one like to keep very firm pressure on the fish. My TV show would be boring.

 

[Aquaholic]

I don't think we're talking about doing anything stupid here. Obviously you let the hogs take a second run. Obviously you don't reel against a running fish. I think the question is more like "Do you Brendan Morrison a 4 pound chinook to keep Islander sending you reels or do you actually use that sweet sweet drag to keep that rod bent and utilize all this 40+ pound gear we all use? I for one like to keep very firm pressure on the fish. My TV show would be boring.

Mine might be boring too. I often bring mine in hot, especially coho. Having a good net minder helps too but I love keeping the bend in the rod. It does depends on the fish though. Try playing a Chinook during a derby amongst 600 boats in a tight sequence at Sand Heads.

 

[Foxsea]

There have been threads on the mortality rates of released salmon. If you even think you may release a fish, bring it to the boat fresh. Otherwise you are a catch, release and kill fisher.

 

[jim morrow]

Back in the day; barbed hooks, size 12, 10, or 8. fiberglass rods like Fenwick and Lamiglass, non moving boat, yes peeps played their fish. I eventually went to 40 lb test rated rods with a MH rating, for modern day trolling. I gave up on Diawa M1 plus reels as the drum would flare out wide.
You should see how fast most Steelhead anglers land their fish, it is about 2 minutes. They don't let them get more than 30 feet away. They only average a mere 8.5 lbs this year so far.

 

[Steplift]

I don't think we're talking about doing anything stupid here. Obviously you let the hogs take a second run. Obviously you don't reel against a running fish. I think the question is more like "Do you Brendan Morrison a 4 pound chinook to keep Islander sending you reels or do you actually use that sweet sweet drag to keep that rod bent and utilize all this 40+ pound gear we all use? I for one like to keep very firm pressure on the fish. My TV show would be boring.

Pretty much bang on RC

 

[eroyd]

Take a medium light mooching rod set up, loaded with 20lb maxima. Tie the line with a GOOD knot to something solid then try to break the line with a bent rod. You won't. The further away you get the harder it will be. The only issue fishing is the condition of the rod, line, knots, the angler and how well the fish is hooked.
I have seen friends in the TYEE pool totally clamp down on big chinooks, just because they can and they usually don't lose them. I'm kind a crappy at setting hooks so I don't quite take it to that extreme, but I won't Brendan Morrison it either.

 

[Steplift]

I guess this should have been more of a light VS medium weight gear question and what do you prefer.
I shouldn’t have mentioned fishing shows in my original post and meant no I’ll will towards them. It was a point of reference only I should have listed what equipment I run as well. I’m not faithful to any brand of rod but my go to is a 9’-6” ugly stick with a Abu Garcia 7000 reel spooled with 40lb maxima ultra green.

The only time I’ve had to “clamp” down on a fish was up on the Thaltan river 30 years ago. Big springs were the norm dad had 12-13’ heavy rods big reels spooled up with 60-80lb mono. If the fish got out of the pool you were fishing you lost it 99% of the time.
Cheers Jody

 

[Stizzla]

I find the best way to not overtire a fish or to get the poor guy chomped by a seal, is to not hook them in the first place.
seems to work for me!

 

[Aquaholic]

I guess this should have been more of a light VS medium weight gear question and what do you prefer.
I shouldn’t have mentioned fishing shows in my original post and meant no I’ll will towards them. It was a point of reference only I should have listed what equipment I run as well. I’m not faithful to any brand of rod but my go to is a 9’-6” ugly stick with a Abu Garcia 7000 reel spooled with 40lb maxima ultra green.

The only time I’ve had to “clamp” down on a fish was up on the Thaltan river 30 years ago. Big springs were the norm dad had 12-13’ heavy rods big reels spooled up with 60-80lb mono. If the fish got out of the pool you were fishing you lost it 99% of the time.
Cheers Jody

Let's remember the barbless hook needs to have pressure on it at all times, hence the "bend in the rod" expression.

 

[John Ingram]

Shore fishing is a little bit different. Sometime it's a dance with a thousand moves. When I catch a fish from shore I'm
thinking about the kelp beds that I'm going to have to manoeuvre through, rocks,seals,other fishermen near by,boats,
kayaks,paddle boards, whale boats etc. etc. On light gear sometimes a salmon will not even know it is hooked for 5 min's
A tight bent rod helps but not all ways. I have lost quite a few fish from shore.

 

[Brett83]

I read those old Gibbs adds. It shows guys holding their 42# spring. Then it shows what gear they used. Gibbs Stuart on 12#mono. So it shows the anglers skill level because you can't hog it in on light gear. Now it's more about quantity, probably because it's so dam hard to get a bite in the first place you don't want to loose it.
Personally it depends on the situation. If I'm on a bamfield trip two days in with no bites. It's getting in the boat faster.

 

[searun]

Seals and sea lions who become accustomed to depredation as a successful strategy are hard to deal with. Best strategy is to avoid those who have taken up a particular location as their forage ground. Not much you can do once they zero in on a fish on the line. Couple of things that seems to help; 1) when possible reel the fish to the net as soon as possible, especially once the fish gets tired out; 2) if a seal starts chasing a fish on the line, I have had some success by free spooling the fish so they can out-run them.