Do you fight or do you play the fish?

[Huyfishin]

I like to fight the fish. Love the sound of a nice drag.

 

[Rain City]

I like to fight the fish. Love the sound of a nice drag.

I think fight is the wrong word for that. When I fight, I fight to win. You're talking about playing with the fish.

 

[Reeltime]

Fast and furious with the max amount of pressure without bending hooks, best drag is your finger.. lol ABS breaks
in the end it's when each fish is good and ready.. i've accepted loosing it to a seal after 5... it's an annoying battle just
give my damn flasher back..

 

[spoiler]

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.

A few things I learned about Sea Lions when I fished up at Langara Island
stay sitting down while playing a fish, keep your clicker off, free spooling when the fish is being chased as Searun says.
The buggers just cruise around up there looking to see who is hooked up.

 

[Clint r]

Size matters but typically I try and get them in as fast as possible so I can get my line back down and try for the next one.

 

[Dwaynec83]

A few things I learned about Sea Lions when I fished up at Langara Island
stay sitting down while playing a fish, keep your clicker off, free spooling when the fish is being chased as Searun says.
The buggers just cruise around up there looking to see who is hooked up.

Crazy eh, it's like a gun shot is a dinner bell to a grizzly bear

 

[wildthing]

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.

so your about the only Vancouver guy who's not been done by old big eye's you buying the lotto ticket....lol

 

[RiverBoy]

if the rod butt isn’t hurting you, you’re not playing it hard enough. the only time there is an exception to this is close to the boat. still lots of tension, just ready for fish to take runs

 

[sir-vivor]

Since I fish usually solo, you'll see me playing the hell out of the fish, no rush even with a seal near buy . I've had several salon out swim a seal chasing them while on my line, I figure **** you catch it if ya want it so I'll let em rip if I see the seal diving (you know hes going for the fish anyway ) I release the tension. Also , I'm really out for the sport and great company haha and of course the great view !! Not much of a meat fisherman UNLESS ITS HALI, then it's on!

 

[Aces]

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.

Ha Ha! Brendan Morrisoning!

 

[Brett83]

Since I fish usually solo, you'll see me playing the hell out of the fish, no rush even with a seal near buy . I've had several salon out swim a seal chasing them while on my line, I figure **** you catch it if ya want it so I'll let em rip if I see the seal diving (you know hes going for the fish anyway ) I release the tension. Also , I'm really out for the sport and great company haha and of course the great view !! Not much of a meat fisherman UNLESS ITS HALI, then it's on!

You made a really good point about being solo. If you caught a decent salmon it's way easier to net solo if you play it. I feel I've made the mistakes of bringing in the fish quickly solo. Then losing a frisky fish while attempting to net.
I also think there's a big difference on the speed your going while bringing the fish in. If you're speeding against the current it's going to make the fish swim harder.

 

[DMan]

Braided line and a gaff. Bring ‘em in. Get next one and get home to do the hunny do list that you’re behind on.

 

[sir-vivor]

Braided line and a gaff. Bring ‘em in. Get next one and get home to do the hunny do list that you’re behind on.

Or like me NO hunny do list and stay out fighting em