    
Syed Ijlal Hussain (Ijlal)
New member
Username: Ijlal
Post Number: 97
Registered: 6-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 | | Posted on Wednesday, October 17, 2007 - 1:34 am: | |
Hello Ronald,
Good to see you are finally out fishing.
Regarding fishing over rocks, I would first of all like to point out losing tackle is part of the game. No angler, however experienced, can say he/she never loses weights and hooks to rocks. There is no textbook that can teach you how not to get stuck, but you do minimize your losses as you gain experience.
Float fishing is not really an alternative; it is a different form of fishing and you would be targeting different species of fish, unless, of course you are fishing shallow water.
Here are some of tricks I learnt over the years, that do let you save most of the time.
* After casting, allow your bait to drop down gently. Once the weight has settled on the bottom, take in the slack very gently - there is no need to make the line absolutely taught.
* Avoid moving the weight once it has settled over the rocks.
* Use appropriate rigs: Fish-finder/paternoster rigs are less prone to snag than bottom-feeder/running leger rigs.
* Strike gently: When a fish takes up bait there is no need to strike heavily as do most of the people around you. If you miss, a heavy strike will only ensure the weight or hook gets snagged somewhere.
* If you do feel you are snagged on the bottom, do not pull hard unless as a last resort; instead, give the line lots of slack and wait for five minutes. Many a times, the current/waves will free your tackle for you.
These are just a few tips that came to my mind this moment. The bottom line is there is no substitute for experience. Once you start doing something, you do that awkwardly; gradually, however, you begin to master and your senses and reactions begin to fine tune to that act. It then becomes part of you. To achieve mastery, you have to practice and practice and practice… you certainly will lose many hooks and sinkers, but think of it this way: If you had to hire a coach to teach you the same, you would have paid a good amount. Fortunately, hooks and sinkers do not cost much.
Have a nice weekend!
Ijlal |
