Playing a fish

[ausable_ny]

Hi all,
I'm relatively new to saltwater fly fishing (this year to be exact) and I have one question...for now anyway. How do you play a bigger fish? I was into some nice stripers on green and white deceivers over the weekend. The sand eels showed up after the last moon, so the bass are having a good old time right at first light. Up until now, I have only caught small to medium trout in small streams, so playing and landing a fish wasn't that difficult. How does one play, lets say, a 10 lb striper? I'm fishing a 9wt St Croix with a matching St. Croix reel. I know you play the fish on the reel, but how?? Just adjust the drag and let the fish run with it? Any help will be appreciated. Thanks.

Ken

[sagefisher]

For salmon, I keep the drag fairly light, enough to not allow the line to backlash and create a bird?s nest, then just a touch more drag. I let the salmon take the fly and they either make a run for it or start jumping immediately. In either case you don?t want a tight drag as they will just break the leader or burn up your reel. I always wear leather palmed sun gloves and I use my palm to create more drag when the fish is making a run. Then it is ma matter if getting it to the boat as quickly as possible, without causing extra damage to the fish, so I can release it and go for the next salmon.

But then, salmon are not stripers so I am not sure how you would handle them.

Larry ---sagefisher---

[bonefishwhisperer]

get the fish on the reel ASAP...this will keep the line clear...play the fish as needed but remember to "catch" it...I see many people milk the fight only to lose it...your tippet will determine how much mustard you can apply...use good knots...for me they are all different...today I landed a small tarpon but didnt use 40ft of line total...a bonefish will take 200yds of backing in under a minute and they are relatively small...dont lock down the drag either...drags are highly over rated...and VERY IMPORTANT....take pictures for us to enjoy....now go kick some butt

[jklett]

It depends on the leader setup you are using to a degree, but you should be able to put a good amount of pressure on a striper. I use a straight shot of 20# mono for a leader 99% of the time and you are going to have a hard time popping that without locking the spool. Good rule of thumb for drag setting is 1/10th the breaking strenght of the leader(20# leader = 2# of drag), you can always palm it if you need more drag. Fight the fish with the butt of your rod keeping the tip low. Stripers don't usually make long runs, but they have a lot of power behind them(especially the bigger ones). They don't tire easily so keep the pressure on them the whole fight.

[J Castwell]

Most real fish will put themselves 'on the reel' fast. Keep your rod rather low for power or high to keep your line off of the water. Depends on which you need to do. Be ready to REDUCE your drag... yes, loosen it as the line goes deeper into your backing. The mechanical advantage/leverage changes when you go from 6 inches per turn going out per revolution to three inches. Most guys panic and actually tighten the drag, break the fish off and never know why.

[dunfly]

I usually get the fish on the reel as soon as possible. Set the drag fairly light and then palm the reel to adjust drag. That way you can easily adjust drag as the fish runs. Remember the more line you have out, the less drag you need on the reel. The line friction with the water actually creates drag.

[ausable_ny]

Thanks for the advice guys. I'll be on the beach at 3:30 am tomorrow to give it another shot. I've already been told this morning that the sand eels are still there, so it should be interesting. As far as the leader setup goes, a friend of mine kindly donated 2 dozen 7-1/2 ft Orvis tapered leaders...12 are 10 lb tippets and 12 are 12 lb tippets. I figured the price was right so I might as well use them. Thanks again.

Ken

[dudley]

You need to keep the fish "off balance"
If they go left, force them to the right
When they change direction to the right, you go left...
Tires them out quicker

[Micropteris]

Trial and error is about the best advise I can give.

For me it was part of the learning curve.

Learn to feel how much pull you can put on a fish until your tippet pops. Heavier leader more pressure, lighter leader less pressure.

See what it takes to break a fish off and learn to stay under it.

I have yet to come across two stripers that fight the same way.

There are times when you will want to let the fish run and there will be times you will want to put the brakes on them.

I usually set my reels to have just enough drag to keep the spool from backlashing. I use my hand on the spool rim for working drag. Sometimes you want more sometimes you want less.

It is angler skill that lands the fish, not the drag knob on the side of the reel.

Be aware that a large striper will wear through a leader like a tarpon would.

[jkilroy]

Last fall I had a bonefish lock up my bass pro reel because I had the drag set too tight. Once it cooled down it was fine. I think it happened on the 5th fish. I only had a couple get into my backing and it wasn't far. They were 8 lb. fish. Had a couple that were 10 lbs. but they went straight for the mangroves and broke off. Can't wait to go back, loved it. I have a Lameson reel for my next bonefish outing. That's a really nice reel.