The Tug of War

I often see newbie anglers who somehow by their ignorance, fights a fish in all the wrong ways then ending up either losing the fish due to tackle failure or the fish gets stuck somewhere which ultimately results in also losing the fish. There is big difference between fighting a 1kg & a 10kg fish. Other than the sheer fighting prowess & strength of the 10kg fish, many other factors come into play whether you get to hold that fish for a trophy photo shoot (SUCCESS) or telling your friends that you lost a big one (FAILURE).

Now let's assume you've successfully hooked a big one. You'll know it's a behemoth! It's stripping line out of the spool spinning like a hot wheel on fire. The sweet sound of the drag protesting against an aggressive pull on the other end of the line. You have hooked onto a big fish & it's FISH ON!!! time. So now what!? Fight the fish of course!

NOTE: This is assuming you have loosen the drag prior to the fish taking the bait, because if not, your rod & reel will be swimming with the fish. If you are lure fishing, then perhaps you are still safe.

Most newbies will instinctively strike the fish & do the tug of war battle. In his mind, he is going to land this sucker by hook or by crook, it is not getting away. His adrenaline is spiked to the max & he is determined to bring it back somehow. What inexperienced anglers do when they fight a fish.

(1) They immediately lock the drag to the max hoping that the fish will not go any further.

(2) They pump the fish back like there is no tomorrow.

(3) They reel in line forcefully without stopping.

So what happened next? Several things could happen. Let's examine them.

Here is a good example of what happens by locking the drag too tight.

(A) By immediately locking the drag to the max, the angler is bypassing the function of the drag which is to control pressure. Letting out line is essential to prevent tackle failure. This can mean several things.

• The main line could snap due to overloading.
• The swivel, snap or knot could give up & break. The hook could even straighten or break. Again overloading.
• If the line & terminal tackles don't break, it could cause so much pressure that the spool could potentially get out of shape or simply crack.
• Lastly, if the terminal tackles, line & spool still manage to hold, the drag itself could overheat & break up, damaging the reel altogether. ( you may not notice it immediately but you'll find out later when the reel starts to behave erratically & makes some noise).

Rear drags reels are excellent for handling big fishes.

RULE NO 1. Never lock your drag to the max, always adjust the drag to maintain sufficient pressure but not complete lock up. It serves a function. It is alright to let fish strip some line, that is where rod and reel fishing is all about.

(B) Pumping the fish back using brute force technique is not a wise thing to do. Why? That is because, you have ignored the function of the rod & again, the function of the drag. What would happen if you keep pumping a whopper like a mad man on steroids.

• As covered earlier, the main line, terminal tackles, hook & knot could break due to sudden overloading.
• The fish, in it's state of shock is using all it's strength & skill to swim away to safety. Although your tackles don't fail, it's lips or mouth tissue may not hold & a poorly hooked fish could easily break it's lips or mouth tissue/muscles, so the hook comes off. Game over.
• By pumping the rod in an aggressive manner, you could potentially snap the rod if the pressure exceeds the manufacturer's specifications.

RULE NO 2. Use brute force technique only if you are very sure your tackles can take the beating & the fish is well hooked. EXCEPTION: This rule can be exempted if you are fishing in highly snaggy waters such as swampy waters, coral reefs or rocky beach area where chance to snag is high if you allow fish to swim into structures.

(C) Reeling in line forcefully without allowing the drag to complete it's spool rotation when fish is stripping line out is a bad idea. This will in fact cause too much strain on the drag & internal reel mechanism that it overheats & eventually spoils the quality of the reel. Besides damaging the reel, it may also cause tackle failure mentioned earlier.

RULE NO 3. If fish is overpowering the reel, let the drag do it's work. Don't forcefully reel in line when line is peeling out. Let the drag & rod bending action tire the fish first.

So there you have it. What NOT to do during a tug of war fight with a whopper. Always remember, stay cool, stay calm & fight the fish slow & steady. You are in control, not the fish.

Here are some videos of me fighting fish. Hope you learn a thing or two.