Horsing/Skiing fish to the boat 2025
ryanerb reply :
This is purely just a discussion thread where I expect there to be a million opinions, so no one needs to get bent out of shape...
Perhaps it was the way that I grew up, or just my personality, but I really enjoy the 'fight' part of fishing.
Starting with the bite, the game is on and now it comes to playing/fighting the fish to the boat. Once the fish is to the boat and in the net, the game is 'over'.
I see so many guys horse their fish to the boat and the fight lasts a whole 3 seconds? There definitely doesn't seem to be much fun in that. NOW, I suppose this behavior is required for tournament fishing, where time is of the essence and it is crucial the fish makes it to the boat if thousands or millions of dollars are on the line. The more you 'play' the fish, the greater chances of the hook popping out, the fish getting tangled in cover, etc.
The worst is topwater fishing, when the fish is already on the surface and then the hookset happens, and the pull is so hard by the angler the fish is practically SKIING across the surface of the water and then gets whipped into the boat.
Anyways, would love to hear from everyone how they like to fight their fish and if the fight is not the best part of bass fishing for them, what is the part they enjoy the most!
Choporoz reply :
I like to get my fish in the boat.
If I was purely in this for the fight, I'd be targeting something other than LMB.
ryanerb reply :
On 12/1/2017 at 1:54 AM, Choporoz said:I like to get my fish in the boat.
If I was purely in this for the fight, I'd be targeting something other than LMB.
Such as what species?
Additionally, what part of fishing brings you the most enjoyment?
I guess there is some kind of limit regarding the 'fight'. I know some guys that fight 300lb tuna, it takes 3 hours, and your body is bent out of shape at the end of it... So there is some happy medium in between 
Choporoz reply :
On 12/1/2017 at 2:01 AM, Ryan E said:Such as what species?
Snakehead
Rock bass
Bluegill
Crappie
Pike
Pickerel
Catfish - fought a flathead for over 20 min on bass gear once
American and Hickory Shad
Chinook
Brown Trout
Musky
Striper
SMB
Carp
that's off the top of my head in freshwater that I fish....above those, you can list nearly any saltwater fish
IMO, LMB are, perhaps, the second 'worst' fighting fish that I target. I love to fish for walleyes, but you don't fish for those for the fight, either...unless your idea of a good fight is hauling in a bag of wet socks
Gundog reply :
The goal for me is to get the fish to the boat. I've lost a lot of fish letting them fight. They jump and the hook comes flying back at me. I ski them to the boat when ever possible. Of course, I'm talking about largemouths. You can't do that with a river smallmouth. They are too strong for that.
Choporoz reply :
Now...there was a day last year on a lake that I was fishing...there were a couple boats of guys fishing for LMB on fly rods...I will admit that they were having fun with the fight...might be something I'd like to try down the road
Steveo-1969 reply :
I definitely enjoy the fight and don't horse fish in. For me, the enjoyment of catching a fish is 1) sensing the bite, 2) setting the hook, and 3) fighting the fish.
On the other side, I've read that if you fight a fish too long it will build up lactic acid in it's muscles and it may kill the fish. Or that you can exhaust or stress a fish out too much which could also be fatal. I'm NOT a fisheries biologist, this is just what I've read.
I want the catching to be enjoyable but I also want to give the fish a high chance of survival after I release it. So I enjoy the fight, but also try to land and release the fish in a timely manner. Whatever that means...
Steveo-1969 reply :
On 12/1/2017 at 2:40 AM, Choporoz said:Rock bass
I love to fish for walleyes, but you don't fish for those for the fight, either...unless your idea of a good fight is hauling in a bag of wet socks
It's funny how people have different experiences with how much fight a fish has. For me in the river I fish, the Rock Bass has the least fight of any species I catch. I set the hook, get one little tug back and they come right to the surface and don't move. Those I ski in across the top because they don't fight back at all.
Walleyes on the other hand give me a great fight provided they are 16+", often pulling drag. I love the heavy headshakes and steady pull their broad tails provide and how they dig for the bottom. Now if the walleye is a little 12-incher I can just reel 'em right in. Like a Rock Bass. 
BareHook reply :
I enjoy the fight but will ski a bass if it gets it past heavy cover or if in a tourney.
Choporoz reply :
On 12/1/2017 at 2:52 AM, Steveo-1969 said:It's funny how people have different experiences with how much fight a fish has. For me in the river I fish, the Rock Bass has the least fight of any species I catch. I set the hook, get one little tug back and they come right to the surface and don't move. Those I ski in across the top because they don't fight back at all.
Walleyes on the other hand give me a great fight provided they are 16+", often pulling drag. I love the heavy headshakes and steady pull their broad tails provide and how they dig for the bottom. Now if the walleye is a little 12-incher I can just reel 'em right in. Like a Rock Bass.
I hadn't thought about it before, but I wouldn't be surprised if (like smallmouth) the fighting spirit of river 'eyes is different than in lakes. I do all my walleye fishing in cold lakes in northern Ontario (and years ago in northern WI/UP.) I'd bet warmer climate, moving water walleyes are much, much stronger.
Turtle135 reply :
I strive to get them in the kayak as soon as possible. The one pound bass never knew what hit them. When I hook one about 4 pounds and up I get all the fight I can handle (love it when they power back down on me). For me most of the enjoyment comes from fooling a larger than average bass.
long island basser reply :
I like to fight the fish. The more the bass jumps the more I like it.
To me unless your fishing for food or to weigh in a tourney I see no reason to ski a bass to the boat at all.
What to take a picture to show grandma, or say ohhh he swam away fast he’s going to live another 10 years.
I can go into my yard, tie on a three pound weight and cast over and over again reeling in as fast as I can. Not that enjoyable to me.
geo g reply :
I get them up and out of vegetation as soon as possible. Once in deep water I may slow down and let it swim around a little. Don't play with them with weeds around.
Scott F reply :
When the fish are pretty small, even with light tackle, it's hard not to ski them back in. My favorite fishing is for river smallies with ML or M spinning rods. You just can't ski in even a medium sized river smallmouth on gear like that. Getting them in the boat is not a priority. My fun comes when I set the hook and fight them back. Once the fight is over, if they get off next to the boat, so much the better.
DINK WHISPERER reply :
Get em in, get em out, on to the next one!
Dirtyeggroll reply :
On 12/1/2017 at 2:42 AM, Steveo-1969 said:On the other side, I've read that if you fight a fish too long it will build up lactic acid in it's muscles and it may kill the fish. Or that you can exhaust or stress a fish out too much which could also be fatal. I'm NOT a fisheries biologist, this is just what I've read.
I want the catching to be enjoyable but I also want to give the fish a high chance of survival after I release it. So I enjoy the fight, but also try to land and release the fish in a timely manner. Whatever that means...
I am not sure about lactic acid, however, there are data to suggest that the fight of angling causes a large release of cortisol (an avoidant stress hormone; https://www.researchgate.net/.../Hormonal-responsiveness...) and that based on how large this dose is (related to how long the fight lasts), it can indeed carryover and create an aversion to something that would drive a cortisol increase in the following season (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20932160). So these bass would indeed be less likely to strike a lure if it became associated with a stress response.
I agree, however, that the fight is a significant portion of the fun.
Steveo-1969 reply :
On 12/1/2017 at 3:29 AM, Choporoz said:I hadn't thought about it before, but I wouldn't be surprised if (like smallmouth) the fighting spirit of river 'eyes is different than in lakes. I do all my walleye fishing in cold lakes in northern Ontario (and years ago in northern WI/UP.) I'd bet warmer climate, moving water walleyes are much, much stronger.
I think you might be onto something there Mr. Choporoz. Go Badgers!!!!
scaleface reply :
I lost a lot of large bass trying to horse them in like I see the pros do . If its a big bass I take it easy with them and land a lot higher percentage .
Lendiesel22 reply :
Same approach for tournament and fun. Get them in the boat. Most times the pace of the fight is based on what bait they hit. Longer casting baits are much different then flipping style hookups. Once they are on I try and match that fishes pace and anger.
I ski them in over thick vegetation.
ohboyitsrobby reply :
I try to get them in the boat asap. Especially if I'm fishing weeds or brushpiles. No sense letting them stay in their enviroment where they have an advantage any longer than neccesary. There is a delicate balance to me though on getting jumpy ones to the boat still hooked and trying to keep them from jumping.
A-Jay reply :
It seems that there may be as many different versions or perhaps ‘definitions” to the term ‘fighting a bass’, as there are anglers.
While I do not fish competitively, for me ‘the fight’ is part of the process. How I go about it, is often dictated by a few different factors. Some I have a bit of control over and some I have none. Things I can control include my tackle size, where & how I’m fishing. The more open & clearer the water, usually means I’m fishing lighter gear deeper. The heavier the cover, the more colored the water, usually means I’m fishing heavier gear. In either case, ‘the fight’ will usually be shorter with heavier gear and a little longer with the lighter stuff. But in each situation, my goal is to land the bass, so I’ll do whatever I need to, to get that done.
Factors that I obviously cannot control that can directly affect the duration of ‘the fight’ can be but are not limited to, the individual spirit of a bass, (some fish just seem to have a hyper high level of survivability and will do all types of crazy stuff to earn their freedom – I like that in a bass), the size of course, the water temps (cold bass sometimes don’t do a whole lot) and then there’s the occasional hooking of a huge non-target species – good times right there.
Now where as I do enjoy it immensely when they bite my cricket and then pull my string, I rarely intentionally prolong the process nor do I make a concerted effort to overly speed it up – I just take it as it comes and hope they end up in my net.
A-Jay
Angry John reply :
I change the way i fight the fish all the time. If its really hot outside then i get them in and let go because the environment is already stressing them to the max "dog days of summer". I also hurry them in on big swim baits because they get off so easy with that huge bait to leverage against. Minus those two times i take my time. The fight is were all the excitement is for me...
Scarborough817 reply :
depends really it's on more of a fish by fish basis if it's a frog or a t rig fish then yes but if its on something with trebles i try to play the fish
ryanerb reply :
Wow! Great response guys! Lots of good info and great opinions. Thanks for participating!
Jar11591 reply :
If the fish is small enough to be skied, I’ll ski him. If it’s a larger fish, I want it in the boat as quick as possible so I can admire it, photo it and release it. Most of my fish are caught around heavy cover, so I’ll try not to let them turn their head and bury in the weeds.
When fishing smallmouth, I don’t have to try to take my time fighting them, they usually do that themselves. Most of them that are decent sized put up a good fight on standard bass tackle and big ones can make really test an angler with some strong runs and acrobatics.
MassYak85 reply :
It depends mostly on my rod/reel/line and the cover. If I hook a good one on a small crankbait and lighter line I play them a bit to avoid bending out a hook or breaking off. If I hookup on a jig or t-rig they're coming to me ASAP because I know I can horse them. It also depends on fish species. I've always said that largemouth fight like you just annoyed them, and smallies fight like their life is literally on the line. I've lost many smallies on their 4th or 5th jump very close to the boat so I get them in fast and with the rod tip low to minimize that.
UPSmallie reply :
I usually fight them as fast as my drag/line can handle. When the fish isn't peeling drag I reel up until my line is close to the breaking point, while applying maximum pressure on the fish. When it runs I let it. This has worked pretty well for all species, but sometimes doing this method a fight has lasted for 45+ minutes (not on bass). It really just comes down to how strong lb test your mainline is. Still enjoyable any way you look at it.
RPreeb reply :
Like many others have said, I will fight as necessary, but I have never "skied" a fish to land it. It depends on my rig and the fish, but I don't play it any longer than is reasonable - I don't want to do any more harm than is necessary.
Around here the bass are mostly not that big, so I don't worry too much about them taking control. I don't fish 50# line either. I spent quite a few years trout fishing when I lived in Montana back in the 60's and early 70's. I fished a flyrod always with about a 2x (6#) or 3x (5#) tapered leader. The lighter the tackle, the more fun it is playing smaller fish. The heaviest line I have on any reel right now is 12# mono.
My best fight ever was a 4 pound rainbow in fast water (Swan River near the Piper Creek bridge for anyone familiar with the area), caught on a perch streamer and 2x leader. That was a tail dancing beast, made me work downstream about 300 yards before I could bring him to shore - I almost had to swim a few feet through a 5' deep hole to get around a tree. Nothing like the feeling of landing an active fish under those conditions.
Had some good but brief fights with some 8-10 pound mutton snappers and jacks when fishing the tidal channels in the Bahamas too, but those I tried to haul as fast as possible to keep them away from the ever present lemon sharks. I had 30# braid on a Shimano spinning reel for that.
Raul reply :
Where’s: If I don’t “horse” them in they will end up as underwater Xmas decoration ?
Montanaro reply :
Depends on rod and line and bass size.
Big bass on my heavy rod with braid will get skiied and flipped if I can.
Skiing a big bass and flipping with a rod that cantnhold the weight will end in bass hitting side of boat and then digging into water and likely pop loose
WRB reply :
My goal is to control the bass with whatever tackle I am using and by doing that you minimize losing bass. Letting bass fight too long isn't good for the fish, horsing them into the boat isn't needed and not a good idea with big bass, bouncing bass into a boat with carpet damages their skin/slime coat.
Tom
Ben Miller reply :
Great Topic! I reel them in as fast as I can!!!! Horse style if I have the gear..... However, my goal was met a long time ago when it comes to Bass fishing, and then I beat twice last year.
So I like to go after the big one's here in South Carolina. Study em like a deer hunter with trail cameras. Feed em. Catch em and release them and repeat the process over and over. I caught a 55lb stingray and the fight sucked lasting over an hour with light equipment and a boat that would chase. Just big bass is what I'm after, if not, I'd crappie fish with light rods going after the biggest Crappie. Just me, and good topic!
On 12/1/2017 at 8:10 AM, WRB said:My goal is to control the bass with whatever tackle I am using and by doing that you minimize losing bass. Letting bass fight too long isn't good for the fish, horsing them into the boat isn't needed and not a good idea with big bass, bouncing bass into a boat with carpet damages their skin/slime coat.
Tom
With you 100% Tom, my gear won't horse a big bass out of the water into the boat. I will try to reel as fast as I can without braking the line to keep them from turning around. That's kinda what I interpreted horsing was. But care for the fish so we can catch them again. They are smaller here in SC.
Bluebasser86 reply :
If it's a little fish, I'll ski them in quickly and get them released unless they're being feisty, then I'll let them play themselves out for both our safety. Bigger fish I'll fight carefully but land as quickly as possible.
Ratherbfishing reply :
While I'm never in a huge hurry, I don't drag the fight out much longer than it needs to be. The gear and line, size of the fish, and snaggable cover will largely dictate this. That said, I've probably lost more fish by horsing them than by playing them out. Fish which are poorly hooked or skin hooked will most likely come unbuttoned if you horse them. Tiny dinks? I don't care if they come unhooked. They're the ones which are most likely to bury a hook into my finger anyway.
J Francho reply :
On 12/1/2017 at 1:54 AM, Choporoz said:I like to get my fish in the boat.
If I was purely in this for the fight, I'd be targeting something other than LMB.
That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. Bass fishing is so much more than the fight.
scaleface reply :
On 12/1/2017 at 11:10 PM, Ratherbfishing said:That said, I've probably lost more fish by horsing them than by playing them out. Fish which are poorly hooked or skin hooked will most likely come unbuttoned if you horse them. Tiny dinks? I don't care if they come unhooked. They're the ones which are most likely to bury a hook into my finger anyway.
Exactly
NYWayfarer reply :
On 12/1/2017 at 2:42 AM, Steveo-1969 said:I definitely enjoy the fight and don't horse fish in. For me, the enjoyment of catching a fish is 1) sensing the bite, 2) setting the hook, and 3) fighting the fish.
On the other side, I've read that if you fight a fish too long it will build up lactic acid in it's muscles and it may kill the fish. Or that you can exhaust or stress a fish out too much which could also be fatal. I'm NOT a fisheries biologist, this is just what I've read.
I want the catching to be enjoyable but I also want to give the fish a high chance of survival after I release it. So I enjoy the fight, but also try to land and release the fish in a timely manner. Whatever that means...
I agree. I want the fish to survive so it's a quick as possible landing, photo and release for me.
tander reply :
Really enjoy the fight since I do most of my fishing with spinning tackle and 7lb test line.
Bass_Fishing_Socal reply :
A lot depend on gears and size of fish. Stiff rod big line I would reel the bass to surface as soon as possible without giving them a chance to turn head.
hawgenvy reply :
Particularly in tournament fishing, and probably in most bass fishing situations, the majority of sensible anglers will want to bring in the fish by the most efficient and effective manner, the way most likely to get the fish into the boat. The best method to achieve that will depend on the on the line, the lure, and the cover. It is counterproductive and perhaps cruel to torment a bass by toying with it too long, and during that extra time she may spit the hook or break away. Likewise, one can quite easily yank a hook out of a fish's mouth by pulling too hard. The best way to get a fish in the live well -- or posing for a prerelease photo -- might involve a long fight with light line and thin wire hooks, or it could require 3 frantic seconds after catapulting the fish out of thick mats with a stiff stick and #80 braid.
soflabasser reply :
Bass are one of the weakest pound for pound fighters I have caught, especially here in South Florida where we have so much selection of hard fighting fish. I don't fish bass for the fight they offer, I fish for them since the big ones can be a challenge to catch on a consistent basis, they are everywhere where I live, and it is a relaxing hobby for me. If I want a real fight I fish for sharks bigger than myself while standing up( no sitting down and no fight belt for a real challenge) and I land the shark by myself without assistance.
Stalking bass reply :
On 12/1/2017 at 5:38 AM, A-Jay said:It seems that there may be as many different versions or perhaps ‘definitions” to the term ‘fighting a bass’, as there are anglers.
While I do not fish competitively, for me ‘the fight’ is part of the process. How I go about it, is often dictated by a few different factors. Some I have a bit of control over and some I have none. Things I can control include my tackle size, where & how I’m fishing. The more open & clearer the water, usually means I’m fishing lighter gear deeper. The heavier the cover, the more colored the water, usually means I’m fishing heavier gear. In either case, ‘the fight’ will usually be shorter with heavier gear and a little longer with the lighter stuff. But in each situation, my goal is to land the bass, so I’ll do whatever I need to, to get that done.
Factors that I obviously cannot control that can directly affect the duration of ‘the fight’ can be but are not limited to, the individual spirit of a bass, (some fish just seem to have a hyper high level of survivability and will do all types of crazy stuff to earn their freedom – I like that in a bass), the size of course, the water temps (cold bass sometimes don’t do a whole lot) and then there’s the occasional hooking of a huge non-target species – good times right there.
Now where as I do enjoy it immensely when they bite my cricket and then pull my string, I rarely intentionally prolong the process nor do I make a concerted effort to overly speed it up – I just take it as it comes and hope they end up in my net.
A-Jay
X2
HookRz reply :
The best answer to this question was the first. I love finding the fish, patterning, and figuring out effective presentations that get bit. And topwater fishing is a blast. But largemouth and fight don't belong in the same sentence unless you're using light tackle in open water.
Catt reply :
Each bite is different...Each fight is different????
When I get bit my first thought is I want a solid hook set...next is OK dummy ya hook it how ya gonna land it!
Am I in matted grass, wood/brush/lay downs... what?
Each requires a hook set the instantly turns her head & gets her coming up, any hesitation will result in hung up & a lost fish!
Dwight Hottle reply :
I learned a long time ago on other species it is best not to horse them in. I play them out but quickly.
slonezp reply :
On 12/1/2017 at 3:29 AM, Choporoz said:I hadn't thought about it before, but I wouldn't be surprised if (like smallmouth) the fighting spirit of river 'eyes is different than in lakes. I do all my walleye fishing in cold lakes in northern Ontario (and years ago in northern WI/UP.) I'd bet warmer climate, moving water walleyes are much, much stronger.
I think size has more to do with it than current. I fish for river walleye as well as on Lake Michigan. If the walleye are under 20", there's not much of a fight. Over 20" hold on to the rod.
If it's all about the fight, nothing beats early spawn kings on bass gear.
HookRz reply :
I should add there is a fight when it comes to Largemouth fishing, but it's either the cover, not the fish. On typical Bass tackle the fish doesn't have a chance.
A-Jay reply :
On 12/3/2017 at 12:40 AM, HookRz said:I should add there is a fight when it comes to Largemouth fishing, but it's either the cover, not the fish. On typical Bass tackle the fish doesn't have a chance.
While I'll readily agree that there are harder (and longer) fighting fish than bass,
I manage to run into a few now and again that have done themselves proud in the fish fighting department.
Although not always the case, it seems to be somewhat related to size.
A-Jay
everythingthatswims reply :
Fighting a bass is a delicate process that varies greatly depending on as many variables as lure choice does.
With a spinning rod, the fight on 6lb test with a drop shot hook is vastly different from 10lb test and a shakey head.
Crankbait fishing calls for a different style of fighting too, but even in that, depending on what you're fishing around, your line, and your hooks, it could be a long and drawn out fight, or a relatively short one.
The list goes on and on! My main goal is to get the fish in my hands for a picture. If I get her to bite I have earned it, I don't need to give her any more chances to get off by letting her "fight" more!
HookRz reply :
On 12/3/2017 at 2:25 AM, A-Jay said:While I'll readily agree that there are harder (and longer) fighting fish than bass,
I manage to run into a few now and again that have done themselves proud in the fish fighting department.
Although not always the case, it seems to be somewhat related to size.
A-Jay
Nice Fish! Not skiing them big girls for sure. But it's not a matter of size. Relatively a ten pound Smallie is going to fight harder than LM. A ten pound Steelhead will put them both to shame. And "typical" LM tackle these days is 5X to 10X heavier than what I use for 6# Erie Smallies, and my Steelhead tackle is lighter still. Nothing like a Steelhead hitting a spoon cast off the beach and taking off on a forty yard run!
What we should celebrate about the Largemouth is the variety of tactics we need to learn to catch them consistently under various conditions. A thinking mans fish for sure. Fight? Meh...but then a big one in my neck of the woods is a five or six, and I'm yanking them out of cover on on 20# copoly that actually breaks in the mid 30's or 65# braid. The same line that's on my Muskie rods.
Bankbeater reply :
There are several variables I consider. Cover, fish size, and wind are some.
jbmaine reply :
We use somewhat lite gear so pulling the fish in usually involves some sort of fight. I don't know if it's worse on the fish to waterski them in at Mach 1 or fight and tire them out. In all honesty if our number one concern was not to hurt fish we wouldn't spend all this time, effort, and money to stick a hook in them in the first place. I also agree with everyone that LM usually don't fight as well as other species of fish I caught. ( such as 3 lb Salmon in a fast moving river on a 5 wt. fly rod.) but bass fishing is something my wife can participate in and bass fishing waters are close to us.
Jim
Klebs01 reply :
I tend to get the fish back to the boat as fast as I can. If I end up skiing the fish, so be it. I’ve really gotten into salt water fishing lately and go that direction if I want to battle a fish. Bass fishing is more about the game of getting them to bite an artificial for me.
Sifuedition reply :
It's entirely up to the fish. I'm going to keep constant pressure on the fish to prevent it shaking loose. If that pressure is enough to end the fight in seconds, then it ends in seconds. If they are big/strong/active enough to hold against moderate, constant pressure, then the fight will last longer. Sadly, the ponds close to home where I do most of my fishing average only 1-2 lbs, which leads to shorter fights. I have no goal based on how fast/slow the fight is over. My goal is only on the technique of a high rate of success for landing the catch. Bass are pretty good at shaking a hook, so I don't ease up my pressure just to extend the fight.
Way north bass guy reply :
If the cover is thick and I’m flipping or frogging with few hooks involved I’m usually trying to get the fish ( largemouth usually) moved up and out fairly quickly. If it’s big, strong smallies and I’m using crankbaits or jerkbaits then I’m more likely to go easy on them, at least until I can see how many hooks are embedded well. Obviously with light line/finesse I’m not gonna horse em too much. I don’t fish too many tournaments any more so I’m not quite as worried about a fish coming off, unless of course it’s a monster, then I’m a bit more careful with them.
hawgenvy reply :
Some individual bass fight much harder than others. Earlier this evening I tossed a jig/trailer to bridge pilings and a bass inhaled it the instant it touched the water. It must have tracked the lure visually as it arced through the air. The bass then pulled with incredible strength, and even pulled out some #40 pound braid from my reel, even though the drag was almost maxed. The fight lead me to expect at least a 6 pounder. But it was a skinny 2-1/2 pound fish. That bass deserved a medal.
Catt reply :
@hawgenvy agree 100%
I fish a lot of 15-25' structure...those bass don't like the surface ????
thinkingredneck reply :
I have had small bass turn my kayak around. Alligators put up a decent fight, but they don't jump. Personaly, I try to get Bass and Bream out of cover and then carefully get them to hand. It is more instinctual than a thought out process. Some of the best battles I have had were Catfish on a fly rod while fishing for Bream! And those biting Bowfin (Grinnel). The real fight with them starts when you get them in the boat! Don't lip one.
Dtrombly reply :
Situational for me, if I'm finesse fishing with light line and a spinning rod I play the fish and take my time. In heavy cover situations, especially frog fishing, I have my drag tightened all the way and I ski them across the top of the mats. I caught a 6.5 on a frog this year in some thick mats and had him to the bank in all of about 5 seconds.
RAMBLER reply :
I'm not a biologist so I can not tell you about lactic acid or anything like that. I can tell you that I have killed fish, especially small northern pike (less than 30") when catching them on a light weight fly rod. Playing any fish too long will kill them. (I should add that my experience has been only freshwater) I also found this out by fishing with only ultralight tackle. It can be fun, but deadly for the fish.
scaleface reply :
Sometimes I have to turn them . Fishing in cover its preferable to get them out fast . I'm also probably using a single hook and getting a strong hook set . If Its a big fish in relatively open water then it is beneficial to not tear the hooks out of their mouths , especially with treble hook lures .
Arlo Smithereen reply :
I try to get the fish to the boat as fast as possible. I think wearing a fish out with light tackle does far more damage to them than 'skiing' them to the boat.
related General Bass Fishing Forum topic
most viewed General Bass Fishing Forum topic
© 2025 - fishing.qciss.net. All Rights Reserved.