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Tips or help for landing a big fish-

G

Gritty_Angler

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This is my first post:

Hi guys, Im new to sea fishing and love fishing low tides and marching back up the beach as the tide rushes in.

Recently I had a few issues, Inwas fishing at mumbles and I lost the first 3 fish From my first 3 casts. It was an amazing start to the session. They were all big fish. The first fish took the bait within a minute after casting.

The problem was i couldnt budge it- i reeled as much as i could then held, rod bent and this big fish was dug right in, i coild feel it tugging down and down and pulling. At this point all i could do was hold it there, or pull very hard backwards.

I was a bit worried id get a hook pull if i pled at it anymore- so i walked back and bit the bullet - and slack :( when i reeled in the snood at snapped about half inch away from the knot. The next 2 takes, were a similar situation, locked up after reeling as much as i could they both hook pulled. I was happy and gutted st same time.

What should I have done to get thise on the beach?

Tackle/tactics:
Abu beachcaster
Budget reel
No shockleader :(
2 hook flapper rig
Mackerel on one
Squid on other

All three fish took the mackrell.
I caught a smoothhound a while back and this felt similar as it had a fight and pulled to the side as it appeared to head for a buoy. But this was for certain alot bigger than a 5lb smoothie.

Thank you guys sorry I cant explain it better. If ive left out info that wld help i am happy to explain more.
Cheer J - newbie angler
 
Welcome J, I had a similar problem only trouble is mine was weed.
 
I'm guessing you were casting near snags, and the fish, guessing eels were running straight into them!

You were then getting bitten off.

I've never had a fish that I couldn't move with a bit of steady pressure.
60lb snoods & shock leader should help, but if in snags you at least need a method to lose the lead.

As said above if fish do find an odd snag, leaving them a while with the drag loose may often see them swim free. ?
 
Hi Jamie! As Si said, you could have been bitten off by an Eel. Also Jonh & Si's advice about giving a Fish in a snag a bit of slack line is sound advice.
We also need to know what BS line, shockleader & snoods you were using. Too weak a set-up could be contributing to the problem.
 
Not familiar with ground at mumbles, but could it have been a ray?

I foul hooked one once on a sandy beach where i knew no rocks, when i first tried to pull it in it would not move, i thought i had hooked some rope in the sand or similar, so i walked about 10 yds further down beach and then started to wind again and still stuck fast but then noticed a slight tug, that was odd i thought so i moved back and full strain on rod and it eventually released itself from the sand.
 
Another possibility is it may have been a bream biting and then you are stuck on rocks and you keep feeling the line pulling from the fish hooked as the line is tight to the bottom and fish on the trace.
 
I would have given some slack line,that usually moves them if it was a ray, it could have been as simple as the breaking strain of your line was to low ,I use 25 lb with a 60lb leader, my traces are made of 18-20lb line (I make my own) hope this helps,tight lines for next time you go ???
 
Wolf said:
I would have given some slack line,that usually moves them if it was a ray, it could have been as simple as the breaking strain of your line was to low ,I use 25 lb with a 60lb leader, my traces are made of 18-20lb line (I make my own) hope this helps,tight lines for next time you go ???
Click to expand...
Imo 18-20 is a bit light for most beach fishing traces, not that it can’t take the weight of a fish but it’s very susceptible to abrasion.

Fishing for flatties and small stuff, yes, but even doggies will damage kine that thin pretty quickly.
 
My advice is get the power down and keep the power down on whatevers on the other end...... use decent hooks and give no quarter just crank. When the line is bow tight and direct to the fish you can finesse it a bit and enjoy the fight. But get the bloody thing moving straight off.......lift crank lift crank..... and dont use gay hooks in tricky ground or light hooklengths.
 
I used to use 15lb amnesia, but found it spun up in the tide too much, now I don’t use anything less than 30lb amnesia and it’s never let me down. As I see it, sea fish aren’t finicky like a wise old carp, they aren’t bothered by a length of 30lb amnesia, so why use anything lighter? Just my thoughts anyway.
 
Mr Fish said:
Imo 18-20 is a bit light for most beach fishing traces, not that it can’t take the weight of a fish but it’s very susceptible to abrasion.

Fishing for flatties and small stuff, yes, but even doggies will damage kine that thin pretty quickly.
Click to expand...
Doggie has never done me ANY harm as far as I'm aware! :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:
 
John Mitchell said:
Maybe give the fish some slack line and it will come out , probably rays . They should or might move after a few minutes of slack line
Click to expand...
Thank you, I did try that (ex carp angler snagged up) though didnt want to give it time or freedom to wrap aroind the bouy to the left of it- maybe I could have had more patience. And will try that next time. Thank you for reply. J
 
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