Oftentimes, landing fish is the true test of a beach angler skills.
Luring fish to bite your bait requires a combination of skill and experience, however, not every fish that strikes your hook will end up in your bag. You still need to show strong and proper techniques to bring it in.
A proper, smooth landing not only improves the fish’s chances of survival (in case you want to release them back), but also saves you the umbarable frustration of losing a lieftime catch so close to the shore.
Therefore, It is crucial for any surf angler to master the technique of landing fish effectively. The good news is that there is not much to learn or remember. By focusing on only one key principle, you will significantly reduce the risk of losing a catch when landing fish off the beach.
The one thing to remember
Ok, let’s present our principle in very simple words:
When the fish approaches the shore and is about to come out of the water, you want the rod to be horizontal and the tip of the rod as close to sea level as possible.
Please repeat the previous sentence once again.
By keeping the rod horizontal, you allow the waves to push the fish slowly and safely towards the shore.
If instead you hold the rod in a vertical position during this crucial moment, you will allow the waves to exert a lot of stress on the fish, potentially causing the hook to dislodge from its mouth.
This sheds light on the reason why many fishermen lose their catches when they are just under their feet. It’s because when fish come in contact with the ground and feel the seabed underneath, they perform a sudden jerky movement that may cause the hook to back out of their mouth.
Furthermore, the turbulent water and wave action in the area where the waves break create a significant enough force to detach the fish from the line.
Now, what makes all this worse and increases the odds of losing the fish is keeping the line vertical and not bringing the rod to an horizontal position.
I mean, when the swash zone causes your fish to move horizontally in random directions, keeping the line vertical creates extra tension on the hook and therefore helps it pull out.
So what you need instead is to keep the line horizontal and as close to the ground as possible. This is the only way to minimize the impact of water turbulence on the fish.
In other words, when you see your catch has entered the swash zone, just slowly (and I mean very slowly) tilt the rod seaward and pull it to your right or left (whatever is most comfortable for you).
I have even seen many experienced anglers go further than this and literally kneel down when their catch is about to leave the water.
This shows how important it is to be close to sea level when landing fish off the beach.
Now, when fishing off a pier or on the rocks, you’ll need to move to the lowest (and safest) point possible. Be careful here, your life is much more important than any fish. So watch your feet and only go where you are 101% sure you are safe.
Ok, is this the only thing I have do. just positioning the rod horizontally?
Yes. That’s it. The trick is that the less you do when landing fish off the beach, the more likely you are to succeed.
All you have to do in this phase is to wait patiently for the waves to push your fish towards the shore and slowly pick up any slack line generated in the process.
Worth noting that you don’t want the line to be too tight here. Leave some slack to avoid sudden pressure spikes that can set the fish free.
After a few minutes of back and forth with the waves, the catch will land on solid ground and be ready to be lifted and photographed 😉
That’s it!
Is this technique valid for all kinds of fish?
Well, to be honest, I wouldn’t be so patient and waste so much time with small fish that don’t put a lot of stress on the line.
With such species I would reel in non-stop until I get the fish. If I lose it along the way, so be it.
I only apply this technique with large fish that take a lot of effort and time to drag to shore. And by the way, the bigger the fish, the more likely you are to lose it in the last few yards of the surf area. This is because the greater the weight of the fish, the more pressure it will exert on the hook in choppy waters.
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