I’d like to start this one with an excerpt from a phone call I had with a good ‘ol mate recently…..
“ I can’t believe it!, I fished for hours today, had excellent fresh bait and the latest brand xyz gear and the damn things wouldn’t co operate at all !! …..I hate ‘em….bloody stupid fish “…..
“ stupid fish ??…..how many did you get ?? “
“ none !! “
“……well, they’re smarter than you then, aren’t they ?? “
“ #@&*$ %^# !!!!! “
“ …..hmmmm……”
Presentation is what it’s all about, you can’t just go out with latest brand xyz gear and expect them to go belly up for you, it won’t happen.
You need to look at it from their perspective, their sole ability to survive in the ocean is relevant to their ability to perceive what looks right and what doesn’t.
And it’s all the same …. from marlin to mullet, there’s absolutely no difference.
If you don’t get presentation sorted out, you won’t get a chance to put that shiny, new xyz brand outfit through it’s paces anyway.
The perfect presentation is a live prawn, yellowtail whatever, with no hook, line, sinker or swivel attached….everything you add from there is a step backwards.
The smallest hook, the lightest and longest trace, the smallest sinker or jig head that you can get away with is what must be used.
A piece of food in the ocean doesn’t sink down “plunk” and stay anchored to the bottom, it sinks down slowly at it’s own rate according to it’s size, weight and current and you must replicate this action….you will know when your presentation is right because the take will be an abrupt “slam”, there will be no “pick, pick”….the fish has seen it, decided it was right and taken it with no reservation, the “pick, pick” thing is an indication that the fish is wary and something’s not right, and it’s time to change your presentation.
Of course, fishing being riddled with contradictions, there are limits that apply, obviously, if you’re targeting kingfish, you don’t want to be using a 2kg trace and a garfish hook… that’ll end in tears every time… so adjust….you know the fish are there, but not interested in your 80lb trace and 9/0 hooks…go down to 50 lb trace…..then 30lb…..adjust hook and sinker size accordingly….if possible, depending on the situation, use no sinker at all….change, change, change until you crack it, if you stay committed, think about it and keep adjusting, you’ll turn them for sure.
A lot of the time, they’ll be well fed, and not interested in big jigs or a large squid or whatever…try a small jig….and change your jigging speed and action…..try a tiny piece of squid on a lighter leader and a smaller hook….., be persistent and it’ll pay off.
Think about it, if you had just finished a 3 course meal, you probably would’t be interested in a big ‘ol hamburger or a steak …..but if you were offered a nice little chocolate, you might re consider….
Plenty of times, you’ll swing it by doing the exact opposite to what everyone else around you is doing………..and that’s sweet….bahahaaa !!
There are very few “secrets” in fishing….apart from persistence and patience …. most of the time, it’s just commonsense, so don’t get caught up in the hype, stick to your game, but be flexible in your approach.
Till then, tight lines !!