How to Land Your Fish

 

Many people don’t go fishing because they simply don’t think they know how, or would be able to bring the fish into shore once they’ve hooked it.
There are simple techniques and easy ways to hook, play and to land your fish that aren’t at all hard to learn.
The first thing that’s going to happen is that you feel that gentle tug that tells you that you have a fish nibbling at your bait.
You need to set the hook, which means forcing the hook into the fish.
Usually a sharp wrist snap is all that necessary to set the hook, but take a little care when you snap the line.

Netting a fish to land it

Depending on what you are fishing for, a soft mouth fish such as a crappie or some kinds of trout, will result in simply pulling the hook through and losing you your fish. Next up is going to be the fight..
When any fish feels that hook pulling against it, you will find yourself in a struggle. The fish wants to get free and you want to bring him in.
Each type of fish will fight differently. Carp, or salmon are strong and powerful and will make a long run, while a Steelhead trout will jump and run as well.
Trout will fight quite wildly, and a Pike will come to the boat pretty easily but then fight when he approaches it.
Some sunfish will zig and zag trying to get to cover that might tangle your line.. Play the fish, give him some slack and reel in..
If you’ve caught a fish in a more shallow water, they are going to be bigger fighters, more frantic than one in deep water.
Many times you can simply reel in a smaller fish, while larger fish require a technique called “pumping the rod.”
To do this, retrieve line quickly as you lower the rod until it is horizontal and pointed at the fish. Then stop reeling in line and slowly raise the rod up. When the rod is at about the 11 o’clock position, repeat the process until the fish is near and ready to be landed.
NOTE: Never let the line go slack.
Landing can be done by hand, or with a net. If you are fishing from the shore, one way to do it is called beaching the fish.
This should only be used if you plan to keep and eat the fish because it will harm the coating on its body.
To beach a fish, lead it into increasingly shallower water, gradually sliding the fish on its side onto dry land.
To net a fish, have the fish under control. Lead the fish to the net. Place the net in the water and lead the fish into the net head first. Then if the fish should try to escape, it will swim into the net. Once the fish is completely in the net, raise the net by the handle.
To handle a fish that has some very sharp teeth, such as Pike or Walleye, hold it around its body.