This article was published in the June 2001 issue of Rod And Line fishing magazine.
How many times have you heard someone exclaimed, "So lucky lah, always catching so many fish and big ones too." Yes, there are guys who somehow exude some mystical a aura around them, causing the fish to queue up to commit 'hara kiri' at their feet. There are also the 'stinkos' or 'otters' that the fish avoid like the bubonic plaque. Could this phenomenon be due to luck, or is it something more than that?
The slogan '10% of the anglers catch 90% of the fish' seems all too true when we really look at the whole angling situation. Why are these ten percents so lucky? Many might not agree, but I think luck is only a small tiny piece of the jigsaw. The rest of the pieces, I would like to discuss here as I think they are the main reasons why some have all the 'A. Ls'. These are the people who are willing to put the extra effort that made the difference between getting their mug shots with the big catches or posing with market bought ones. Listed below are some of the reasons, which I think are the main contributing factors.
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| Do you think this ball bearing will give you a smooth action? |
1: Reels should be cleaned and well oiled after every trip. Care must be taken so that sand, salt particles and other grits should be remove to prevent failure while a whopper is on. Strip and overhaul your reel at least once a year. I have come across reels where the grease had dried up like tar. Many have their ball-bearings jammed up too. The bail roller must be inspected regularly so that sand or grime does not prevent the free running of the roller. Use a water repellent spray like WD40 to protect your reels.
2: Drag System. Most spinning reels have drag washers that need oil on them. Care must be taken so that sand and grit do not caused the metal discs to get scratch. If water ever gets into the drag discs most will give a jerky movement, which may result in broken lines. In case of star drags no oil is needed on the drag discs to give a smooth action. As for lever drag, the drag discs are encased in a watertight housing. Should water, sand or oil get into the compartment, it will be disastrous, especially when you have a big one on. All drags should be loosen after a fishing trip. Otherwise it will stick together and may need a stronger force to turn thus causing line breakage. Of course, the correct setting of the drag in relation to your fishing line is very important. It should be 1/3 the breaking strain of your fishing line, which should be adjusted before fishing.
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| The pressure plate 'A' will press on the.... |
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| ......drag disc 'B'. |
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| Both 'A' and 'B' are sealed by 'C'. There should npot be any dirt, grit or oil on the drag disc. |
3: Rod. Get the proper rod for the job at hand. A well balanced and built rod can reduce a lot of stress and strain on your casting arm (one of the reasons for custom built rods). Never bend your rod pass the critical angle, which normally is around 90 degrees. Spend some money for quality rod bag so that all your rods are not knocking against each other or some other hard objects during transit. Care must be taken if you want to leave your weight and hook on the rod while on the move. The modern graphite rods do not tolerate nicks and cuts as much as the older fiberglass ones. After fishing, they must be washed with mild detergent, rinse and dry before storing in proper rod bag. A lot of attention must also be paid to the guides, as any grooved or broken guides should be replaced immediately. It is advisable to clean your guides and reel seats regularly with an old toothbrush and mild detergent. Failure at the critical moment is the most frustrating thing to happen in fishing.
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| Another example of a grooved guide. Be meticulous when inspecting your guides. |
4: Fishing Line. Mono filament and braided line both suffer from nicks and abrasions, albeit at different levels. Check regularly, especially the first five meters as this is the place most of the frictions and cuts will occur. As the ultraviolet ray of the sun is very damaging, I suggest lines should be change regularly to prevent breakage at the critical moment. Reels filled with lines should be kept in cool, dry places away from the sun's damaging rays. To cut cost, the line in the spool can be reverse once. That is the line at the bottom of the spool should be reverse to the top and those at the top reverse to the bottom. Fish should be brought in by pumping and not cranking with the line slipping as the line twist that results might cause line failure. The ever increasing pressure of the line on the spool will also cause the collapse of the spool.
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| You can be sure the sinker will be knocking against the rod. Any nick on the graphite rod spells disaster. |
5: Knots. The are many types of knots for anglers. Learn up a few most suitable for your fishing. Be meticulous when tying your knots. There is no short cut to it. Be sure to wet your knots before tightening it. Any loose end or sliding in the knot will result in another "big one that got away story". There are knots specially created for braided lines. Due too their slippery nature, they must be tied very carefully to prevent slipped knots. There is no necessity to learn the myriad of knots available. If you can, master all of them, then congratulations! Otherwise, be very good in tying a few knots that give you almost 100% knot strength is sufficient. Of course they must be suitable for the exact purpose. One Karate grandmaster when asked what are the best techniques a student should learn, answered, "One block, one punch, 500 times each hand, every day". Hope you get the meaning.
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| These dud hooks are found in freshly opened packs of hooks. All of them are from branded names. |
6: Hooks. Most of the lost fish stories can be traced to the hooks. Some will straighten or snap with minimal pressure. Do check your hooks before tying them on as there are always some duds around no matter how meticulous the manufacturing process is. With the chemically sharpen hook nowadays, it is still necessary to sharpen them before fishing. After an hour of so of fishing please do touch up the point with a file or a slip stone. I always carry a small piece of slip stone in my tackle box. Just a few rubs on the point is enough to restore sharpness to your point. Test it by scratching the point against your thumbnail. If it sticks then it is sharp enough.
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| The nail test. Scratch your nail with the hook point. | If it digs into the nail then it is sharp. |
7: Know Your Quarry. 'Match the hatch' had been bandied around for ages. The importance of presenting food that is attractive to your quarry cannot be denied. Fish area very finicky feeders on the whole. A bait or lure, which worked on one day, might not catch any on another day. Therefore, your knowledge of what attract the fish is the utmost and will decide whether it is a good or bad day. Do look for signs of fish and also study the water for any likely hiding places where the fish like to hang around. The temperature of the water is also important, as it will affect the feeding mood of the fish.
8: Local Knowledge. Never ever ignore advice from the local experts. In fact make it a point to chat up the locals and actively seek out their expertise. The pak ciks and even the adiks literally play marbles with the fish in their area, so their knowledge of the method in catching and the characteristics of the fish are indispensable.
9: Camouflage. Hiding and keeping yourself as inconspicuous as possible cannot be overly emphasized. The fishes in the water are being preyed on all the time. It is a 'big eat small world'. In order to survive they have to be be very alert every second. If they are whoppers they are even smarter. Therefore should they detect any danger or hear any foreign sound they'll break all the 100 meter sprint records in the world. Try to keep quiet when you move around and stay behind any bush or tree if possible. Do keep back from the edge of the bank too. If you are using a boat do have some rubber mats on the floor of the boat as sound gets transmitted and amplified into the water. Try not to wear bright clothes so that you will not be so conspicuous.
10: Go Light. With modern technology at hand, I can't see why thin line cannot be use. The present premium lines are very thin and tough for their poundage. The thinner the lines the less visible they are, which translate into more bites. When I say thin here, I mean thin and tough lines. Too thin and low poundage lines will prolong the fights, which will cause irreparable damages to the fish thus defeating our catch and release program. The size of the sinker too must be suitable for the job. Try using running sinkers, as you can feel the bites earlier and easier. The fish will hold on to the bait much longer too if they do not feel the weights. Many anglers like to use snaps and swivels to connect the leaders or trace. Choose the branded and good ones to prevent any disappointments due to breakages or the snaps opening by themselves.
11: Do Not Be A Stinko. I always keep my hands clean from chemicals. Try washing your hands before fishing and after you have handled any chemical, like sun block, petroleum products or cosmetics. The fish can detect the tiniest amount of such chemicals in the water.
Well, I guess these are some of the tips that I can think will help you to be among the ten percents. If everything is in order then pray hard and the finals piece, that is luck, will fit in to complete the puzzle. There are of course plenty more ways to improve your catches. Hopefully you cam learn through your experiences and share them with us.
(Note: Equipments shown are the kind courtesy of Perniagaan Wing Sam, Bercham , Ipoh).
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