It was an instruction as well as a warning that I never forgot. More years ago than I can count, we were white marlin fishing out of Cape May, N.J. when the captain insisted that the price of success was eternal vigilance. He wasn’t just referring to watching the baits closely as we trolled over a productive area, but rather that we concentrate on everything connected to raising a marlin.
Season after season, I reflected on the true and expanded meaning of eternal vigilance. The concept goes well beyond simply watching a bait while you’re trolling. In fact, it applies to every type of fishing and translates into focusing on every detail from how you rig to how you present an offering to how you decide where to fish. The more oriented you are to the fine points of angling, the more successful you are going to be.
Hour after hour on the water often tempts fishermen to lose concentration, and they begin to let the little things lapse. Those who fish from shore tend to pick a spot and stay there without moving in either direction to explore the neighboring water. Bridge fishermen often do the same thing without expanding their search for action to the right or the left of the initial position. Then, there’s the surf buff who picks a spot, casts as far seaward as he can, puts the rod in a sand spike, and waits. What he should be doing is working from shallow to deep and deep to shallow as well as moving along the beach.
If you’re chumming, make sure the chum is reaching the target and there is no break in the slick. You also have to float your bait back without any pause so it follows the chum. Bottom fishermen need to rig with the lightest sinker to reach bottom, but have the ability to slide so that it covers the widest area. At times, you have to let out more line, something my father referred to as keeping in touch with your bait.
When you are casting and retrieving, make every presentation count. Pick a spot and aim for it on each cast. Use the flow of water to your advantage. Fish face into it, so cast upstream of where you think the fish will be and let the retrieve bring the bait or lure past the target.
Trollers must constantly consider a number of factors. Start with where you place the spread, trolling speed, direction (inshore to offshore or vice-versa and with the current, against it, or across it), water temperature, water color and so forth.
And then there is rigging the tackle correctly. Breaking strength of the abrasion leader as well as its length plays a part. The diameter of the fishing line can make a difference. Hook size and type are important. And you always want to use the freshest bait neatly trimmed or the most active live bait.
The list goes on and on, but the message is clear. Eternal vigilance usually increases your catch significantly and frequently makes an average day a memorable one.