Joe Sheaffer
As anglers we understand that fishing around structure can be very productive and there is always the potential of catching a trophy fish. Structure, be it natural or man-made, comes in many different forms. Structure can be in different sizes and shapes. It could be a point, sea wall, mangroves, docks, oyster bars, depth changes, and wrecks to name a few. Those structures attract all types of sea life and right up the food chain to the predators. Of course, these areas attract us because many of the fish that we target will be in these areas. When fish are hooked around these areas they definitely have the advantage. Being prepared is extremely important if we are to have a chance pulling the fish from the structure. Our natural reflexes and instincts tell us to pull and their instincts are to resist and swim for cover. There are many times when we will win and many of us have had our feelings hurt when the fish wins.
Unfortunately, I have experienced defeat and knowing that I lost a nice fish hurts and worse yet, I left an obnoxious hook or lure in their mouth. Other anglers have explained to me, when the fish is getting the best of you, open the bail, take pressure off the fish and they’ll stop resisting. The belief that when a fish is hooked it probably feels the same as a bait fish spine, they really don’t think much about it until they feel pressure. It has taken me a while to give this technique a try and it has definitely helped me land a few more fish. Will it work every time? That is a no, but anything I can do to help land fish is worth knowing. A few weeks ago, I hooked a nice snook on a long cast adjacent to a mangrove point. The fish made a B line straight towards the mangroves and I knew I was in trouble. By simply opening my bail, the fish basically stopped resisting. I pulled my boat away from the structure with my trolling motor, reeling and pulling slowly. Anytime I felt the fish resisting, I opened the bail. I finally was able to pull the fish away from the cover and land it. Again, this won’t work every time, but it is a strategy to know that may help you land a fish. As always, enjoy your fishing days and keep casting.