by John Packer
Bigger is always better...I think we have all heard this cheesy
saying at one point or
another in our lifetime.
People try to use this
slogan in all types of
situations, but only in
rare cases does their
claim hold true. Fishing
is certainly one of the
times where bigger is
not necessarily better,
even though your buddy
sitting next to you in
the boat is convinced
it's true. Sure there
are many situations
where big fishing
equipment is appropriate
and will probably lead
you to more fish in the
boat. However, fishing's
popularity is growing
and space on the water
is becoming a little
more cramped. The fish
are starting to take
notice too. Some of
these fish have seen it
all from us fishermen
and they are not being
fooled anymore. In
heavily fished areas the
best fishermen have
developed a new
technique for success;
Finesse Fishing. I
can hear the screams of
fishermen worldwide,
"What in the heck is
finesse fishing and why
do I want anything to do
with something that has
the words finesse and
fishing in the same
sentence?" Well, like it
or not some waters are
being fished so heavily
that the good fish
aren't biting anymore.
They have seen the
tricks employed by the
common fishermen and are
ready for a better show.
That is why we need to
alter our approach a bit
to fool the fish onto
our lures again. Finesse
fishing, in its simplest
explanation, is just
downsizing our equipment
to throw a new look at
an old fish. The
easiest way to convert
your game is to buy
smaller and lighter
versions of your current
equipment. Let's start
with the rod. To get
started on your finesse
venture try buying a
light to medium light
action spinning rod. Buy
something inexpensive to
get the feel of a
lighter action rod. With
a little experience you
will develop a
preference for something
a bit lighter, heavier,
or lose interest in
finesse fishing
altogether. This way you
can avoid wasting money
on your first finesse
purchase. Many fishermen
say they feel like they
are re-learning to fish.
This new style could add
some excitement to a day
on the water and give
you an excuse to buy
more fishing gear. In
fact finesse fishing is
catching on quick and as
a result many
manufacturers have
devoted a portion of
their production of rods
just for finesse
fishing. Don't stop
with just the rod;
downsizing the reel in
your setup will make a
drastic change in how
you fish and more
importantly how many
fish you catch. Some of
the small reels
available these days are
set up nicely to carry a
lighter line, like the
one used by finesse
fishermen. When shopping
for a small reel, treat
it just as you would be
shopping for a large
reel, except in a
smaller format. The
most important change
for a traditional
fisherman trying to
convert to finesse is in
the line. When I first
got into finesse fishing
I got lost in all of the
different options
available on the market.
Luckily a friend of mine
was quite knowledgeable
and one of his best
pieces of advice was
this, "When choosing a
line stick to the
traditional
monofilament. Trust me."
Well I did trust him and
have been happy since.
The reason he didn't
like to use a braided
line is because it
floats, and floating
ruins the function of a
floating lure. I tried a
braided line a couple
times and I can add this
additional word of
guidance: mono lines
tend to blend in
underwater and help the
bait look natural versus
a braided line. Another
consideration is line
weight. Any line between
six and ten pound test
will work, and with a
bit of experience on the
water you will develop a
preferred test weight.
Some situations will
require a six pound line
to fool the most
hesitant fish.
Choosing a lure is
another necessity for
any finesse fisherman.
Fortunately there are
hundreds of different
lures available that fit
finesse setups. The
lures you choose will
depend entirely on
personal preference and
necessity based on the
waters you tend to fish.
Be sure to buy a few
different styles and
test them out; some fish
will respond better than
others to particular
lures. While some may
still contend that
bigger is in fact always
better, sometimes it is
worth it to mix things
up. Try finesse fishing
to add a new unique
aspect to your fishing
arsenal and increase
your chances of going
home a happy fisherman!
About the Author John Packer is an avid fisherman and
recommends GoFishin.com
for all your
fishing tackle needs
based on their wide
selection, super
discount prices, and
great service. Weekly
specials available on
fishing poles and
various fishing
equipment to fill up
your tackle box and have
the right equipment to
catch more fish.
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