# Fighting big fish



## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

If you folks are expecting/anticipating hooking fish capable of taking you on a good sleigh ride, how do you handle it? Do you try to anchor your boat to give you more leverage fighting the fish? Do you just go along for the ride? For the first time, last Saturday I used a brush clamp anchor, home made, of course. I knew I was going to hook some powerful carp and needed to be able to turn them away from cover, and with the boat unanchored, that wouldn't be possible. I bought a $2 spring clamp at Big Lots and used that attached to a tether, clamped to some limbs sticking up in the water, to keep my boat in place and give me more leverage. Here's my fancy clamp anchor:










I'm trying to think ahead to my saltwater trip in July, too. I'm going to try to hook some sharks from my yak, and I'm trying to figure out how to approach it from this standpoint. Right now I'm thinking I'll try to remain anchored from the stern and if I start losing too much line, I'll pull anchor and go for the ride.


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## RebelWithACause122 (Mar 29, 2011)

Where you headed on your saltwater vacation? I too am hoping to hook a shark from my kayak (either when I'm in Emerald Isle, or in Nags Head), but my wife is less than thrilled with that idea. So far, I've never caught a fish in my kayak that was over about 4 lb., although even at that size, they can move the yak around. I can understand the need to be stationary to keep a big fish out of cover in a river, but if I'm in the saltwater and hook something big on 30lb line, I won't want to have my anchor down. I would think that it's likely the anchor would drag... and depending on the angles of the anchor line and the fishing line attached to large fish... I think there'd be too much chance of capsizing... especially if the anchor were sliding along a sandy bottom and suddenly caught on a rock. If I hook a shark (or if I'm lucky enough to hook a 20+ pound drum or cobia), I'd rather go for that sleigh ride and let the fish tire out by towing me around. If I'm lucky, I'll have more insight on this topic in a few weeks.


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## Bubbagon (Mar 8, 2010)

I'd think the very last thing you'd want with a shark on the end of the line would be to be anchored.


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

Bubbagon said:


> I'd think the very last thing you'd want with a shark on the end of the line would be to be anchored.


Any rationale for why that is? I'm just curious. 

I'm thinking, first and foremost, with a fly rod I need to get a solid hookset into a very bony mouth. With the kayak giving immediately I might not get that unless I'm anchored. Secondly, I have almost 300 yards of backing. I don't intend to use it all, but I have some cusion in terms of line capacity which affords me some decision time as far as staying anchored or not. Third, and most importantly, is if a shark takes me for a sleigh ride towards the breakers and I get rolled over, I'm in a really bad situation!


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## streamstalker (Jul 8, 2005)

Quint: [Kayak] goes in the water, you go in the water. Shark's in the water. Our shark.
[sings] Farewell and adieu to you, fair Spanish ladies. Farewell and adieu, you ladies of Spain. For we've received orders for to sail back to Boston. And so nevermore shall we see you again.


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## backlashed (Mar 19, 2011)

Unless you're out there with a surf rod and surf reel, go for the ride or your gear pays the price.

Your line stretches, you'll put real stress on your terminal tackle. Your kayak will provide plenty of drag to set the hook and wear your beast out.

Headed towards the breakers? Release the drag or cut your line. My muskie set the hook by herself and pulled me all over the creek.


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## Wow (May 17, 2010)

Make a marker bouy from a fat chunk of styro-foam. Paint or tape it with a bright neon color. Add a tether of cord and carabiner. When you hook that badboy, clip the bouy onto your anchorline and release it from your trolly or cam. Retrieve your anchor after the celebration.--Tim


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

Wow said:


> Make a marker bouy from a fat chunk of styro-foam. Paint or tape it with a bright neon color. Add a tether of cord and carabiner. When you hook that badboy, clip the bouy onto your anchorline and release it from your trolly or cam. Retrieve your anchor after the celebration.--Tim
> 
> View attachment 58583


Now this is an idea I like, thanks for the suggestion!


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## toobnoob (Jun 1, 2010)

This is one of the things I like about having a rudder. You can turn the yak sideways to put more pressure on the fish and steer it away form cover.


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## Big Chief201 (Aug 13, 2010)

I had a catfish pull me into a tree yesterday with lots of spiders, I HATE SPIDERS anchors away boys just have a way to detach it if something bads on the horizon.


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## RebelWithACause122 (Mar 29, 2011)

I'm with toobnoob, the rudder comes in handy when being pulled around by a fish. Sometimes when I'm trolling for crappie, using 8lb test line, I'll get a decent size catfish on the line. With 8lb line, I don't need to turn the boat sideways to put more pressure on the fish... I use the rudder to control the boat enough that my other line (which is still in the water) doesn't end up wrapped around my boat, rod holders, gear, and myself! Without a rudder, you can actually use the tension in the line to steer the yak a little by changing the rod position. However, I can understand the desire to stay anchored while fighting a fish, but if it's a big enough fish and you're using heave enough gear... there's a chance an anchor could end up capsizing you.


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## Bubbagon (Mar 8, 2010)

TheCream said:


> Any rationale for why that is? I'm just curious.
> 
> I'm thinking, first and foremost, with a fly rod I need to get a solid hookset into a very bony mouth. With the kayak giving immediately I might not get that unless I'm anchored. Secondly, I have almost 300 yards of backing. I don't intend to use it all, but I have some cusion in terms of line capacity which affords me some decision time as far as staying anchored or not. Third, and most importantly, is if a shark takes me for a sleigh ride towards the breakers and I get rolled over, I'm in a really bad situation!


I'd think the stationary kayak would get pulled under from the pressure of the shark. If nothing else I think you're gonna get flipped if anchored solidly.
I don't know what to think about the hookset. I've used spinning gear and circle hooks for sharks in the past. I have absolutely no clue how you'd set a hook in that kind of mouth with such a whippy rod.
And we were in The Keys on the flats, so there were no roller issues either.

Good luck, man!! I hope you get into 'em! Sounds like SOMEthing interesting will happen!


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## Bassbme (Mar 11, 2012)

streamstalker said:


> Quint: [Kayak] goes in the water, you go in the water. Shark's in the water. Our shark.
> [sings] Farewell and adieu to you, fair Spanish ladies. Farewell and adieu, you ladies of Spain. For we've received orders for to sail back to Boston. And so nevermore shall we see you again.


LOL Que the sinister, pending shark attack music........


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

Bubbagon said:


> I'd think the stationary kayak would get pulled under from the pressure of the shark. If nothing else I think you're gonna get flipped if anchored solidly.
> I don't know what to think about the hookset. I've used spinning gear and circle hooks for sharks in the past. I have absolutely no clue how you'd set a hook in that kind of mouth with such a whippy rod.
> And we were in The Keys on the flats, so there were no roller issues either.
> 
> Good luck, man!! I hope you get into 'em! Sounds like SOMEthing interesting will happen!


The hookset is actually one of my biggest concerns, but don't let the fact that it's a fly rod fool you into thinking it's a buggy whip.  The lightest rod I will be using would be a 9' 9wt that has some serious backbone, and I am considering (strongly) purchasing a 10wt rod before going that is just under 8' long, which would be a pretty stout stick in the fly fishing world. The hooks I have been tying on are muskie and tarpon hooks, and I am sharpening them well with a diamond file and mashing the barbs to help them penetrate. I have actually considered tying a few big streamers on large circle hooks and letting the fish set it for me. I'm not gunning for 100lb sharks here, don't get that assumption. Not to say it can't happen, but the majority of the sharks I have seen in the area are in the 2-4' range, which I have no doubts I can handle. I watched a guy last fall land a 3.5' blacktip from the beach right outside our house on what I would call standard surf gear. Stationary on the beach, he had no issues landing that shark and the initial run was not that crazy.


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## Bubbagon (Mar 8, 2010)

Can you use a circle hook on fly gear? It might help with the intitial set, and then you could give him a good eye crossing while you're fighting when you know you're leveraging from the proper angle.

Any shark on a barbless hook, on a fly rod, in a kayak would be a trophy in my book.
I hope you get into 'em, man. Good luck and kudos!


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

Bubbagon said:


> Can you use a circle hook on fly gear? It might help with the intitial set, and then you could give him a good eye crossing while you're fighting when you know you're leveraging from the proper angle.
> 
> Any shark on a barbless hook, on a fly rod, in a kayak would be a trophy in my book.
> I hope you get into 'em, man. Good luck and kudos!


It's not something I do, but I have seen flies tied by other folks for saltwater fishing using circle hooks. If they work propery, it would all but guarantee a hook in the corner of the mouth which would make it easier to pop free and reduce the chances the shark's teeth would contact something other than the wire leader. I would be filming, of course, so any hookups and success/failure will be caught on film and shared...as long as I live through it.  I have no instentions of dragging one onto my kayak, no way no how. I will absolutely be using a de-hooking device that is about 3' long, I can slide it down the leder to the fly and pop it out, in theory.

Here's a tarpon fly pic I found online, tied on a circle hook:


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