No Pressure!

With hundreds of thousands of dollars at stake in major billfish tournaments, anglers often find their stress levels elevated. Nevertheless, keeping the words no pressure in mind may increase your chances of collecting one of those big fat checks!

White marlin are cunning adversaries. Occasionally they commit suicide and attack bait after bait in a spread until a hook finally finds it mark. However, more often then not, after making an appearance they leave anglers scratching their heads in disbelief. Here are a few suggestions to help come tight with a white while using rigged bait.

Everyone should keep his or her eyes glued to the spread—observing a billfish before it actually attacks greatly increases the hookup percentage by allowing an angler to have the rod in hand. Once the rod is in hand, place reel in free spool. Keep the bait in position with very light thumb pressure on the spool, and turn the clicker off. If the clicker is left on, its vibration and noise transmits through the line and may cause the fish to drop the bait.

Once the bite is felt or observed, begin free spooling. Too much thumb pressure results in the bait being ripped off the hook or pulled out of the fish’s mouth. The art of free spooling allows fishing line to “fall” from the rod tip, so there’s no pressure—and no dropped bait! If using circle hooks, count to five and slowly advance the drag lever while the rod is pointed at the fish. Once the weight of the fish is felt, slowly raise the rod tip and begin the battle. If using J-hook rigs (often not allowed in tournament fishing), count to five and set the hook hard.

Unfortunately, many times marlin are not observed before striking a bait. Due to this fact, set flatline or outrigger clips so they release with very little pressure and set reels with barely enough drag to prevent backlashing on the strike.

On mystery bites, assume it was a marlin. When a clip pops, free spool and drop back before lifting the rod out of the holder. This move saves a split second, which may be the difference in a pick-up or swim-away. If the fish picks the bait up, set the hook as previously stated. If the bait is not picked up, wind the reel using several short jerks, then raise the rod high over your head. This gets the bait back on the surface. Keep one eye on this bait and with the other, scan all the other baits in the spread. If the fish comes back, remember: feed him the bait with no pressure!

BONUS TIP: Anglers planning to billfish should consider roller release clips. Even if the clip does not release on a bite, the bait can be free spooled through it.