Fishing Briefing

• Before you begin the fishing briefing, set the fish size expectation from the start, so they wont be very disappointed when they only catch small fish.

• Say “we are targeting small to medium sized fishes today”, and show the size with your hands.

• Let them know early that we practice catch and release policy, to keep the reef healthy and the sport sustainable.

• Ask them to give you their fullest attention for the next 7 mins.

• Give them a reason WHY.

• WHY? “Giving me your fullest attention will determine how many fish you get out there, can be many or zero. If your fishing technique is good out on the water, I’m confident you’re gonna get a decent amount. If your technique is not there, the possibility of zero fish is high.”

• Most of ours guest are beginners - never held a fishing rod and never caught a fish before.

Key points

1. Where and how to hold the fishing rod?
   Hold the rod directly above the fishing reel and not the back of the rod or the floating foam
   WHY? Holding the rod above the reel give us the perfect balance (demonstrate by balancing the rod in front of them)
   Holding the rod wrongly (at the end of the rod) would hurt their wrist.

2. How to reel in the fish?
   Reel forward, give them an analogy, (like how a car wheel will spin when going forward)
   WHY? If they reel the wrong way, the handle will loosen and might just fall right into the water, then they wont be able to fish anymore.

3. What is the bail arm and how what we mean when we say ‘open’.
   

• Teach them how to attach the sinker
  WHY? The sinker will help bring the bait down to where the fishes are hanging out
  (show them how to attach the sinker).

• Teach them to hook the bait/shrimp in a way that keeps the bait on the hook for as long as possible (hook through the thickest part of the hook so that most of the hook is hidden).
  WHY? If the fish can’t see the hook, they are more likely to take the bait. Also, if the bait is attached on firmly, the fish would not be able to steal it in one bite, giving you a higher chance of catching the fish.

How to bottom bounce?

1. Bounce and rest on the ground for 5-10 seconds, depending on the terrain and speed of the current. Slower current, longer rest.
   WHY? Resting at the bottom reduces the movement added to the bait. Moving too much will spook the fish.

2. Lift the rod about 15cm to 30cm off the bottom gently, subtle motion so we don’t scare the fish away
   WHY? This keeps the bait in the strike zone even when we are bouncing.

3. IMPORTANT: Demonstrate how to bottom bounce. Bounce the sinker off the ground in front of them, and demonstrate the feedback they would need to feel or see to know that they are doing the right thing.
   - They can feel the sinker hitting the bottom in their fingers (tactile feedback).
   - They can see rod tension changing and bending when bouncing at the bottom (visual feedback).
   

• Before you demo the hookset, remember to take the sinker out first!

• When is the best moment to set the hook? Set the hook when the fish commits to the bait, when the fish is pulling on the line or when you feel a constant nibble.
  Do not set on individual hit, the fish is only testing out the bait.
  IMPORTANT: Demo this by pulling on the line to let them see how the rod looks like during a constant nibble or when the fish is pulling on the line.
  WHY? If they set too earlier (when the fish is only testing out the bait) they rob the fish the chance to get caught on the hook. setting took early is one of the biggest mistakes that we see out on the water

• How to set the hook?
  Lift the rod up and keep it up. Let the rod do work (do not need to set too hard, that will cause the tension to rise and fall too fast). Just do a constant crank to bring in the fish (maintain constant pressure). Do not do the Youtube Pump.
  WHY? We are no fighting monsters here, the Youtube pump will vary the tension in the line, causing the hook to slip right out of the fish’s mouth.

• How to put on the bait safely?
  Open the bail arm and release some line (about rod length worth of line), then safely land the rod down and put on a fresh piece of bait without any tension in the line.
  WHY? If they try to stretch and put on the bait, there will be tension in the line, and if they accidentally let go of the line, the hook may SMASH into their finger.
  This will also prevent them from dipping the reel into the salt water, which will cause the reel to seize up. If they want to have a smooth fishing reel and fishing experience, they should keep the reel nice and dry