Fishing Guide Tip and Tricks

• Before we begin every trip, make sure that all the rods have a small hook attached

• It better to help them get on a couple of small fish fasts first.

• Keep checking the sharpness of the hooks, after the land a fish and also after they get caught on the bottom.

• Change the hooks frequently for anyone that is not catching as much fish as the rest of the group.

• It makes a world of difference for beginners with such weak hook sets.

• A sharp hook does not even need a good hook set, just a simple lift of the rod should set the hook in.

• A blunt hook needs an exponentially stronger hook-set to achieve the same amount of hook-set force

• Target areas with allows you to do big drift

• If the group is physically weak, and paddling back and forth is not an option. you can anchor them somewhere to fish to wait for the current to slow down first.
  

• Choose isolate spots with distinct structures, like shipwreck, or giant boulders.

• Drop them directly on the spot.

• The ideal current is any where from 0.5 knots to 0.9 knot.

• At this current, the fishes are actively feeding

• This current also allows the guests to cover a larger area in a shorter span of time.

1. Get to the fishing spot

2. Use the reverse to come to a complete stop.

3. Let the kayak drift

4. Look at the GPS to see the track that is drawn out by the boat icon (that will be your combined drift direction)

5. look at the speed at the corner of the screen to know the combined speed of Wind + Current.

   
   

• You should already know what structures look like in shallow waters of 5m to 10m.

• Anything deeper than 10m, you might have to zoom in to get a clearer sense of what is at the bottom

1. toggle to the sonar charts.

2. Zoom in to the bottom on the sonar charts.

3. Now is will look like how it looks like when its 5m to 10m

WHY?
If we do not zoom in in deep waters, the softer structure at the bottom will blend into the hard bottom image. We will miss the spot completely if we did not zoom in.

• When it’s about halfway through the trip, if you have a guest (especially kids) that has yet to catch a fish, you can catch a fish for them, pass them the rod and let them fight the fish.

• try not to make is so obvious that you are the one that caught it, you can pretend to be taking out a snag and pass them back the rod when there’s a fish there.

• We try to start with the stinky shrimp, as that is out most effective bait. It tends to disintegrate in the water which attracting more fish.

• Its also easier for the fish to steal the bait

• If the guests keeps losing the bait, you could suggest changing to the squid as that stays on the hook a lot longer. BUT, the bite are definitely slower on the squid

• When they keep lifting the rod up and down, they will keep spooking the fish.

• Suggest an alternative technique that will minimise the shaky hands and the bait presentation

• Get this guests to rest the sinker at the bottom of the sea bed for a longer duration, like 10 second to 20 seconds. While feeling some tension in the line.

• Lift up only when the tip vibrates violently.

• Sometime, after the guests get an understand of what a bite feels like on a fishing rod, they tend to set the hook too early (before the hook enters the mouth)

• Make sure the fishing briefing addresses this issue

• Another reminder you can give is “when the fish bite, you wait, when the fish pulls, you pull”

• Guest that looks like they are casting a spell when fighting a fish

• This guest also tends to set too hard, lowering the rod and reducing the tension on the line to zero before he begins reeling it in.

• The tension in the line also varies dramatically as he is fighting a fish

• Ask the guest to gently lift the rod up and reel in the fish at a steady rate. (his gently is good enough)

1. Know the direction of the Drift first (Wind+Current)

2. Paddle pass the anchor point (how far away will depend on the drift)

3. Use reverse to come to a complete stop so that the anchor goes straight down. 90 degrees

4. You can hold on to the anchor until it drifts into the anchor spot, you do not have to wait until the anchor sets

5. Ask the guests to approach the anchor slowly, the anchor will set on its own.

NOTE:

• If you sent the anchor down at a 90 degree angle, the anchor line will be in the green position, the guest will be directly on the spot,

• If too much line is given, then the guests will be off the spot. (red line)

• Grab the anchor reel and paddle in the opposite direction of the drift.

• hold on tight and paddle fast

• the moment you feel a pop, pull the anchor line up IMMEDIATELY, you only have 1 chance to do this (the cable tie breaks and flips the anchor around) if the anchor drops back down and gets stuck in the structures again, the chance of getting it out is low.

• Grab the rod and paddle in the direction of the snag

• Start to take in the slack line as you get closer to the snag

• IMPORTANT: start pointing the rod down into the water.

• IMPORTANT: as you paddle pass the snag, the rod should be pointed vertically down.

• IMPORTANT: as you paddle pass the snag, the the rod should start pointing backwards, keep the rod pointing backwards, grab the spool and prevent anymore line from coming out, the snag should pop right out or it would just break.

• attach a new rig back on the line if the rig broke

• When the current is fast, and you still have a decent amount of reef to cover on this drift, you can just snap the line.

• Paddling back over and pass the snag point will put you a good 50-100m from the guests by the time you get the snag out

• Its definitely faster to just Pop the line and put on a new rig and sinker.

• Tell the guest to keep the rod down when fighting a big fish, if not there will be too much tension in the line when the fish starts pulling.

• If it’s in the proper fighting zone, the rod will have room to absorb the tension when the fish is pulling hard on it.