COD FISHING: A LIGHT LINE CHALLENGE

When fishermen think of cod fishing, some anglers immediately bring to mind thoughts of scotchmen’s rigs, tandem cod rigs, sea clams, clam necks and sea worms. Other anglers think of traveling to the offshore fishing grounds on party boats or private vessels. They also think of bouncing 17 ½ to 24-ounce jigs off the bottom.

Equipment requirements are varied but most fishermen look for a stout rod that can handle plenty of weight and a reel that is capable of holding two to three hundred yards of fifty pound test line. If there were such a thing as standard, this would probably be as close to that "standard" as you could come. This combination is strong enough to handle the heavy jigs used for deep jigging as well as any big fish that you hook into.

Even though this combination is accepted among cod fishermen, there is an alternative. The alternative is a light combination that requires much lighter rod and reel combinations and lighter jigs. The combination that is right for you can be determined by how light the gear you are comfortable with. For some fishermen the rod and reel system might be as light as two pound, while others will find that combinations that handle eight to ten pound are right for them.

There are distinct advantages to using light gear when fishing, but there are things that you must realize and understand before you make the decision to "lighten up". The first and most important thing that you must realize is that you will not be able to "horse" the fish in. Depending on the lightness of the line you choose, you may not be able to set the hook. No matter how light you go, setting the hook so that you "cross the eyes of the fish" will have to be eliminated. Hooks must be maintained so that they are always as sharp as possible. This necessitates sharpening before each use as well as right out of the package. Drag systems must be smooth. When fishing with light line you will want to tip the scales in your favor as much as possible.

Another thing that you must understand is how your drag system works. It is not something that you tighten until no line is able to pay out. The fish must be able to take line when he runs, otherwise your line will break and it could cost you a trophy fish. When you understand how you drag system works, you will e better able to control your fish.

Once pressure is applied to the line and the fish starts to run, the drag starts to release line that allows the fish to run and not break the line. With light line the fish will make a fast run and enough pressure can not be applied to slow the stop the fish. As the fish runs, the spool spins, oftentimes at an incredible speed. As the spool spins, the drag washers are doing their job of applying some pressure to the spinning spool. Heat is created by the spinning spool thus causing the drag washers to expand. Ass the drag washers expand, additional pressure is applied to the spool and the amount of drag that is applied is increased. If the drag is not backed off, the additional pressure will almost always cause line failure.

Therefor, drag setting becomes critical for light line fishermen. Drags should be set at no more than twenty percent of line strength. Some fishermen will set their drags at higher settings but I have found that twenty percent works well. Line strength of eight to ten pounds requires a drag setting of about one and a half to two pounds. Use a scale to set your drag. Run the line through the guides and then attach it to the scale before you get a reading.

The choice of jigs with light line fishing is relatively simple. You will be looking for a jig that will not create a lot of drag in the water. We want the jig to drop to the bottom in as straight a line as possible. The jigs that I have found to be acceptable choices are the Hopkins jigs, the Kastmaster Jig, the Bridgeport Eel jig and the Deadly Dicks. There are other jigs that will work but these are the ones that worked well for me. Other lures will work very well depending on the size of the line that you finally chose. Lead heads rigged with soft plastic baits such as tubes, grubs and worms. The size of the jigs and baits will finally be determined by the size of the line you are using.

Another thing that should be kept in mind is the speed at which you work your jig. Monofiliment line has a built in stretch factor that can be used in your favor. Mono line works like an elastic when jigging. It stretches out then "shoots" back to its original position. By using a slow jigging technique the sharp return is transformed into a much more acceptable motion. This not only eliminates the possibility of "spooking" fish by sharp and unexpected movement by actually makes it easier for the fish to strike the "injured baitfish".

As crazy as it sounds, ideally you would like to hook up with a rogue fish. Any time you get into school of fish the possibility of a "break-off" increases dramatically. This will generally happen when a fish in the school "bumps" the line that is already stretched out as tight as a guitar string. This bump into the line is usually enough to cause a "break-off". Watch your depth finder to see if you are dealing with a school of fish or a limited number of individuals.

Once you have hooked into your fish, the fight begins. There will be no horsing in the fish, no quick hook sets and the exercise of patience becomes mandatory. Attention must be paid to details in order for you to come out on top. The first rule is to keep a tight line but always allow the fish to take line. As long as the fish can take line, the line won’t break.

When fighting a fish, the retrieve must consist of a pumping action. Pull up on the rod and reel on the down-stroke. Don’t try to retrieve line by cranking when the fish is running or there is no pumping action. The only thing this does is manage to create an incredible amount of line twist. With patience, you will meet the challenge of beating a fish on light line.

Once you have mastered the basics of light line fishing you will want to try other species of fish. How about a striper or a bluefish.