Tight lining??

[Barnacle Bill]

I normally spider rig with slip bobbers but want to try some tight lining. I know how I want to rig the poles and all that but here is my question. You are fishing in 10' of water that has grass coming up 5". The poles are 12' long and you have your lines set so the baits are just above the grass. Then BOOM, you have a new world record fish on. You can't just lift it out of the water because the fish would be way up in the air if you got it that far. Obviously you have to keep it in the water so you can net it and to do that you have to let more line out. If you trip the bail you chance letting slack in the line and loosing it. So how do you let more line out? Keep the drag loose enough to gradually pull some out? Or is there a better way?

[drill instructor]

Oh what a great question. Here is what i do. When fishing shallow i usually set my drag very light so that the fish can take the line out more. Then i let him run a little while before setting the hook, you might have to hold the line also to get a good hook set. I was fishing like this early spring last year in about 3ft of water and the slabs would run away from the boat very fast, although this was fun to watch i did miss a lot of good fish.

[Slab Hunter]

IBNFSHN,
There may be some confusion about tight lining. I know I get mixed up about the same issues you just mentioned.

It would seam to me that you have the best method for 5 foot of water. If your talking slow trolling, it's most affective for me in depths 10 feet and deeper, up to about 35 feet.

I think my view of tight lining is going from brush top to top, with one or two poles that have line pulled out about 10 foot of a 12 foot pole.

I see what you are saying.......

Randy

[skiptomylu]

I have to agree with Slab Hunter as most all of my shallow water fishing (under 12' is slow trolling and my line is following behind the boat.

Fishing over brush piles is when I tight line and that is usually over 20' of water up to 35' deep and usually fishing anywhere from 10' down to 20' down. Some times you can end up in 30' or deeper and fish as far down as 25'. In the winter here in the chicken coop they are fishing down something like 40'.

Actually also I don't use a long pole that much when night stalking, I use more like a 6' to 7' pole. I do like using the longer poles trolling because It keeps the line farther from the back of the boat and the motor.

[Wiskers]

I use the tiny bait casting reels that you can get at bass pro shop for about $9 bucks on all my spider rig rods. When I'm spider rigg'n in shall water I fish with my antireverse engaged. I have the drag adjusted snug & when I hook a fish I just disengage my antireverse, hold my thumb on the spool, lift up on the rod & let some line off to the point that I can dip the fish.

[1weezer]

I fish a lot of very shallow water in the spring. 1 to 3 feet deep. I have the drag set loose enough that a 10 inch fish can rip line off the reel. Let the fish run enough line off the reel so you will be able to work with it. This is a lot of fun, but you will loose a lot of fish this way because when the fish hit, they run side ways very hard to try to get away.

[PanMan_VA]

I use the anti-reverse to let more line out.

[Barnacle Bill]

I didn't even think about the anti-reverse. Good thing I asked.

[Billy2]

Bill,.......You are right, you have to keep the fish in the
water. This is how I do It and others that I have seen
tightlining. Gradually raise your pole upward, as you do this
start pulling line off your reel, this way you can keep the
line taut, keep doing this until you have the fish in close enough
to net. There may be other ways just as good.

[willsjwills]

Bill,.......You are right, you have to keep the fish in the
water. This is how I do It and others that I have seen
tightlining. Gradually raise your pole upward, as you do this
start pulling line off your reel, this way you can keep the
line taut, keep doing this until you have the fish in close enough
to net. There may be other ways just as good.

that's how i do it using small bait casting reels. i just strip line off my reel as i lift the rod. the drag is set tight enough to set the hook, but i feed the fish line with my hand. lol