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Jun 04 2012

Rod Tip High on Rocky Bottoms

Rod Tip High
Nice work, Whitey.

Last week at Andros South, Josie Sands gave us a great reminder of a very important tip for fighting bonefish.  We covered this in passing almost three years ago – but last week we lapsed and didn’t do it – and it cost us a fish.  You get to benefit from our suffering!

When you’re hooked up to a bonefish on a flat with a rocky or coral bottom, keep your rod tip high.

Bonefish swim fast, and when you’re hooked up to one he’ll often swim side to side.  If your rod tip is low, you’ll have a whole bunch of fly line in the water, getting dragged back and forth by the fish.

If you’re on a rocky bottom, that line moving back and forth through the water has lots of chances to get hung up – and a hung up fly line (or leader) connected to a screaming bonefish is a recipe for a quick, unfortunate end to the battle.

Raising your rod tip will pick a whole bunch of that line up off the water, and you never know – that little bit of extra upward pressure just might keep your line, leader and fish out of the rocky stuff.

Thanks, Josie.

More Bonefishing Tips

  • Bonefishing 101 – Free Download
  • Giant Page of Bonefishing Tips
  • Wading for Bonefish – 5 Tips

Filed Under: Andros South, Tips Tagged With: Bonefish, fighting fish, Josie Sands

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  1. Bonefishing Tips | Gear Reviews | Best Time to Go says:
    June 12, 2012 at 10:22 am

    […] Rocky Bottoms – Keep Your Rod Tip High […]

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