Boating – May 2018

100 | BOATINGMAG.COM | MAY 2018

SC

SHORT CASTS

By Ron Ballanti

Do you ever wonder why big

fi sh are often lost right at

the net? Mistakes become

magnifi ed when fi sh are near

the boat. There is very little

line between you and the

fi sh to absorb shock if the fi sh

makes a sudden run. The

hook may have worn a hole,

or the line could be nicked

up after a long fi ght. And

then there’s the buck fever

that comes with having a fi sh

tantalizingly close yet just

out of reach.

Having the proper gear,

practicing your technique

and keeping your cool can

help you improve your end-

game and get more fi sh into

the boat.

SIZE MATTERS Using a

net that is too small is one

of the easiest ways to lose a

big fi sh. Make sure your net

has a wide enough opening

to accommodate the largest

fi sh you expect to catch. The

netting also has to be deep

enough to secure and control

your quarry once you have it

in the net.

BE READY As the fi ght

draws near its end, the net

person should be in position,

net in hand, securing the net-

ting to the handle with one

hand to prevent snagging on

cleats, rod holders and other

equipment. Don’t put the

net into the water during the

fi ght; it can scare the fi sh and

creates another opportunity

for tangling or breaking

the line.

DON’T RUSH IT Trying to

net a fi sh that isn’t ready is

courting disaster — especially

when fi shing single-handed.

Don’t stab at or reach for a

fi sh that is still thrashing

wildly or rapidly changing

directions. Instead, wait until

the fi sh turns on its side and

seems ready to be guided into

the net.

FINISH THE JOB Have the

angler guide the fi sh headfi rst

into the net. If you try to net

a fi sh tail-fi rst, striking the

back of the fi sh can cause it to

accelerate out of the net. Once

the fi sh is fully in the net, the

angler should drop the rod

tip and open the bail or put

the reel in free-spool as the

net man lifts up on the net to

secure the fi sh in the netting.

This VHF FM/

DSC radio and

dual-channel AIS

receiver meets mil-

itary specifi cations

for immersion, vi-

bration, shock, high

and low tempera-

ture, solar radiation,

fl uid contamination

and more. The large

LCD shows both

VHF channels and a

variety of AIS tar-

get data and alerts

for safe navigation.

It delivers all U.S.,

Canadian and inter-

national channels,

Weather Watch and

full-range scan-

ning. The 25-watt

loudhailer with

listen-back and the

eight-mode foghorn

also prove useful.

Learn more at

si-tex.com; $459.

TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER Many anglers enjoy the convenience of fi shing with braided

line and switching between monofilament and fluorocarbon leader, or dropping to a lighter

pound-test, to get finicky fish to bite. They just need to change a few feet of line instead of

respooling or changing spools on the reel.

The downside is having loose spools of line all over your boat, or having to fish out the

one you want from a tangled mess in the bottom of your tackle box. And if the labels get

wet and fall off, good luck telling 8-pound from 10-pound line by sight.

A clear plastic spool box, like those from Plano (planomolding.com), is a great way to

keep your leader spools organized and ready to use. It locks securely and provides access

holes that make it easy to pull out as much leader as you need without opening the box.

I use an office label-maker to show me at a glance the test rating of the leader in each

compartment so I’m always ready to tie one on.

PHOTOS: (COUNTERCLOCKWISE FROM TOP) RON BALLANTI (2), COURTESY SI-TEX MARINE ELECTRONICS

NET

GAINS

SI-TEX

MDA-4