Copper retrieval method

[waterlogged]

:?: :?:

Had my first experience running copper this weekend during the Pro Am. Had good success pre-fishing then had limited success during the tournament.

Here's my question - When reeling in a fish on the copper do you reel down & pump up or does this allow to much slack resulting in a possible lost fish.

Any copper techniques for landing these beasts will be greatly appreciated.

Clarke - Waterlogged

Team Lucky Enuff

[ray koziatek]

IF your fishing the sodus pro/am let me tell ya if ya get a big fish on just tighten the drag till your leader snaps or flip the bail and let out all your line and reel in slowley this should tire the fish and put your line in every rod you got out ...hope this helps

[Yankee Troller]

Clarke.....it was good to see you this weekend. I have to say I am no copper expert, but this year I have been having some great success with my 600' set-up. So much that I recently spooled up a 500' rod, and Tom from ATOMIK is getting me another reel so I can me me another 500' rod. If I am reeling it in to change lures I point and reel. If I am fighting a fish I let him take his first run (which usually tires him out) and then we tighten down the drag and pump and reel. With the Penn 345 reels you can get a lot of line on one pump (not due to the crappy retreive rate). Once you reach the bottom of the pump I have been able to get 4 or 5 turns of the handle in. I think this really picks up that slack you are talking about. A lot of guys in central to western LO wont run this stuff and Im fine with that. On my trip last night my biggest took 500 copper set up. In Orleans my biggest fish took a 600 copper. It flat out produces bites!

[Billy V]

I have that same 600' setup with a Penn 345 (OUTSTANDING gear ratio...NOT), and we do just like YT said. Big pump, than reel like mad as you lower the rod. We're careful not to lower the rod too quickly so we can avoid any backlash later on. We try to keep as much tension on the line as we can. The stuff catches fish though.