Definition of sporting?

[Charlie Gonzales]

Of course this is all opinion, but what is more sporting....

Fishing the lightest gear possible, so you get the most pleasure, or...

Fishing a bit heavier so the fish is brought in as quickly as possible as to not stress them and release them quickly?

I will always go heavier.

[Scott V]

I always go heavier, the quicker I get the fish in the sooner I can catch another. Plus I do not like to fight fish for a long time, it works them too hard. Heck I use 8 pound fluorocarbon tippet at Fuller when fishing for little 11" browns.

[Rick J]

this is kind of relative - if you know what you are doing, you can apply a great deal of pressure on relatively light tackle. I normally consider that the rod is not the limiting factor but your terminal tackle (ie tippet). So I use a 2 wt not a 4 or a 5 wt on spring creeks and feel I can land the fish every bit as quickly as someone using a heavier outfit.

[Hairstacker]

I try to gear up to have a balance between the strength of the rod and the venue and size of fish expected. I don't try to go particularly light for its own sake. Thus my 2 wt. rod is reserved for smaller creek bass and panfish for the most part and I don't go after Delta bass with less than a 7 wt. for example. For me, being "sporting" is finding that right balance so the fight is enjoyable but the fish is brought in quickly.

[Icastnblast]

Tred Barta isn't gonna chime in here is he? I saw an episonde where he went to Montana chasing big bows in a decent current on what I think was a 2wt and 5 or 6x tippet. I thought that is pushing it. for one the wind was howling and he could barely cast, 2nd when he would hook into one that fish would run him well into his backing. they didn't really say how long it took to land the fish but the guides, as usual, thought he was nuts for using such light gear. It was an episode after he was unfortunately confined to a wheel chair so cudos to him for the effort. BUT- I believe that as sportsmen we hold the responsibility to respect and care for the game we chase. I don't like to use light tackle unless I am absolutely sure it won't over stress the fish. For instance I would like to use a 5 or 6wt rod with maybe 3x tippet at Pyramid next year. I belive they can handle it if worked properly, and it would be a blast to have one of the 8-10 pounders bend the heck out a light rod. But you will never see me chasing stripers with a 5 wt. ALL BAD. And you won't catch me with less than a 20 ga in the duck blind.

So I believe that light tackle is ok if you know what you are doin. Ultra light tackle, not so much, I frown upon it.

[mikel]

I normally consider that the rod is not the limiting factor but your terminal tackle (ie tippet).

Hey Charlie...Rick J's observation that tippet strength and not rod weight determines the time to land a fish is accurate in my mind. For instance, I fish a 9.5 ft 5 wt on the Trinity for steelies and can land large fish quickly because I'm willing to put a bend in the darn rod. You can watch a guy with a 7 wt take FOREVER to land the same fish if he refuses to pressure it...and if the guy doesn't know how to side pressure a fish out of the current he runs the risk of breaking off with 8.5 lb superfluoro.

Of course, none of this matters if the angler mishandles the fish and/or takes it out of the water for 3 minutes for photos, etc...

Thanks for getting me on those schoolies last week. :D

-Mike

[Darian]

I'm not sure that sporting is the correct term to use for this discussion. Maybe appropriate would be a better term. I see this subject as loaded for all kind of emotional responses but.... :confused:

Seems to me that this is a matter of what others have said in prior posts. What's appropriate for one angler may not be for another depending on the skill level involved. I know skilled fly fishers who use 8 - 9 weight rods in salt water for anything that swims (including billfish). They have no intention of landing billfish; just want to play with them for a short period and break 'em off. On the other hand, I've watched some skilled fly fishers fight a billfish with a heavy outfit and bring them to the gunwale for release. When the photo is taken, the condition of the fish indicates it won't survive long after release and no amount of resuscitation will change that outcome.... :(

I recall seeing a photo/post on this BB by a member who uses a 0 weight fly rod for surf fly fishing and has landed Striped Bass there. Depending on the skill level of the fisherman, this is entirely appropriate. 8-)

I guess, like beauty, appropriateness is in the eye of the beholder.... :nod:

[Hairstacker]

I guess, like beauty, appropriateness is in the eye of the beholder.... :nod:

I think that's true to a degree but I think it also depends on the venue. If you're fishing on foot, sure, you can point a light rod at a fish and winch him in to the strength of your tippet. But, for example, if you're fishing in a kayak for good-sized fish like stripers that may stay down below the kayak and sulk, you need a rod with decent lifting power. There's no getting around that.

[Darian]

I suppose the other side of that coin would be that you could point the rod at the fish and crank 'im in (like a winch).... :lol: :lol:

[michaeln]

When I used to fish for albacore from my 25 footer, we ran a couple boat lines... tuna cord, rubber snubbers, 5lb balls, 100lb leaders, 8" long plastic streamers with big ol' double barbed hooks. Pull 'em in hand over hand, no rod, no reel.

That was appropriate tackle too.

[EricO]

Interesting thread. I would rather be safe than sorry, so I always
go up a line weight. I use a 5 wt for half pounders on the A, but would
prefer a 6wt. I've talked to folks who use a 3 wt on the A. I just
can't see not over stressing a lb'er on a 3wt! Steelies demand more
respect than a 3wt, imho. :)

Heck, in March I fished the Pit with my 4wt Scott E2. I got my butt kicked
so I switched to my 5wt Loomis which was perfect.

I always thought it was taking 2-3 minutes to land trout. However, my
buddy and I did some video on the NF Feather this spring, and even with big fish it
was taking around 1 minute to land them. That shocked me. I guess the adrenalin makes it seem longer!

EO

[Ed Wahl]

Of course this is all opinion, but what is more sporting....

Okay, so you guys aren't going to bite huh?
That's not very sporting.


Main Entry: sport·ing
Pronunciation: \ˈspȯr-tiŋ\
Function: adjective
Date: 1799
1 a : of, relating to, used, or suitable for sport; especially : trained for trapping or retrieving game <sporting dogs> b : marked by or calling for sportsmanship c : involving such risk as a sports contender may expect to take or encounter <a sporting chance>
2 : of or relating to dissipation and especially gambling
3 : tending to mutate freely

—

Going after fish with the lightest possible tackle giving the fish much more of a chance to break off is by definition more sporting than using gear that would enable the fish to live afterward.

Let's now deny our roots folks. I think that at least with the enlightened fly fishers, 'sporting' would be an outdated term.

I know for a fact that 3wts do tend to mutate much more freely than 9wts.

Ed

[gene goss]

IGFA- International Game Fish Association-world fishing records.....at one time in my fishing life i was trying to break the 8lb tippet class for stripers.....i was using 6lb tippet, and a 8wt rod.....i never did break the record....22 lbs was my best....but...it did teach me how much pressure you can put on 6 lbs tippet....so how does a person new to fishing learn how to fight a fish??????

[wjorg]

I suppose the other side of that coin would be that you could point the rod at the fish and crank 'im in (like a winch).... :lol: :lol:


This is what Ive had to do for the large shad 10 feet or so down in heavy flow. The line being used, heavy as hell to get down.

This is how you guys reel in the big saltwater fish at times right?

[Darian]

Walter,.... Can't speak for others but It sure seems like I'm winchin' in a fish some times.... :lol: When a large fish has sounded and circling down deep you want to fight it off the butt of the rod (not too much bend) or risk breaking it. when you hook a Skipjack and Yellowfin Tuna you usually end up in a slug fest like that. :nod: Land the fish and it's cerveza time.... 8-)

Gene asked how a person new to fishing learn to land fish.... Altho I can't recall for sure, I think my Dad and an Uncle were my mentors in that department. Then fishing a lot in SoCal salt water (surf, rocks and party boats). Later in freshwater. When I started fishing in Baja I had some idea of what I was doing but listened carefully to Jay Murakoshi's advice. There's a lot of info in print about this as well. I'm certainly not at Gene's level but believe that in the end, it all boils down to personal experience. :nod:

[huntindog]

lots of ways to define sporting...i ocasionaly still go out and shoot carp with my bow...even that seems sporting while i am doing it....:D