THE BIG MOVE

Getting yourself from the covering board to the chair 

- CAPT. JOE BYRUM

Those who've been around the game for a while will tell you that the bite is what gets them fired up. And while we all love a good crash bite, it's what happens next that's crucial. The first step is keeping your cool, even though that potential money-winning fish just destroyed your flat line. Each crewmember should know their role, and success is achieved between the point of getting bit and landing the fish. But before you even get to the chair, there is a critical span of time where a lot of money has been lost over the years. Thinking about-and breaking down-this process well before the shotgun start can ensure that your cockpit runs like a well-oiled machine.

While having a boatful of experienced anglers is more common now than ever, many of us don't have that luxury. And even if you've been doing the dance for decades, it never hurts to reevaluate the process. Like anything in fishing, what we discuss here certainly isn't the only way to do things, but it is meant to point out the details when it comes to battling a big fish from the fighting chair.

Whenever we'd have inexperienced anglers on Benchmark who might be slow to pick up our techniques, I'd hear Chip Van Mols' words echo in my head: "There are no bad anglers, only bad teachers." The bottom line: It's up to you to make sure your anglers are up to the task at hand. The more time you have to practice, the better; whether it's multiple pre-fishing days before a tournament or just sitting at the dock, everyone needs to be comfortable in their role. In the same way professional football teams run plays until it becomes second nature, fishermen also need to practice, because when the moments of panic ensue after the hours of boredom, anglers should not be thinking-they should be reacting.

PLAN OF ATTACK