Coming tight, not there, what do you do?

[Swami]

So you've done everything right up till now--you are on the bite, rod perpendicular to the boat, see/feel the bite, sweep back low in perfect freespool, line starts to peel off fast, bring the drag up sloooowwwly, and....nothing.

Now what do you do?

This part is where I think we can all learn something--how to make sure to get that follow-up bite. You got a nibble but your bait is still swimming/skipping.

Me--certainly no expert but I go rod-up, thumb on the spool but still in freespool, swim the bait and I usually get another bite. Then drop the tip and start all over. This usually works pretty good unless I've been san cocho'ed on the first one.

But don't try to drop back too far. By now, you've got so much string out that you're better off reeling your bait back into the spread than trying to drop again. If you're pitching to a teaser fish, don't let your bait get past the long riggers, rarely ever. Swim your bait back to the boat and always be ready for that tap-tap-tap that says put the reel in freespool.

Anyone else? What do you do when you feed a billed one and slide it up but no one's home?

Sam

[snowranger]

I am certainly no expert but I was taught that if you freespool and lock it up and it does not come tight, immediately freespool again, count to 8 or so and push it up agin, if nothing, freespool again. I caught one of my first whites on the third drop back having never seen the fish after the bait was popped out of the rigger clip. Sure was a nice surprise when the third time I rushed up the drag, whitey was on the other und. The rest of the crew should be on the other rods, pointed up or at the rigger clips, or on the flat lines (after poping them out of the clips by hand) with the rod pointed away from the bait. The idea is you get a head start on the freespool by dropping the tip while letting your thumb off the reel. I am sure others will chime in though...

[C-Duck]

Sam and Eric:

Here's how I see it...

Drop the bait that was attacked back for a few seconds. Definately DO NOT ALLOW it out past the next bait in your spread however, and certainly not out of your spread (ie do not drop back a long rigger or shotgun bait for more than a second or two). (If you drop a bait back too long and out of your spread, that fish will end up away from all your good stuff.) On the short drop back if nothing developes, start cranking, and fast, like "hey, I was stunned, but now I am ok, and I'm getting the hell outta here"...Everyone else on the boat should have a rod in their hand just as Eric said, either aimed at the riggers or out to the side or above their head. We really learned this in Venezuela, and it is the deal...

Now...let's say you hooked whitey on that first shot...hopefully you have turned the boat into the bite, and now you should dump one or two rods (preferably flat lines) for a few seconds while you clear the dredges, teasers and other longs....then you will have a shot at a multiple...

I'm no expert by any stretch, but this is what we do, and it seems to work...