It's July, and things really slow down this time of year, so I just took the week off. Instead of a fishing report this week, I though I'd talk a little more about some of the techniques and tricks I teach my clients, that once learned and practiced until they become habit, will greatly increase your success at moving big fish away from dangerous cover with light tackle, and get you more fish to the boat.

When you're fishing snook around the mangroves of the backcountry, or the fallen Australian Pines or rocks of the beach with light tackle, the bigger the snook is, the more likely you are to lose him in the first few seconds of the battle if you don't become proficient in turning those snook away from their cover.

Probably the first step toward catching more snook is to change your attitude. What do I mean by that? Well, I've observed that many people think there's nothing to pulling those snook, especially the smaller ones, off those trees. But after losing a few, they're frustrated. They've not taken Mr. Snook seriously, and that's a big mistake. So change your attitude a little bit, and treat every hookup as if it were a big snook. Then employ the tricks I'm about to teach you. If you don't treat every hit as if it were a big fish, and engage the proper techniques immediately, you will play hell ever dragging a really big snook out of her lair. Oh, you might get your share of the smaller ones, but you'll never turn the big ones around unless you act quickly, know precisely what to do, and then do it instinctively. I tell my clients they've got 3 or 4 seconds in which they win or lose the battle at the treeline, and it's true. If you haven't taken control of the fish and got her coming to you in that time, it probably ain't going to happen, baby.

Consider this. One of the things you have on your side in those first few precious seconds, is surprise! Yes, as in "boo, gotcha!" When you feel that characteristic first tap you should be on alert. She's just told you she's there, and she just inhaled your bait. She's about to take off with it, but at this point, she has no idea there's about to be a really big problem.

As your line comes tight try this. With the index finger of your left hand, lock the spool of your reel from turning by touching the skirt on the lower left side of the reel with your extended index finger. Then, if you're in a boat that will allow you to do it, literally run to the back of the boat with the rod tip down at the water, and the spool locked. Be ready to give some line either with your arms or by letting the spool slip on the drag, if the fish bolts, but in those first few seconds, she's likely to come right with you because you've gotten the element of surprise. You've got her the length of your boat away from her cover before she realizes she just ate a really mean bait, and all hell breaks lose. And she's also much less likely to be able to get headed back in the direction of her cover because you've already got her head turned to you. If she jumps with that much pressure on her, she'll likely fly quite a ways in your direction.

If your not in a boat that will allow you to use this technique, you can still do almost as well, but you have to practice and get proficient, and move quickly. You're still going to lock the spool with your left index finger, but from there you will do a quick series of pumps and reels, locking the spool on each pump. Again, you have to be ready to give some line if she bolts, but with practice you can have most snook well away from their hidy-holes before they know what hit them. Once you learn to win this first battle of the war, you are going to win most of the wars. Yes, if it turns out to be a lesser snook, it's overkill. But remember, you don't know at the instant of the hit whether its a dink or the snook of a lifetime. If it turns out to be the snook of a lifetime, and you're not ready to win that first battle, you will lose most of the big snook that eat your baits.

If you will practice this technique until it becomes automatic, I can promise you two things. First, you'll definitely sacrifice a few fish while you're learning how. Second, you will definitely boat a lot more snook, or whatever it is you fish for around heavy cover. What we're doing with this technique is using the trememdous line stretching ability of monofilament line. Have you ever notice that if you jolt the line with a sharp jerk of your rod as you try to remove a hook from the mangroves, the line usually breaks? It's pretty easy to break light line if you shock it. But, have you also observed how damned strong that same line is if you simply point the rod at the bait, lock the spool with your left hand, and walk slowly to the back of the boat? The line will not usually break until you're nearly out of boat. It's this trememdous stretch, and taking great care to avoid shocking the line, that we use in this technique. Of course, it goes without saying, make sure you're line is fresh and in tip top condition. With practice, you'll learn to sense the breaking point of the line, and not cross it.

Other guide members of our Lee Country Professional Guides Association, snook fishing remains hot on the beaches, and in and around the passes. Redfish are still slow, although there have been some nice catches. Tarpon are definitely on the decline. Trout, the big surprise, have been plentiful.

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