The Most Exciting Moment in Billfishing

Veteran billfish fly angler Nick Smith examines something near and dear to every big game angler’s heart.  There is a moment that erases all the hours of fishless wake spent trolling on slow days… that justifies the thousands of dollars spent on diesel fuel in pursuit of billfish… that keeps a fisherman awake at night, even after 12 hours fishing offshore.  It is the bite.  The emergence of a great dark shadow from the abyss that inhales a teaser before slashing toward and consuming the pitch bait. The preoccupation with wanting to watch this happen is universal among those bitten by the urge to fish.

Nick Smith has seen more than his share of bite sequences.  Who better to relate the tale?

Here is an excerpt from the article to come…

As I was thinking about this piece, trying to develop a theme, it occurred to me that this billfishing-with-lures thing we do is a lot like what I’ve done most of my life in the automobile business.  It’s about attracting customers and eventually closing the deal.  The oldest marketing adage in the book is AIDA.  It was coined by some marketing genius way back in the late 1800s.  It stands for:  Attention, Interest, Desire, Action.

Isn’t that exactly what we’re trying to do with our spread of teasers or lures?  These hunks of plastic and rubber have to accomplish AIDA and do it consistently for us to have success with the billfish that we pursue so fervently.

The most important thing the lure must do, and before anything else can happen, is get the ATTENTION of the fish.  Next, there’s got to be enough INTEREST aroused to stimulate the chase.  Then the DESIRE to eat (I know, this might be a stretch).  It all happens so fast, but if it’s to culminate in the desired ACTION – the BITE – that lure needs to have all the right attributes to close the deal.  Sounds simple doesn’t it.  But think about it.  The attention part should be relatively easy.  Lots of splash and noise, right?  But then what?  Now the fish is eyeball to eyeball with a lure.  If it doesn’t look and act just right then that fish is outta here.  That lure has to be good enough to eat!

For the article in its entirety, you’ll have to pick up the June issue of InTheBite.