FIGHTING BELTS AND HARNESSES

BELTS AND DROP STRAPS

Fighting belts help eliminate strain and provide the angler with support and comfort in every fishing situation. For even great leverage you can add drop straps for the ultimate fish fighting combination

Clarion and Socorro Fighting Belts By Aftco

The AFTCO fighting belts are the ultimate choice with their advanced design, materials and comfort. The super thick, closed-cell EVA foam back pad maximizes both comfort an leverage, so that when the belt is positioned relatively low across the thighs, the load is distributed evenly for maximum pull when fighting big fish stand-up style. Co-molded to the foam back pad is a heavy duty, yet lightweight gold-anodized stamped aluminum front plates. Super durable, it features posts at each side that accept unique Quick Clips, which "snap" the two-piece belt straps (or optional drop straps) in place for quickly getting into or out of the belt. Also featured is a super strong, molded glass filled nylon gimbal pocket that is engineered to quickly guide rod butts into an optimum fish fighting position. The gimbal pocket's stainless steel pin is adjustable for horizontal or vertical orientation. A perfect match for the AFTCO MaxForce ™ harness, and if it falls overboard, it floats.

Aftco Fighting Belt & Harness Drop Straps

Designed specifically for use with AFTCO fighting belts. Used in place of belt straps, optional AFTCO Drop Straps, with "Quick Clips", attach to posts at each side of AFTCO Fighting Belts. Swivel snap-clips at the opposite end of each drop strap then attach to D-rings on any stand-up harness to create the ultimate fish-fighting system. Drop straps adjust from six up to 18 inches to customize the position of AFTCO Fighting Belts on the thigh to maximize leverage.

HARNESSES

When stand-up fishing for big game, a fighting belt or harness is a must. A harness combined with a fighting belts is ideal for stand-up battles with big tuna, marlin and swordfish, as it allows greater pressure to be applied to the fish while distributing strain over a broader portion of the body. While the bucket harness concept allows you to sit back and use your own body weight to move a monster gamefish

Blue-Fin Harness

Braid's Blue-Fin harness provides the ultimate in stand-up back relief, as well as full support when wrestling with extra-heavy equipment in the fighting chair. Blue-Fin features include extra padding, woven nylon shoulder strapping with Velcro® closures and stainless steel "D" rings to accommodate drop straps.

TACKLE BOXES

Flambeau Saltwater Box

Dual lid access to top compartment has a place to hold 2000 series boxes and a removable bait hanger. Includes 1-7004R Double Deep box and 2-6004R boxes. Zerust corrosion proof. 21" x 12.25" x 14.5"

ELECTRIC REELS

Electric reels are designed for fisherman to the full enjoyment of fighting the fish and feeling the pull without the hard work and tiring effort of cranking. The angler still sets the drag depending on the line choice and fishing conditions and has the choice of playing the fish by letting the drag hold on the up stroke and winding in on the down stroke or in allowing the motor to do all the work.

WHEN TO FISH

Spring/Early Morning

Fish aren't biting. The water is cold and doesn't heat up because the sun is low and the rays bounce off the water. But don't go home yet, because winter is over and fish are hungry and spawning. Best to wait until a week or so after thaw, as spring turnover takes time for the water temperature to even out to 39.2 degrees.

Spring/Late Morning-Early Afternoon

Fish are biting off and on. The water begins to warm up because rays begin to penetrate the water. Remember to fish the downwind shoreline, as the winds will push the warmer surface water along with surface food into that area.

Spring/Afternoon-Early Evening

Fish are eating a lot because their metabolism and digestion are cranked. Water is warm because the sun is directly overhead.

Summer/Early Morning-Late Afternoon

Fishing is excellent from before sunup to just before mid-morning. At this time of year there is abundant food and cover for fish, so finding hungry fish can be a challenge.

Summer/Late Morning-Early Afternoon
Fishing is poor for most of the day. Fish move to deep water to cool off.

Summer/Afternoon-Early Evening

Fishing is excellent from early sundown until dark as the waters cool and fish rise up from the depths.

Fall/Early Morning

Fish aren't biting much from sunup to early morning. The water is cool because the sun is too low to penetrate the water.

Fall/Late Morning-Noon

Fish are biting off and on in warmer, shallow water. The water is generally cool due to the season.

Fall/Afternoon-Early Evening

Fishing is excellent. Sun is directly overhead for several hours and the water gets more comfortable near the surface. This makes for seasonally good fishing because fish are putting on weight for the winter. Look for bait schools where bigger fish are more likely to be.

SETTING THE HOOK

Setting the Fly Hook In Running Water
When you're fishing across and downstream, your line will be tight and you will recognize how the current feels against your fly. Set the hook as soon as you feel anything different on the line. But don't go crazy. Just a quick wrist movement should do it., moving both the line and the rod back and up. Straight, quick casting makes this technique work.

Setting the Fly Hook in Still Water
Cast your line, pull in a bit of line with your left hand. Hold the line. It's called twitch retrieving. But don't twitch your rod tip. Continue drawing and holding line until you feel the line tighten. Then keep drawing in line until the rod starts to bend on its own. Then hold tight on the line and raise your rod tip.

Setting the Fly Hook in Salt Water
Similar to still water hook setting but everything is bigger. Draw more line with each twitch and tip the rod hard, with both hands. You're using bigger hooks that don't penetrate as easily. And you're trying to hook a bigger fish.

Setting the Fly Hook in Flats
Fish living in saltwater flats don't act like other saltwater fish. You can't really feel them hit the fly. If you can see the fish, wait until it looks like it's changing direction to run away with his catch. Wait a second or two and then pull in about a foot of line. If you feel the fish, set the hook. And several times if need be.

SWIVELS

This is a small device with two or more eyes (rings) and a central swiveling part. They're used between a lure or leader and your line to prevent line twisting or tangling from a revolving lure or a barrel-rolling fish.

FISH HOOKS

The earliest known evidence of the fish hook dates back to Palestine more than 9,000 years ago. Over the centuries, hooks have been made of wood, animal and human bone, horn, shells, stone, bronze, and iron. Today, hooks are manufactured from either high-carbon steel, steel alloyed with Vanadium or stainless steel.

Single, Double and Treble Hooks

Single hooks have a single eye, shank and point. But the eye, shank, point and bend characteristics can be combined to create hundreds of different hooks for different types of fish and fishing methods. Most sport fish are caught on some sort of single hook, whether it's a hook with bait attached, a hook attached to a lure or hook with a fly.

Double hooks have a single eye merged with two shanks and points. They're formed from a single piece of wire and may or may not have their shanks brazed together for strength. Double hooks are molded into some artificial lures and are a traditional hook for Atlantic salmon flies. Otherwise they're fairly uncommon.

Treble hooks have a single eye merged with three shanks and three evenly spaced points. They're formed by adding a single, eyeless hook to a double hook and brazing all three shanks together. Treble hooks are used on all sorts of artificial lures and for a variety of bait applications.