Mention light tackle to some anglers and they will frown, while others will start salivating, writes Adam Clancey.

The reason for this is two-fold. For those who frowned, light tackle fishing is considered trick fishing; but those who salivated understand the benefits of gear that is scaled down, knowing it can add a new dimension to their fishing trips. So what is light tackle? The lines for light tackle fishing have become blurred with the advent of superior quality fine diameter braid lines, high-tech rods and small reels that are engineered to take the stresses even really large fish can exert. Catching a 10kg snapper or 15kg plus kingfish on noodle-thin rods and reels that look most suited to trout fishing would be classified as stunt fishing in the past, but in this day and age, it is common practice. Using light tackle these days generally means scaling your gear down in such a way that it adds advantages as far as bite detection and stealth that gives you a greater opportunity to get a hook in a fish.

When it comes to fishing for records, the rules have changed as well. In the past, if you were targeting a fish with a particular line weight, all the line on your reel had to be of a tested breaking strain. The International Game Fishing Association were struggling with the increase in anglers using braided line, which is chosen more on diameter than breaking strain and does not have uniform breaking strains like IGFA-tested mono.

To allow for the use of braid as backing, the IGFA modified their rules so that you only need a minimum of five metres of the line you want to use for the catch to be considered for a record. Under these new rules, you can use thin braid line with a high breaking strain and fit a huge capacity on your reel, and top-shot with your tested monofilament. Obviously, the mono is still going to be the weakest line, but there are still many advantages to this approach, such as greater line capacity and the ability to change from one line weight to another by merely changing five or so metres of IGFA-tested line. Of course, unless you are chasing records, this does not really matter – the main purpose of light-tackle fishing is to catch fish.

Adam Clancy with a 12.4 kg kingfish on 3kg line caught during New Zealand Sport-fishing Nationals, winning the Champion Yellowtail Angler section.

There are pros and cons to fishing with light gear. Some say it prolongs the fight unnecessarily and builds up lactic acid in the fish, lowering its chance of survival if released. Countering this, light tackle, if set up and used properly, can land fish pretty quickly and does a lot less damage to the fish than heavy tackle, which can damage jaws and burn fish out quickly. In my mind, there is a balance that needs to be met by keeping light tackle sensible. I have caught 15kg-plus kingfish on 4kg test line in under 15 minutes, and the fish came to the boat in good condition and was easy to release. However, I have seen anglers play similar-sized fish on standard tackle for a lot longer putting more pressure on the fish because their gear was not set up properly and their technique was poor.

There are some species that lend themselves to light tackle fishing and others that require gear with a bit more grunt. You can scale the tackle depending on the species you are hunting. The smaller tunas (like skipjack and albacore) and mahimahi are brilliant light-tackle fish in blue water and inshore, kahawai, trevally, snapper and gurnard are all great light tackle-species because even a big specimen will not take too long to land. Surfcasting anglers who know their fish like, most of the time, to cast longer, and to prevent their line getting dragged easily by a rip. Six-kilo seems to be the favoured breaking strain in the surf and these guys regularly catch big snapper and trevally, as well as their share of sharks and rays, that they can beach in pretty short order. My favourite light tackle fish would have to be the trevally. At times, you really need to scale your gear down to get these suspicious fish to take a bait, and, once hooked, they fight hard and know all the tricks to try and get free.

Catching kahawai on light tackle is a great thrill.

Certain locations lend themselves to light tackle fishing. Areas that are pretty flat and do not have too much structure are ideal. Shallow water is a lot easier to play fish in – in deep water, fish are quite often straight down which can be hard on angler and gear. In shallow water you can get better angles on your fish, making them easier to fight. Try and avoid high-current spots because the fish can get side-on in the current and add unwanted pressure when you are playing them. A good spot to look for is a shallow harbour where you are fishing into a channel or over shellfish beds.

Key techniques for successful light tackle fishing start with the rod and reel. They must be well balanced and in top order. Rods should have a forgiving action to absorb sudden runs or head shakes. What is needed is a soft tipped, medium- to soft-actioned rod that still has good lifting power in the lower third. The guides also need to be good quality. Try and choose a rod guides with either silicon carbide or silicon nitride ceramic inserts – these materials are the smoothest and dissipate heat the best. Reels need to have a smooth action and a really good drag that can bet set accurately. This is vital as you need to work your tackle as hard as possible. Use premium quality trace when setting up your rigs. Fluorocarbon is ideal as it offers good abrasion resistance and low visibility, allowing you to scale down the weight of your leader as well. All hooks need to be razor sharp. Pick a model that is easily set, like an octopus circle or recurve, in a fine wire gauge for easy penetration. If you are using a top shot of quality mono over braid, use a reliable joining knot. Back to back uni knots work well if you double the braid, and you can also tie an FG knot using light tackle – just make sure the knot forms properly.

Light-tackle reels need to operate smoothly and have a great drag system. 

Fishing light tackle is very exciting. After you set the hook and feel the weight of a good fish, keep your rod up at an angle between 9-11 o’clock if you can. Let the rod absorb any head shakes and release the pressure if your fish jumps. If the fish is not running, you should take every opportunity to get line back. Sometimes your drag will slip just by lifting the fish. This is okay but try and use short pumps and winds to get line on the reel. A common mistake is lifting the rod too high when pumping, then releasing the pressure from the line on the down-stroke. The other key time is when the fish gets close to being landed. Don’t rush this part of the fight – just make sure you get the net or gaff shot right.

Light tackle fishing is heaps of fun and very effective. The finesse of light tackle fishing is appealing to anglers who don’t want to be dragged around the boat using heavy tackle. It can also turn a day where you’re only catching a few fish into the best fishing you’ve ever had!