Advice for beginners on fishing the technic

[Rockwell6]

Just reading through the forum I came across below explanation, which made me realise how beginner I am despite lvl 16. I progress slowly but I enjoy it but I want to improve.

Read it in Levo_RF4 guide for setup suggestions.

 

Also some new players think that when they see on the reel that the max drag is 4.5kg, it means that this reel can only stop the fish that is not bigger (weight of the fish) than a 4.5kg. And ofcourse this is not about the fish weight. It is about the strength-force that fish is putting on the reel, that these players unfortunately mix up.

Also some of the lines and leaders are chosen for the specific water body and fish living in it - for example you do not need 300m line on Kuori Lake and you do not need more than 150m on Bear Lake but also you do not need 20kg line when targeting Chars or Burbots on Kuori Lake. Another example is:  you do not need an Everest II 8000 and Dominator Carp Rod when targeting Breams at Volkhov. What I mean is: once a player gets more experienced, they will know what line, leaders, reels, rods are best for the fish they are targeting. But if they don't have this knowledge yet, is better to be safe than sorry - it is probably cheaper to have line thorn than reel or rod broken.
 

Regards

Levo

 

I am not able to provide my exact gear but as soon as I got my computer back I can give exact details.

 

Spinner rod (2 or 3*) MH 2,7m max 12kg if I remember well, test 5-20

Reel (white colour max drag 6,5kg and I think it's a Pro 3000. (3 or 3,5*)

Line is 100m 4* braided I will check the brand.

with steel 7,7kg leader I think 25cm.

I chasing pikes. The biggest one was ~3.1kg and here comes my problem.

I don't want to hook a 12kg pikes on as I am sure it would lead to run out of line / broken reel.

My question is how I can get a 6kg fish with this setup? 

What I am doing wrong?

It only happened with a weaker feeder rod (max 3kg same as reel) but I feel if I got a 6kg pike on this rod it would be the same as below:

 

I got a fish hooked on. Then I try to keep the friction brake under 20 but I increase it until The line tension is displayed (even if it is red) & make sure that is no more than 29 (28 was the highest at that time). I think the fish wasn't a big one but I don't know.

My 100m line was not long enough. I didn't want to break rod and/or reel so I let the fish get out to the open water. I tried keep the rod upwards and reel back as much as I can but the fish was stronger and just pulled out and kept going. I run out of line, which was torn. Saved my reel and rod though. I am unsure if I have had a 300m line and the fish gets out to the open water then I could have hung around for 1-2 hours (in game hrs) and reeled it in when the fish is exhausted. Usually my experience is if I fight too long with a fish it will hook off and get away (as it happened before).

 

So my question is how many kg pike I should be able to fish for with the above spinning setup?

I think experienced Angeles would have no problem to get a 5-6kg pike with that rod/reel but I am afraid of braking my reel. Therefore trying not to get too big pikes by using bigger lures and hooks.

(I was fishing in Old Burg and planning to improve here first before moving to Belaya) Should I use 300 m lines and let the fish swim around for few in game hrs?

 

Is there any other technic what I can use to to keep the line tight but avoid the fish to get away?

 

Finally, in regards with fishing technic, doesn't it matter what type of rod I am using? I mean if I have a 14kg feeder +7,5 kg reel max drag setup and try to get a 7 kg fish or 12kg spinner rod with 6,5kg max drag reel and try to land a 6kg fish??

 

Any advice much appreciated!

[Crucian]

Hello Rockwell,

 

There isn't a way that we could analyze a setup and determine how heavy a fish you could get on it.  Also, sometimes there will be fish that you just won't be able to stop.  In such a situation there are options such as a line cut, or opening the bail to let the fish get off if you think you can't stop it.  If you do that keep an eye on the amount of line left on the spool.  It is definitely possible to get large fish on light setups.  It just takes practice and experience.  One way to learn fishing techniques is to watch others fishing, such as streamers on Twitch or Youtube.  I also wouldn't recommend running your gear in the red as that increases the amount of damage your gear takes.

[OwiHH]

Im lvl 24 and i think most players are agree that the grind from 15-22 is a hard one. You dont make much silver because you have low equiment to land big fish but also cant make enought to grind fast and buy new reels or rods that are expensive above 800-2000 silver. Luckly i started my fishermen with a crosssetup telescope, bolognese and spinning. Since spinning reels are the same for bolognese or matchrods i find that comforteable. I mostly hang up mosqito until i was level 20-21 and saved silver for a 16kg rod with 14 kg reel. My second spinnig rod is a 16kg rod with the old 10kg reel that works fine for fish up to 10-12kg but like you mentioned it will be a long fight on the limits of the reel/rod. If you want to catch a fish limits your equiment you need long time to get it exhaust and yes you need 300m line .. 300m aint much even on a lake like windriver. Kuori from 1 side to the other it is what 1km? 1.5km ? not sure. Get a decent Hook will gives you a higher chance the fish not hooks off on longer fights and try to not have the line to loose for a longer time - like when you try to follow the fish. All i can say is keep grinding and you will make progress and land that 6kg PIKE gl

[Rockwell6]

Progression:

Today I landed 2 pikes both almost 5kg (4,84 & 4,98).

OMG both were big fights on the limit!!

Firstly I was lucky as the fish didn't pulled away to open waters but  secondly I run out of line but the fish got tired in the last moment and I managed to landed it (I got the warning sign that I am at the end of my line and it will break) but managed to pull back.

As advised in game, i used hunter spoon for the pike and it increased the size.

This leads to the other question, which initially meant to be asked but I straggled to phrase it the way I wanted.

Why I managed to get a bigger fish on feeder rod than the spinning rod (comparing the rods max weight and the reels max drag)?

 

Spinning fish (setup attached, max 12kg) I landed a ~5kg pike.

Bottom feeding (setup attached, max 14kg) I landed a ~10kg common carp.

 

Am I correct thinking below??

This is a good example what Levo mentioned that :

1. The common carp's max drag was not bigger than 7,5kg (the max drag of the reel on the feeder rod), even though it was almost 10kg.

2. The pike would be "stronger or more aggressive fish" therefore the almost 5kg fish had around 6,5kg drag (max drag of the reel on the spinning rod)

I presumed that my gear was on my limit in both instances.

 

If I am wrong that's means that either the gear was not on the limit or I can improve my technic.

 

Is it possible to land a fish bigger than 7kg with this spinning rod & reel?

If it is possible I presume I need better, longer line (300m) + maybe better hook?

 

Or if this gear is ok to land a 7kg fish then something is wrong with my technic.

Thanks for any comments.

 

[OwiHH]

Good catches.

 

The question i have for you is: Do you want to catch a bigger fish that limits or is over the limit of your equiment?

 

Whats the pros contras:

 

Pros:

XP

reward silver

Fun

archivment

 

Contras:

risk loosing fish

risk breaking reel

risk breaking rod

risk loosing lure / leader

for sure repair cost for reel, rod

 

You can fight a fish for 2-3 hours or even more ingame or you catch 5x 2-3kg fish in the same time without stressing your equiment.

 

If you make screenshot click on the ! icon on the rod so we can see the rod specifications.

Edited February 25, 2021 by OwiHH

[glasi]

It is definitely possible to catch much bigger fish than your equipment nominal stats in the right circumstances, it just takes a much longer time to tire the fish, the fight puts a lot of wear on your equipment and you run a higher risk of fish unhooking itself.

 

As an example of what I mean by "right circumstances":

 

You're spinning on Winding with the 7.5kg reel and you only have 70m of line on it. You hook into an 9kg Pike. You do the right thin and  chase the fish along the river while keeping a tight line. When the fish nears one end of the river, you get ahead of it and force him to turn back. Eventually the fish tires down, turns belly up and you slowly reel it in.

 

Now you're spinning from the shore at Kuori with the same setup. You hook into a 5kg pike just after your lure hits water. The pike makes a run for it, and since you already have ~30m of line out, you only have 40m left on reel. You can't stop the fish before he spools you. Game over!

 

Sometimes the technique helps (chasing the fish around and keeping a tight line in the first case in the first exsample), but somertimes there's nothing you can do (second example).

 

You should also know that different species of fish fight differently. For example, a 3kg Bream is generally easier to bring in than a 3kg Grass Carp (just as in real life). But that is not an absolute rule. Even inside the same species, not all fish fight proportionately. It sometimes happens that a larger fish feels weaker than a smaller fish of the same species (again, just like in real life).

 

So there's no exact answer like "with x and y equipment" you can catch up to "w and z size fish. You will get a feeling  of it with experience, but nobody can tel you some exact numbers.

 

[Rockwell6]

13 hours ago, OwiHH said:

The question i have for you is: Do you want to catch a bigger fish that limits or is over the limit of your equiment?

The answer is "probably no". Although, knowing the limit of the equipment would be important for me when I chase cafe orders. By catching these ~5kg pikes I realised my gear's limit (also mine). So at least I can decide realistically when I go for pike orders in future. I said "probably no" because in Old Burg I am happy with the cafe order getting 2 pikes >3kg each. But if there is an order for 1 pike >5kg in Mosquito, paying nice silver and I just need to get a better hook, I may go for it, knowing that 100m line would be enough there. If I have to spend more on upgrading my gear, I would probably save the money for another rod or real and leave that cafe order.

 

7 hours ago, glasi said:

It is definitely possible to catch much bigger fish than your equipment nominal stats in the right circumstances, it just takes a much longer time to tire the fish, the fight puts a lot of wear on your equipment and you run a higher risk of fish unhooking itself.

Thanks for the confirmation. My conclusion is that I need to upgrade to a 300m line on both setup when I move to Belaya. I think I need to do that not in a  hope of landing a bigger fish rather than giving me a "safety net" in case a bigger fish is hooked. Safer, as it would give me more time to realise if I need to cut the line or have more time to "hang around" and try to get the fish unhooked in purpose in order to save my leader + line & hook or even to avoid causing bigger damage by breaking the reel.

 

7 hours ago, glasi said:

You should also know that different species of fish fight differently.

 

But that is not an absolute rule. Even inside the same species, not all fish fight proportionately. It sometimes happens that a larger fish feels weaker than a smaller fish of the same species (again, just like in real life).

I had the feeling that different species of fish behave differently, although it's hard to see the difference when both fish are small 0,5kg or less than 1kg. I presume: The bigger the fish is, the bigger the difference is in their behaviour.

I haven't noticed that much of a difference within the same species. Thanks. I will keep an eye on that!

 

 

7 hours ago, glasi said:

So there's no exact answer like "with x and y equipment" you can catch up to "w and z size fish. 

Not the answer I hoped for . Thank you for the clarification, though!

I think, I was hoping for some kind of exact numbers, which would make the game easier and probably less likeable.

One of the reasons, I like this game so much is the unknown. The other one is the experience or "feeling" as you pointed out, that I will get a feel for it, it just makes the game more realistic!

 

[Rockwell6]

More things to figure out to target the right size of fish.

 

Yesterday, cafe order 2 pikes over 3kg 115 silver. Here I come, happy days. I went for it. First big (probably big, at least for me and my gear) hooked on behaved the same way as ~5kg a day before (which I managed to land) - NO!

I struggled but managed to save the gear, fish was unhooked. Still targeting pikes got another one hooked similar behaviour and I run out of line. 100m line (snake brand) and a hunter 2 spoon with a steel leader gone. 

Line was 99 silver, spoon ~50 silver, cannot remember the leader -all lost by risking to get 115. You were right lads, maybe I shouldn't go for this order at all

 

How I can target smaller pikes but still bigger than 3kg?? Probably I can't.

I think if I can categorise pikes by weight the ones I try to target and the ones around 5 kg would be in the same category. If they are I n ed to upgrade my gear.

Or 

Just wondering if I used smaller spoon and 300m line - would I have managed to target pikes between 3-4kg. I could have been unlucky to get a bigger one hooked on and game over again.

I will be back to Mosquito and test it there with 300m line and smaller spoon.

[glasi]

There are things you can do to reduce the chance of hooking up with a large pike, like using smaller lures, smaller hooks on the lures or even different types of lures, but you can't avoid it completely. It's pretty difficult to target a certain size of Pike, so better be prepared for the big ones as well.

 

There are also things you can do to avoid getting spooled like following the fish along the shore, trying to get ahead of it and steering it into dead ends. Picking up the fishing spot matters a lot too. For example, at Old Burg, if you're casting West from the bridge at the pond (47:20 or thereabouts), there is very likely the fish will run West or North towards open water and take a lot of line. However, if you're fishing from the southern shore, for example casting East from 42:20, you're effectively casting in the same place, but it's not hard to steer the fish into the pond, where he can't spool you and you can safely tire him out.

 

However, even though catching larger fish is possible with lighter gear, you need to asses yourself if the time investment, gear wear and risk of losing materials is worth it over going for smaller, cheaper fish. In your case, is going for that 100 silver Pike order more efficient than a night of Bream fishing at OB? Or, idk, going for perch or catching Chubs at Winding if you're only into spin fishing? At least until you save some silver to buy better gear to target Pike.

 

In terms of gear, since I think this is what you're looking for, I would recommend a 15kg drag reel or thereabouts, with 300m of braid line to match it and a rod to support it.

There are some big pike at Old Burg, and in my experience, even a 10kg drag reel will struggle with the bigger ones, making you waste time to chase the fish around and tire him out, time you could spend catching smaller fish. Lately I've been using a Syberia Caliber HSV with 15.5kg drag and that one fights sub 10kg pikes reliably at Old Burg. You may have to chase the bigger ones for a bit, but overall it doesn't feel like I waste too much time. I haven't gotten any larger ones (trophy +), but those are rare and I'm confident it can deal with them, even if it takes a bit longer.

[OwiHH]

Yep, thats what i meant: The grind between 15-20 is hard and expensive. But if you reach lvl 20 and saved up for a 15kg spinning rod with atleast a 10kg reel you will land some good pikes. Like glasi mentioned you can change hooks on lures. Use small lures (3g) with med 8 hooks since they attract more fish anyway in my taste. Alot smaller ones but even one a 3g spinner with med 8 hook you can catch 6kg+ fish.

Keep Griding!

[Rockwell6]

I always read about changing hook size on lure. Is this can be done with lure rig?

I have no option to change the hook size with any of my spinners/spoons.

I can only use jigging rig then I can choose the hook size.  Is this skill related or rig related?

What I need to improve to be able to change hook size on spinners for example?

[OwiHH]

go to inventory, have the lure unequipted, click on it and you can change hooks.

You can change all unequipt lures, spinner, spoons, whooblers ...

Edited February 26, 2021 by OwiHH

[Rockwell6]

Which setup would be better to be used in Belaya. I intend to keep this setup for casting longer distance.

Option A:

Kama casting rod (Mechta CSTXF88H) with Zeiman compact ZC60 

Or

Option B:

Kama spinning rod (same model as the casting rod just in spinning version - Mechta SPXF88H) with Sabre 60.

 

I am planning to use 300m Snake braided line.

 

 

[Crucian]

19 hours ago, Rockwell6 said:

Which setup would be better to be used in Belaya. I intend to keep this setup for casting longer distance.

Option A:

Kama casting rod (Mechta CSTXF88H) with Zeiman compact ZC60 

Or

Option B:

Kama spinning rod (same model as the casting rod just in spinning version - Mechta SPXF88H) with Sabre 60.

 

I am planning to use 300m Snake braided line.

 

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

What I will point out, is that on a baitcaster reel, you need to pay attention to the test of the reel, and match that to the rod.  Take note that the test on the baitcaster you have highlighted is from 23.5 grams, so a light lure will not go very far at all.  You will mostly be using smaller lures for spin fishing at Belaya.

[Rockwell6]

Thanks for pointing out and explaining. As you can see I just try to figure out how to cast over ~35m. Casting over 50-60m would be amazing.

So if I use a spin rod on Belaya I should pick one with small test capacity. If I remember well the spinner weigh is less than 5g which I intend to use.

Does casting distance depends on the length of the rod?

I will double check the classic baitcasting reels again to find one with smaller test capacity.

I am wanted to pick a rod & reel which would be useful in Belaya and also in Kouri.

If I go for a light setup - can that be used in Kouri or I should b using something more "heavy"?

[Crucian]

The lures you use at Kuori will be bigger than the lures you are planning to use at Belaya unless you plan on targeting small species, although there are certainly instances when larger fish will bite small spinners.  There are some rods that have a wide test range.  The best thing to do is read descriptions.  You may also want to have another look at Levo's setup guide, more about why he chose the gear than what the gear is.  Have a look at the setups above your level too, that will help you look at what factors to consider when choosing gear.  It is largely situational.

[Rockwell6]

I read Levi's guide again and again and again. I think I have some idea what to buy but my silver can be an issue.

First option is to buy a light / ultra light setup rod + gear around 2000 silver and for Belaya. Then make another 2000 for Kuori to have another rod+reel with higher nominal stats. 

Second option is to get a 2,5 - 3,5 star rod+reel in which the max test is still light (between 1- 20) and use this setup on both locations (different spinners though)!

 

In the meantime I looked up a progression levels, aka the graph which shows how much XP needed for the next level and it explains why it is so hard to collect silvers between lvl 15-20.

You can get to lvl 15 with some low level gear but then the low lvl gear might not be enough to get enough silvers in the same exponential way as you supposed to get XP to get to the next lvl.  It seems there are couple of setups needed to be able to progress steadily after lvl 15.

 

Again looking at the maps, topics on forum it seems that I should focus on improving my gear in float and spin fishing. As they are more common in Belaya, Kuori and the following maps opposed to bottom feeding setup (confirmation needed by higher lvl players).

 

I will take it into consideration when I get my next rod+reel.

Progression: my 100m line was taken from my spinner rod so I replaced it with a lower quality but 300m line and I used jigging rig with cheap plastic baits. It resulted in landing a 7,1kg pike in Old Burg!! New record: Most silver for 1 fish.

 

Managed to get few cafe orders so I collected 800 silvers in the last few days (played few hours daily IRL). Half way through. Keep looking for options before I get the 2000 silver collected.

[Nawrly17]

21 hours ago, Rockwell6 said:

Again looking at the maps, topics on forum it seems that I should focus on improving my gear in float and spin fishing. As they are more common in Belaya, Kuori and the following maps opposed to bottom feeding setup (confirmation needed by higher lvl players).

 

IF you're only focused on efficient progression, then it's a good idea to have some spinning gear & bottom fishing gear. Float is less efficient. 

 

In the end, you have the ability to use whatever method you find the most fun! Just keep in mind that certain water bodies are better for certain fishing methods.

 

Example: Kuori is a fantastic spin fishing lake! You can find mild success bottom fishing, but primarily it is for spin fishing. (A good angler will use multiple fishing methods in a day to keep the silver flowing). Spin fishing during the day, and bottom fishing at night will make sure you are always catching fish.

 

However, places like Bear Lake are different, but the same concept applies. You can fish with a match rod (heavy float rod) during the day for carp, but then you might have more success at the bottom at night. Or you could just bottom fish for carp day AND night.

 

Make sure you are aware of what species are active ONLY during the day and ONLY during the night. Take advantage of your time and target whatever species are most active.

On 2/24/2021 at 4:15 PM, Rockwell6 said:

Why I managed to get a bigger fish on feeder rod than the spinning rod (comparing the rods max weight and the reels max drag)?

 

Spinning fish (setup attached, max 12kg) I landed a ~5kg pike.

Bottom feeding (setup attached, max 14kg) I landed a ~10kg common carp.

 

Just like in real life, fish have physical differences. Pike are very strong compared to their actual weight, they fight very hard. Carp however, do not fight hard (with the exception of grass carp xD) and they are mostly dead weight you have to pull in.

 

A 10KG pike will fight significantly harder than a 10kg Carp. 

 

I hope this information helped!

[Rockwell6]

Progression:

I got one 7.8kg pike on my spin gear (photo attached in previous post).

Chuffed to bits! 

Other : usually gibel, crucian, perch for cafe orders.

I tried bream but do not like it much, never got one over 3kg so making silver by catching bream is a slower process for me than medium/small carps + spin fishing.

 

Usually I have 2 bottom feeder in water while I spin which most of the time is perch or pike.

 

Plan:

Try to test lures for getting chubs on hook (also need to test/find location in Old Burg)

Saving silver and I think I will buy a heavier spin gear and go straight to Kuori. 

I will skip Belaya probably, as I want to use a UL or L gear there which cost too much for me at the moment.

 

Conclusion:

Pikes are risky. I don't know how other players feel (I read about few of them who has love affair with pikes) but it seems I getting to love them.

 

The biggest issue I can get snagged +  wear and tear is too much on the gear compared to bream for example. Takes ages to bring them to shore especially if they are bigger ones close to the nominal limits of the gear.

BUT it is so much fun (for me anyway).

 

I am close to lvl 18 now which opens lake and I haven't visited Kuori yet. Hopefully I will get a proper gear and collect more silver in Kuori.

[Rockwell6]

Progression:

I got one 7.8kg pike on my spin gear (photo attached in previous post).

Chuffed to bits! 

Other : usually gibel, crucian, perch for cafe orders.

I tried bream but do not like it much, never got one over 3kg so making silver by catching bream is a slower process for me than medium/small carps + spin fishing.

 

Usually I have 2 bottom feeder in water while I spin which most of the time is perch or pike.

 

Plan:

Try to test lures for getting chubs on hook (also need to test/find location in Old Burg)

 

Conclusion:

Pikes are risky. I don't know how other players feel (I read about few of them who has love affair with pikes) but it seems I am getting to love them.

 

The biggest issue I can get snagged +  wear and tear is too much on the gear compared to bream for example. Takes ages to bring them to shore especially if they are bigger ones close to the nominal limits of the gear.

BUT it is so much fun (for me anyway).

 

Question:

How many skill points available??

Will I be able to max out all spin and bottom fishing if I reach max lvl?

[Crucian]

13 hours ago, Rockwell6 said:

Progression:

I got one 7.8kg pike on my spin gear (photo attached in previous post).

Chuffed to bits! 

Other : usually gibel, crucian, perch for cafe orders.

I tried bream but do not like it much, never got one over 3kg so making silver by catching bream is a slower process for me than medium/small carps + spin fishing.

 

Usually I have 2 bottom feeder in water while I spin which most of the time is perch or pike.

 

Plan:

Try to test lures for getting chubs on hook (also need to test/find location in Old Burg)

 

Conclusion:

Pikes are risky. I don't know how other players feel (I read about few of them who has love affair with pikes) but it seems I am getting to love them.

 

The biggest issue I can get snagged +  wear and tear is too much on the gear compared to bream for example. Takes ages to bring them to shore especially if they are bigger ones close to the nominal limits of the gear.

BUT it is so much fun (for me anyway).

 

Question:

How many skill points available??

Will I be able to max out all spin and bottom fishing if I reach max lvl?

Let's just say you will have ample skill points.  If you wanted to calculate it, the amount of skill points you get per level goes up by one every ten levels.

[Rockwell6]

Can someone advise how to make a leader?

I want longer fluoro leaders.

 

I just bought fishkarna fishing tool,

I have lines available but I don't have accessories (under the material requirements) to use any?

 

Where I can buy accessories?

 

Another question, is it worth modifying leaders before level 30?

 

My crafting skill us 0%. So I think if I start modifying my leaders it will take lots of time and money to get a good quality long fluoro leader?

Probably I will start doing that later when I have better gears.

[glasi]

You can buy swivels from Rig Components -> Leaders -> Accessories.

Leaders have no quality and need no skill. If you have the tool, the line and the swivels you're ready to go.

[Rockwell6]

Thank you. I made couple of fluorocarbon leaders.

What is the difference between using a leader material or using a line when I make a leader?

 

Does the diameter of the leader matter when I use fluorocarbon leaders?

I know the length matters when targeting trophy fish.

 

[Crucian]

11 hours ago, Rockwell6 said:

Thank you. I made couple of fluorocarbon leaders.

What is the difference between using a leader material or using a line when I make a leader?

 

Does the diameter of the leader matter when I use fluorocarbon leaders?

I know the length matters when targeting trophy fish.

 

 

Thinner leaders will yield better results in most situations, yes.