The pump and wind technique is how you land big fish on light tackle: set a light drag, palm the spool to add a little tension, pump the rod up without reeling, then reel fast only as you drop the rod back down. As a guide, teaching this is what I do more than almost anything else, because the instinct to crank the reel like a winch breaks line and drives guides crazy. On this How 2 Tuesday I coach you through it using a real fish I hooked at Bahia Honda. Watch the video above or listen along.
Watch or listen now: press play above and follow along.
Pump and wind is the way you fight a big fish on light tackle. You set the drag light, drop the rod and palm the spool to add a little extra tension with your hand, pump the rod up without reeling, then reel quickly as you lower the rod back down. You repeat that cadence, pump up and reel down, to gain line. The key is that you never reel against the drag, you only gain line on the downstroke.
Because the reel is not a winch. If you set the drag tight enough to crank a big fish straight in, the first time it surges it will break your line. On light tackle the drag has to be light enough that the fish can pull line when it runs. Reeling against that drag just spins the handle while the fish takes line, accomplishing nothing. Set it light, add hand tension when you pump, and reel only as you drop the rod.
You do not jerk the rod the way you might in freshwater. With a circle hook, when the fish picks up the bait and takes off, you simply close the bail and reel down tight. The circle hook design rotates into the corner of the fish's mouth as tension builds, so reeling down tight sets it for you. From there you go straight into the pump and wind.
Take your hand off the spool and let it finish the run. The biggest mistake anglers make is clamping down on the spool or fighting a hard run with too much pressure, which breaks the line. When you feel the fish take off, release that hand pressure, let it run itself out, and then go right back to pumping up and reeling down once it slows.
Yes. Whether it turns out to be a nurse shark like the one I caught at Bahia Honda, a tarpon, or an offshore fish, the technique is exactly the same. The mechanics of pumping the rod up and reeling down, with a light drag and controlled hand pressure, are what let light tackle handle a fish that far outweighs the breaking strength of your line.
This time of year people head to the Keys, Louisiana, and Texas chasing the biggest fish of their life, and the thing I teach more than anything as a guide is how to catch a big fish on light tackle. You have to use a light drag, because if you crank the drag down tight enough to winch the fish in, the first hard surge snaps the line. Hook a big fish, start grinding the handle against the drag, and you will drive your guide completely insane. There is a better way. Press play in the player above.
I was at Bahia Honda fishing for tarpon when I hooked a big fish, and I knew right away it was not a tarpon. It turned out to be a nurse shark, which is not exactly a prize, but it pulled hard and made for a perfect teaching fish. I narrate every move, the circle-hook set, the palm and pump, the moment to release pressure on a surge, so you can hear how I coach a customer through it in real time. Press play in the player above.
If you are a seasoned angler you already know this rhythm, but you might pick up a tip on how I communicate it to customers. If you are newer, this is one of the most important things you can learn as you start chasing bigger fish on light tackle.
Before your next trip to the Keys, Louisiana, or anywhere you might hook something that outweighs your tackle, get the pump-up, reel-down cadence in your hands. Your guide will thank you, and you will land more fish. Press play in the player above.
pump and wind · light tackle fishing · circle hook · drag setting · Bahia Honda · nurse shark · tarpon · fishing guide technique · How 2 Tuesday · Tom Rowland Podcast
How 2 Tuesday is my weekly series where I break down one fishing skill at a time, from knots and casting to gear, tactics, and the habits that make you a better angler. Watch and listen to every How 2 Tuesday episode from Tom Rowland.
I'm Tom Rowland, a professional fishing guide based in the Florida Keys, host of the Tom Rowland Podcast, and the longtime host of the Saltwater Experience television show. My specialty is teaching anglers how to catch big fish on light tackle, from circle-hook sets to the pump and wind technique. On the How 2 Tuesday series I break down one practical skill at a time in short, focused episodes you can use right away.
Subscribe to get the latest episodes, show notes, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.