Mike Genoun's biggest fundamental is having an intimate relationship with your tackle, knowing exactly how much pressure you can put on a fish before something fails and where the weakest link in your rig is. In this How 2 Tuesday, Captain Mike Genoun of Florida Sport Fishing joins me to break down the basics that most anglers overlook, from fighting big fish correctly to learning your gear's true breaking point off the water.
Listen now: press play in the player above and follow along.
Mike Genoun means truly knowing your gear, what its breaking point is, how much pressure you can put on a fish before something fails, and which component is the weakest link. He says many anglers, especially weekend warriors, simply do not know that point. Learning it lets you apply more heat when you need to and back off when you need to, which makes you a more successful angler.
Mike Genoun teaches it on the water when you get hung on the bottom, point the rod straight at the line, lock up the drag, thumb the spool, and hold on as the boat drifts away until something pops. Tom Rowland adds you can do it off the water too, hooking your rig to a scale or a chain link fence and pulling until it breaks, across every setup you own.
Because so many anglers were never taught how to do it properly, and the right technique changes with the fish. Mike Genoun explains you cannot force a 40 or 50 pound bull dolphin to the boat on light 20 pound spinning tackle; you use the boat to close the gap slowly. A grouper is the opposite, you slam on the brakes before it reaches its hole.
Mike Genoun points out that slow-pitch tackle is incredibly lightweight yet unbelievably strong between the braid, the leader, and the rod, with bulletproof connections. The combination lets you fish light while still applying serious pressure. Knowing how strong that system really is, by testing it, is what gives you confidence to push a fish.
When you pull a rig to failure, whatever gives way is your weakest link, whether that is the Alberto knot connecting braid to leader or the knot to the jig itself. Mike Genoun's point is that you want to discover and shore up that weak point before a fish finds it for you. Knowing it makes you a more deliberate, successful angler.
Mike Genoun hosts Florida Sport Fishing TV, airing on the World Fishing Network and Sportsman Channel, and a new instructional series, Captain Mike's Rigging Station, on Bally Sports. He also runs a streaming platform, Florida Sport Fishing TV Plus, at fsftv.com, with over 400 instructional videos and a link to his all-inclusive fishing courses.
I walk through each step in the episode. Press play in the player above.
Mike Genoun runs in-person fishing courses through Florida Sport Fishing, and before we even started recording he told me how many strong anglers still miss the fundamentals. That stuck with me. So I wanted him to give listeners something they could use this weekend to fish better, and he went straight to the basics most people skip. He sets the stage in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Mike Genoun's core message is to build an intimate relationship with your gear. Do you actually know how much pressure your rig can take before something fails? Most anglers do not. He fishes incredibly light slow-pitch tackle that is also unbelievably strong, and the only way to trust it is to know its limit. He explains why that knowledge changes how you fight fish in the episode, so press play in the player above.
His method is hands-on. When you get hung on the bottom and there is no saving the jig, he has anglers point the rod right at the line, lock the drag, thumb the spool, and hold as the boat drifts away until something pops. Whatever breaks, the Alberto knot, the knot to the jig, is your weakest link. I add that you can do the same off the water on a scale or a fence. He walks it through in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Mike Genoun makes the point that fundamentals are not one-size-fits-all. You cannot horse a 50 pound bull dolphin to the boat on light 20 pound spinning gear, you use the boat to close the gap slowly. A grouper demands the opposite, you slam on the brakes before it buries you in its hole. Knowing your tackle is what lets you make those calls. He shares more examples in the episode, so press play in the player above.
The day after this conversation, what stays with me is how doable Mike Genoun's homework is. You do not need to be on the water to learn your gear; you can hook a rig to a scale or a fence and pull until something breaks.
Do that across all your setups and you will fish with real confidence about how much heat each one can take. Mike Genoun shares where to find his shows and courses in the episode if you want to go deeper. Press play in the player above.
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.
Tom Rowland · Mike Genoun · Florida Sport Fishing TV · Captain Mike's Rigging Station · World Fishing Network · Sportsman Channel · Bally Sports · Alberto knot · slow-pitch jigging · fsftv.com · How 2 Tuesday · Saltwater Experience
Captain Mike Genoun is the host of Florida Sport Fishing TV, which airs on the World Fishing Network and Sportsman Channel, and of the instructional series Captain Mike's Rigging Station on Bally Sports. He runs the Florida Sport Fishing TV Plus streaming platform at fsftv.com, home to more than 400 instructional videos, and leads all-inclusive, hands-on fishing courses.
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