Your focus needs to be on putting as many fish as possible in your net during a session and that can only happen if you are sitting comfortably. If you fail to get settled, you’ll be constantly fidgeting and adjusting your posture, with your concentration on the float diminishing in no time at all.
That is why it is vital that you set up correctly at the beginning. Your seatbox needs to be set appropriately, as does the positioning of various components and accessories that you will rely on throughout the day. It’s a simple process that will soon become second nature if you follow Nick Speed’s simple step-by-step guide.
Seatbox height
All modern boxes have adjustable legs, and it is essential that you set it to a height that suits you. If you mainly fish commercials that have flat and stable platforms, you’ll be able to set it once and never have to tamper with it again. It should be set so that your feet are flat on the footplate. If you are too high and you are on tiptoes on the footplate, you’ll be leaning back while fishing the long pole and that is a recipe for a sore back.
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Create an angle
You may think that your arms and hands do all the hard work while holding the pole, but they should be doing very little of the graft while you are waiting for the next bite.
Your pole should be able to rest on your thighs and they should take up the brunt of the weight. By having a 90-degree angle from your thighs, through your knees and down to your shins, you will keep your thighs parallel to the water, enabling you to rest the pole on them without the pole tip being submerged.
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Everything to hand
I see so many anglers with equipment scattered behind them during a session, but anything that I am likely to need during the day can be reached while still sat on my seatbox. This includes rig trays, hooklength boxes and rig roosts. Regularly standing up and walking around is bound to reduce the number of fish that settle in your swim, especially when you are catching on the short pole or down the margins.
WHY NOT HAVE A LOOK AT OUR GUIDE TO THE BEST SEATBOX ACCESSORIES TO KEEP EVERYHTING TIDY.
Landing net positioning
If you’ve got your tactics right, you’re going to need your landing net on plenty of occasions! With that in mind it needs to be close to hand, but it should also not impede your fishing. A lot of anglers lay it over their side tray and that can lead to it blocking bait boxes or even getting in the way of your pole while fishing. My landing net has a rest of its own that sits just off my side tray. It’s well secured and I know where it is going to be each time I need it, allowing me to reach in that direction without taking my eyes off the fish that I am playing.
YOU WILL NEED YOUR LANDING NET A LOT IF YOU VISIT ONE OF THESE GREAT COMMERCIAL FISHERIES.
Sink your side tray
If you’ve ever tried to fish the margins on the side that your side tray is located, then you’ll know just how irritating it can be in certain scenarios. Try to pin your rig to the bank and your bait boxes will get in the way. Strike in the wrong direction and you could have bait all over the place! I use a side tray that is sunken and while the contents of it are still easily grabbed without needing to change my posture or take my eyes off the float, I can fish the margins on that side without any of the clutter getting in the way.
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