Besides patience, one of the very first things CrappieNOW Editor Richard Simms
taught his grandson was to never reel in a fish in too far. It’s a common error by
novice anglers, but reeling fish up close to the rod tip can potentially break the rod tip.
Or, if you’re trying to net the fish, it makes it very difficult. (Photo: Richard Simms, CrappieNOW Editor)
Crappie Basics: Don’t Reel So Far
by Richard Simms, CrappieNOW Editor
When my grandson was only two years old, the very first thing I tried to teach him when we caught a fish was, “Don’t reel him in too far.” Now at four-years old, he has it figured out.
As a fishing guide, I have watched it happen over-and-over again, even by somewhat experienced anglers. Even after I would give them multiple reminders, for some reason they repeatedly want to keep reeling a fish in until it was mere inches from the rod tip. In extreme cases, all the way to the rod tip.
It is apparently a natural instinct for many anglers – especially beginners – to reel a fish all the way up to the rod tip, or at least very close. This can be bad, sometimes very bad.
If you’re using a net, it makes it much harder to net the fish. Or, if you try and lift a good fish out of the water when it is reeled too close to the rod tip, it can easily snap the rod tip off. The weight of a fish near the rod tip puts all the strain on the tip, the weakest part of any fishing rod.
But if you leave an ample amount of line out when you lift the fish, the strain on the rod is transferred back to the mid-point of the rod and it is far less likely to snap. This is the same reason you never grab your fishing rod near the tip to lift a fish (which I’ve also watched many people try to do). Always hold the butt-end (reel end) of the rod to lift and swing the fish to you like a pendulum. That way the entire length of your rod serves as shock absorber.
As a general rule-of-thumb, you want to stop reeling when your line is about two-thirds the length of your rod. With a seven-foot rod you want four feet of line still out when you land or lift the fish. With a 16-foot crappie rod you want 12 feet of line still out. Holding the butt end of the rod, simply lift it straight over your head and swing the fish to you like a pendulum – either into your hand, or if it’s a big one, into the net.
From Sale Creek, Tenn., CrappieNOW Editor Richard Simms is the owner of Scenic City Fishing Charters, Inc. He began his outdoor career as a Tennessee game warden later choosing journalism (and guiding) as his chosen profession. Check out his Facebook Page or you can contact him at Richard@ScenicCityFishing.com
