7 Tips On How To Hold a Fishing Rod
The success of your next fishing trip is almost solely based on if you can use the equipment correctly and efficiently. To maximize your fishing potential, you need to know how to hold a fishing rod. There are seven secrets about holding a fishing rod to make you a better angler!
By the end of this post, you will be holding your fishing rod better allowing you to cast farther.
If you
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1. Figure out if you are right-handed or left-handed
First things first, you need to figure out if you are right-handed or left-handed. However, this is a detail many people look over. Just because you write with your right hand does not mean you will be a right-handed angler.
It is important to try both types of setups and see which one is the most comfortable for you. Often, people just assume that their normal handedness correlates to their fishing rod. This is not always the case.
2. Find a comfortable grip
Once you figure out what type of setup you need, it is important to find a comfortable grip. This secret translates to every type of fishing rod. Without finding a personal, comfortable grip, you cannot be efficient.
With a spinning setup, it is important to figure out how many fingers you want in front of and behind the part of the reel that connects the spool to the rod. Generally speaking, you need at least one finger on the front of the connection. Without that, you will be unstable. The more fingers in front of the reel connection, the stronger hold you will have over the rod and the fish on the line.
With a baitcasting setup, you need to find a comfortable way to secure the reel while still being able to cast efficiently. This is a process that requires some trial and error, but it is a great way to become a better angler.
3. Use Your off-hand To Guide The Line
Once you have established a comfortable hand position, you will use your lead hand or finger to guide the line through the reel. This is a tip for bait casters mostly, but it does apply across the board.
When using a bait caster, the hand positioned on the rod is very important to control the cast and the line. Since bait casters have an open bail, the hand you crank with must be positioned on the rod and bail connection. This allows you to control the bail and rod together.
Once the bait hits the water, you can resume the normal hand position and continue fishing. This is a little secret that will help you be an effective angler and make the most of your time on the water.
4. Find the Rod’s Natural Balance
One secret that will make learning how to hold a fishing rod much easier is to find the natural balance of the rod. Every fishing rod is weighted, and there is a point where the rod completely balances.
Normally, each rod is much heavier toward the handle and gets lighter as you move toward the tip. A few inches from the end of the handle will be the balancing point. This will not be in the middle as the weight is not evenly distributed.
By understanding the physical dynamics of the rod, you can get a grasp on the science behind using it. This also helps you develop your technique for holding the rod. You want it to be very balanced in your hands. If it is not, it will be more difficult to cast and reel in fish.
5. Use Your Elbow
One secret that falls by the wayside when learning how to cast, is you should use your elbow to your advantage. This specifically applies to a spinning setup.
After making your cast, position the bottom of the rod against your elbow. This adds so much more control and stability once your bait is in the water. The proper technique of fishing is something that oftentimes gets ignored or forgotten about.
This is a very simple trick, but it is not something many people think about. Once you are ready to real in your line, position the rod against your lead elbow to reinforce the back end of the rod. It will not take long to see how this helps your results.
6. Set the Appropriate Drag
Although this next point does not seem directly related to casting and holding a rod, setting the right drag for your situation is important. It actually will affect the way you cast and reel in line. It will also affect how you hold the rod, in some cases.
With spinning setups and light line, it is important to have the drag a bit looser, so the line does not snap. This affects the way you hold the rod because you cannot just crank back and apply a ton of pressure without the proper drag set.
With bait casters, you will usually crank down drag, especially when using braid or fishing for smaller fish. This allows you to put a lot of pressure on the setup without worry about anything breaking.
No matter what type of reel you have, setting the appropriate drag affects the way you can hold and use the rod.
7. Manage Your Bail Responsibly
This is a secret that specifically applies to spinning setups. As you may already know, when casting, you need to open the bail to let the line fly, and then it automatically clicks back closed. There is a very simple trick that will keep your gear fresh and lasting longer.
The secret is to use your reeling hand to manually close the bail rather than allowing the reel to do it for you. This is easy to do as you just have to let go of the reel handle and flip the bail closed.
This will minimize the impact your reel has and will lengthen its life. This will slightly change the way you hold your rod, but it will only impact the second it takes to flip the bail, then that hand can go right back to the reel handle.
Closing
So this is it anglers!
I hope you read something new or reviewed these 7 secrets on how to hold a fishing rod.
What are your thoughts about it? Have I missed something or is there anything you’d like to add?
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