How to Reel a Fishing Rod
Reeling a fishing rod has small quirks that can be easily overcome with technique.
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You Will Need
- A fishing rod
- A reel
- A net
Steps
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Step 1
Hold the pole
Hold the fishing rod tightly in your non-dominant hand, with your dominant hand even with the reel.
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Step 2
Wind it up
Turn the crank clockwise with your dominant hand to bring the line in.
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The small bar that loops around the reel locks it and prevents it from spinning counterclockwise.
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Step 3
Don’t flip the bar
Avoid opening the locking mechanism. It will allow the fish on the other end of the line to swim farther away.
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Step 4
Reel it in
Continue turning the crank to wind the line around the spool. This will be increasingly difficult the bigger your fish is.
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Step 5
Let out line
Manually pull extra line from the reel when you’re reeling in a big one. This will give the fish more room to thrash about, tiring itself out before it breaks your line.
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Use a lighter line with certain lures and baits that cause twists. A ball-bearing swivel will minimize twists.
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Step 6
Play it
Slowly raise your rod until it is at the eleven o’clock position. The rod will bow. Lower the rod again and repeat the process.
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Step 7
Drop your rod to waist height, grab your net with the other hand and lead the fish into the net.
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The heaviest fish recorded by the International Game Fish Association was caught in 1959 off the coast of Australia and weighed 2,664 pounds.
