How to Reel a Fishing Rod
Reeling a fishing rod has small quirks that can be easily overcome with technique.
Instructions
- Step 1: Hold the pole Hold the fishing rod tightly in your non-dominant hand, with your dominant hand even with the reel.
- Step 2: Wind it up Turn the crank clockwise with your dominant hand to bring the line in.
- TIP: The small bar that loops around the reel locks it and prevents it from spinning counterclockwise.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- TIP: Use a lighter line with certain lures and baits that cause twists. A ball-bearing swivel will minimize twists.
- 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.
- Step 7: Drop your rod to waist height, grab your net with the other hand and lead the fish into the net.
- FACT: The heaviest fish recorded by the International Game Fish Association was caught in 1959 off the coast of Australia and weighed 2,664 pounds.
You Will Need
- A fishing rod
- A reel
- A net