Anyone like a rod after bite more than what came before?

[DanielG]

Silly little observation here....

 

First of all.. I'm a very casual fisherman. I fish a lot but have some good but minimalist equipment and my stuff fills multiple roles. And my fishing knowledge base is humbled by many of the people here.

 

It's about all the talk about rods. Other stuff too but right now rods. I know that you don't throw a heavy weight on a light rod or vice versa. You can but it's not great. I find that some rods are fine for many applications but can be used for things that are far outside their intended use if need be. Some of us with limited equipment, purchase it for the bulk of the type of fishing we do and sometimes use it for the type of fishing we usually don't do much of.

And yes, I understand the point of being able to sense a bite and the right rod and line enhance the ability to do that.

 

But in the end, if I'm fortunate enough to get a fish to take the bait, the real value of a rod comes after that point. I've got one of my rods that I use whenever I can, even if it's not the appropriate rod for the situation simply because I love pulling a fish in with it. I've described it as a rod that fights back as much as the fish does.

 

Am I the only one who chooses a rod more for the fun of reeling it in than for getting the bite? Often you don't even know that this will be the case until you first get a fish with a new rod. I've gotten a rod before that is sweet to fish with, but the after bite is like... just okay. Letdown....

[garroyo130]

3 hours ago, DanielG said:

Am I the only one who chooses a rod more for the fun of reeling it in than for getting the bite? 

yes.

[DanielG]

Just now, garroyo130 said:

yes.

Thank you. It seems you have the pulse of the rest of the planet.

[LCG]

I think what you referring to is the power and action of the rod. Ie a medium light fast action rod vs a medium extra fast action vs a medium heavy fast action rod. 

 

So the fight is more fun with a medium light but a medium heavy is better for getting the fish out of cover. 

[jbrew73]

I get 90% of my pleasure  from casting the lure to the correct spot , working the lure, getting the bite and setting the hook.  The other 10% is reeling it in. 

 

I don’t get ocean fishing when someone does all the work and you just fight the fish. 

Edited March 17, 2020 by jbrew73
Autocorrect spelling issue

[Fishes in trees]

A rod that extends the fight of the fish isn't doing the fish any favors.  There will be more lactic acid build up in the flesh of the fish.  If you're going to keep the fish, not a problem, if you're going to release the fish - a problem, maybe a serious problem.   One goal of catch & release is to release the fish in as healthy condition as possible.   If the fish is seriously weakened, then you aint' doing that, so when it is  released, its chances for survival go down.  It might very soon become prey for something larger & hungrier, like a turtle, an osprey, maybe an otter.

 

I don't think that a rod that lets you/makes you fight the fish until it is totally tuckered out is a good idea.  But, to each his own . . ..

[Russ E]

7 minutes ago, Fishes in trees said:

A rod that extends the fight of the fish isn't doing the fish any favors.  There will be more lactic acid build up in the flesh of the fish.  If you're going to keep the fish, not a problem, if you're going to release the fish - a problem, maybe a serious problem.   One goal of catch & release is to release the fish in as healthy condition as possible.   If the fish is seriously weakened, then you aint' doing that, so when it is  released, its chances for survival go down.  It might very soon become prey for something larger & hungrier, like a turtle, an osprey, maybe an otter.

 

I don't think that a rod that lets you/makes you fight the fish until it is totally tuckered out is a good idea.  But, to each his own . . ..

^^^^this. 

I always use equipment that allows me to land and release bass quickly.

to me the actual fight is secondary to getting it to bite and hooking the fish.

 

 

 

[nascar2428]

For me, the fight is and always has been part of the enjoyment of fishing.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

Nothing wrong with enjoying the fight of landing a fish as long as you use some sense and don’t exhaust them to the point of collapse. In fact I don’t care for seeing fish skated across the cover and swung into a boat to flop around on the carpet. I try to strike a balance between enjoying and respecting the resource. 

[jimmyjoe]

    I don't maximize the fight, but I have my priorities. I hate to hook a fish and have it escape on the way back in. I'm a shorecaster, so my casts are long. Many times I hook a fish quite a ways out there, and lose it in less than 10 seconds. Infuriating, to say the least. I've gone to longer and softer rods to cut down on that. Longer and softer rods maximize the feel of the fight, but I don't use them for that reason. If I read you correctly, you don't either. I think you are referring to the fact that a softer, slower action is much better at actually acquiring the fish rather than having it spit the hook. It's never fun to lose a fish.

   What others have said here is correct: don't exhaust the fish. Even when I used ultralights, I didn't prolong the fight. (Good 4 lb. test line has more power over a fish than most people believe.)

   Good luck!     jj

[DanielG]

Well, I don't extend the fight by releasing the tension and prolonging it. I just enjoy a rod that will give lots of action when getting the fish to the boat. There's always enough line out that it's extended enough as it is. Where I fish it's often very deep with little cover an uneventful bottom. So, the fishing is trolling and stop and cast in an area. So, very little short distance casts.

Edited March 16, 2020 by DanielG
Changed the 'but' to 'by thus completely changing the meaning of what I was saying. Auto spell check did that to me.

[CrankFate]

On 3/14/2020 at 1:53 PM, DanielG said:

Silly little observation here....

 

First of all.. I'm a very casual fisherman. I fish a lot but have some good but minimalist equipment and my stuff fills multiple roles. And my fishing knowledge base is humbled by many of the people here.

 

It's about all the talk about rods. Other stuff too but right now rods. I know that you don't throw a heavy weight on a light rod or vice versa. You can but it's not great. I find that some rods are fine for many applications but can be used for things that are far outside their intended use if need be. Some of us with limited equipment, purchase it for the bulk of the type of fishing we do and sometimes use it for the type of fishing we usually don't do much of.

And yes, I understand the point of being able to sense a bite and the right rod and line enhance the ability to do that.

 

But in the end, if I'm fortunate enough to get a fish to take the bait, the real value of a rod comes after that point. I've got one of my rods that I use whenever I can, even if it's not the appropriate rod for the situation simply because I love pulling a fish in with it. I've described it as a rod that fights back as much as the fish does.

 

Am I the only one who chooses a rod more for the fun of reeling it in than for getting the bite? Often you don't even know that this will be the case until you first get a fish with a new rod. I've gotten a rod before that is sweet to fish with, but the after bite is like... just okay. Letdown....

No, I choose the rod that works best for me in what I’m doing. Usually that means the lightest rod that can get me the most distance and handle the weights I’m throwing and the fish I’m catching. It doesn’t always work, though (like last season),

[Bass Rutten]

19 hours ago, DanielG said:

Well, I don't extend the fight but releasing the tension and prolonging it. I just enjoy a rod that will give lots of action when getting the fish to the boat. There's always enough line out that it's extended enough as it is. Where I fish it's often very deep with little cover an uneventful bottom. So, the fishing is trolling and stop and cast in an area. So, very little short distance casts.

Pretty sure he meant extending as in how long the battle lasts not how far from the boat, the faster you land and release the better for the fish, prolonging the fight for your enjoyment is kinda just torturing and stressing the fish

[DanielG]

3 hours ago, Bassjam2000 said:

Pretty sure he meant extending as in how long the battle lasts not how far from the boat, the faster you land and release the better for the fish, prolonging the fight for your enjoyment is kinda just torturing and stressing the fish

I can see the confusion. My first sentence read "Well, I don't extend the fight but releasing the tension and prolonging it.

 

The 'but' should have been 'by'. It completely reverses the meaning of the sentence. One says I release the tension and keep the fish fighting for a long time. The other says I don't. Damnn auto spell check.