Is it good for the rod to lift the fish?

[Fred Allen]

I started watching fishing tournaments on TV and notice alot of them they use their rod to lift the fish up out of the water and grab the fish from the air hanging from the rod. Is this a thing you can do with any rod or is their rods special? Can it be done but do you risk breaking the rod?

[MN Fisher]

8 minutes ago, Fred Allen said:

Can it be done but do you risk breaking the rod?

This. Remember that the pros are sponsored by various companies, and there's usually a rod-maker in there. If they break a rod while making money, the sponsor will replace it...maybe at a discount to the pro.

 

Watch Glenn's videos...he usually grabs the line to bring the fish in, not lift it out with the rod. Myself, unless it's a real dink (under 12"), I'll use a net...I don't have the money to replace rods willy-nilly.

[The Maestro]

You need to consider the strength of the rod. There's a big difference between a heavy power rod made for punching mats vs. a medium power rod made for light line and light baits.

[GTN-NY]

I lifted a lot of bass even up to 4lbs but only with my extra heavy flipping stick

[Michigander]

Good for the rod? Certainly not. However, I don't have a problem boat flipping up to three pounders with basically anything stouter than a drop shot rod. This will probably come back to bite me some day but so far no issues. ?

 

[813basstard]

I boat  flip all’em..gotta get their momentum going to your advantage. I’ve flipped tires, bags, socks, umbrellas (last week) boots, big sticks, children whatever 

[rtwvumtneer6]

Does it looks cool?  Of course!  But grab the rod too far up the blank or high stick it and you'll be buying a new rod.  These guys are pros, have a locker full of rods, tens of thousands of hours on the water, sponsors for their gear, and a lot of money riding on their efficiency.   

 

They're eliminating the opportunity for the fish to cut the line, wrap you in a tree, throw slack in the line, jump, shake, etc. For the average angler I would say the risk outweighs the reward.  

 

 

[roadwarrior]

Best way to break a rod.

[OkobojiEagle]

Not one of life's better experiences for the fish either...

 

oe

[Catt]

8 hours ago, 813basstard said:

I boat  flip all’em..gotta get their momentum going to your advantage. I’ve flipped tires, bags, socks, umbrellas (last week) boots, big sticks, children whatever 

 

There is an art to boat flipping & this is pretty much it.

 

Personally I prefer lipping em ?

[MickD]

The most important aspect about boat flipping is, as stated a couple times, technique.  

I don't even pretend to get it, so don't do it.  The pros have to catch the fish so it doesn't hit the boat.  I doubt if it does fish much good to be essentially thrown into the boat onto the deck.

 

Bottom line is that if you bend a modern graphite rod much past 90 degrees, sooner or later you'll break one.  If you notice the pros doing it, they have the fish moving strongly toward the boat, flip it without bending the rod that much.

[Johnbt]

I consider lipping every fish to be practice for my next 10+ pounder. I've never boat flipped a bass. Sunfish yes, small crappie yes, bass no.

[NoShoes]

Anything north of a pound and a half I net usually. 
 

y’all are crazy lipping them, there’s a hook somewhere in their mouth and I’m not trying to catch me and the fish with it. 

[BigAngus752]

28 minutes ago, Johnbt said:

consider lipping every fish to be practice for my next 10+ pounder

^^^this^^^

I admit I've flipped a lot of 1.5 - 2 pounders when I've had their momentum working for me but that's laziness and I try not to do that.  The more I practice lipping and netting the better odds I have of NOT losing my next trophy at the boat.  And that is where I lose 90% of the fish I lose.  Within 5 feet of the boat.  

[bulldog1935]

I would never do this - I'm in with the lift by the line and terminal rig group (and net big fish) - but if you watch this high-grade Yamaga Blanks vid - after 7 min, he's lifting even fish with shoulders on this long UL rod.  

Of course he has a high-$ rod to sell, and is trying to demonstrate its toughness.  

 

I chided a buddy last fishing trip for lifting fish on a long UL I loaned him.  Instead, showed him where to grab the terminal rig to lift the fish - and we had a great net there.  

 

 

[Johnbt]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=adGq5uVnKuE

 

I can see I need better rods.  

[MN Fisher]

3 minutes ago, Johnbt said:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=adGq5uVnKuE

 

I can see I need better rods.  

My question on that is - 'How sensitive is that rod'. In a majority of cases, the more resistant to breakage a rod is, the less sensitive it is.

 

That blank might be great for surf-fishing or deep-sea marlin/sailfish catching, but feeling the bottom on a jig? I dunno.

[Boomstick]

It's probably not good for the rod no, but unless I'm using a drop shot rod or I get a 4lb+ fish in which case I get the net out, I've had no problems to date pulling fish onto the boat so far.

[Bankbeater]

If the bass is a dink then I lift it with the rod.  If the bass is big enough to pull drag then I lip it while it's in the water.

[WRB]

It’s Nuts to flip a bass into your boat.

The  pros try to use the fish forward momentum to propel the bass into the air and swing into the boat is a timing skill. If the bass dead weight out of water exceeds the rod lifting Power the rod breaks.

Tom

 

[Hammer 4]

17 hours ago, Catt said:

 

There is an art to boat flipping & this is pretty much it.

 

Personally I prefer lipping em ?

 

Ditto..

[GreenPig]

Bad. I haven't seen any rods rated to lift **lbs of fish. I net every bass so it'll be muscle memory when it matters. When I'm bank fishing I  don't carry a net so they get lipped.

[Bankc]

I'll lift them in if they're small enough and I'm not using a wimpy rod.  Probably something like 3lbs or less on a medium-heavy.  

[optimator]

On 2/7/2021 at 5:26 AM, NoShoes said:

Anything north of a pound and a half I net usually. 
 

y’all are crazy lipping them, there’s a hook somewhere in their mouth and I’m not trying to catch me and the fish with it. 

Have you actually hooked yourself lipping a bass? 

[Team9nine]

On 2/6/2021 at 9:48 PM, Fred Allen said:

Can it be done but do you risk breaking the rod?

 

This ^^

 

Always a risk of breaking a rod or losing the fish when swinging them in. It takes some practice to get the feel and timing down, but it’s all just physics. There is also consideration for bait type, how well the fish is hooked, etc. I’ve never broken a bass rod doing it that I can remember, and I’ve done it for 30 years. I’m also a line grabber though, and don’t let the fish hit the floor/ground.

 

If you want to see the efficiency that can be obtained with the technique by some, watch old highlights from the two MLF events back on Table Rock (I think) a couple years back. Pretty amazing. I think Martens won one and Wheeler the other.