Why do people leave their lures just hanging there when not in use?

[gim]

I have a friend who is trying to take up more fishing this season and I have had him out 4 times.  Just recently he did something that I don't quite understand when I see it.  Instead of hooking the lure to the tender on the rod near the reel, he leaves the lure just "dangling" from the tip and sets it down while he picks up another setup and starts casting, or grabs the net to scoop up a fish.  This unattended setup is sitting there over the gunnel just waiting to get tangled in the net or line from another setup currently being used!  He did it once and a few minutes later, I told him to not do it again for the reasons stated above.  Sure enough, 15 minutes later, he did it again and another line got tangled in it.  You can imagine my response the second time.

 

Why on earth do people do this?  I see it fairly often in kayaks and canoes.  Its not hard to hook the lure to the tender so its out of the way.  Literally takes under 10 seconds to do.  And yet people leave one or more setups just sitting there like this while not in use.  There must be an explanation.  I always hook my lure to the tender when not in use.  Always have, always will.  Just make it part of the routine when a setup is not in use.

[PaulVE64]

I left a spook hanging in a tree once. I wasn't using it anymore

[GreenPig]

Lazy bad habit. 

[gim]

1 minute ago, GreenPig said:

Lazy bad habit. 

Well at least you're willing to admit it.

[GreenPig]

3 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Well at least you're willing to admit it.

Not me some of mine are too heavy and too expensive to dare do that. I'm always concerned about the handle getting turned and damaging the tip guide.

[Bird]

I reel up to the top eye but never leave a bait dangling in the wind.

Infact, if a particular bait isn't working , I'll put it away and rod goes into the rod locker to clear space.

[casts_by_fly]

I do it very seldomly. It’s always for a follow up bait. The past two months I’ve had a frog rigged and ready. If I’m throwing another topwater then the frog is ready to go.  If I find myself switching back and forth a bunch I’ll leave the frog hanging for a faster follow up.  I’ll do the same with a Texas rig or jig at times (though less because of casting style). I don’t reel them to the tip (that’s not good for the ceramic insert in the tip).  Also since it’s the closest rod to the boat on my ‘hanging over the side’ hanger the only real risk is if I drift over some brush or weeds to catch it. A frog or anything cast side arm or overheads it’s faster to leave it an inch or two from the rod so when you cast you hit the button and swing. For a plastic or jig I’ll usually use the hook keeper since i‘m pitching them anyway. 

[Munkin]

52 minutes ago, GreenPig said:

Not me some of mine are too heavy and too expensive to dare do that. I'm always concerned about the handle getting turned and damaging the tip guide.

 

Rods I am not using I strap down with the tip forward facing. Ones with follow-up baits I leave about 6" of line and lay the rods tip to the rear with the bait hanging over the boat. If a fish missus a moving bait I can then just pick up a senko rod right away.

 

Allen

[Columbia Craw]

[padlin]

I fish from a canoe and I guess you’d call me a dangler. No real reason for it, it just is what it is. I flip between my 3 rod constantly and rarely have the lines tangle, maybe a few times a year, maybe once a year needing manual intervention to untangle, and never angled with the net. I have one rod front, one back, and the other is in use. There may be 6” of exposed line on rod tips about 8’ away from me, in differing directions, what’s to tangle.

 

 I guess this sort of thing is why I like fishing alone, no butting heads when someone doesn’t agree with how I do things. My boat, my rules.

[Mobasser]

It's always been a good idea to be aware of where baits are in a boat. If you've got multiple rods with baits hanging around( especially treble hooks), it can be a good way to get impaled on your hand, clothing, ankle etc. 

[Catt]

I seldom have more than 2 rods on the deck at a time. Never understood the need to have 15/20 rods out when I can't use more than one at a time. 

 

A friend just upgraded from a 16' aluminum bass boat to a Vexus AVX1980, with everything on the deck he has less space than before.

 

?

[ironbjorn]

Not sure, but I know I view guys who reel their lure to the tip guide the same as I view this guy

 

 

 

[Phelptwan]

It's my boat...I can do what I want.  I don't want to spend the precious time it takes to unhook a lure from it's keeper and reel it up to casting length to get it out to a busting bass or some other water disturbance.

 

Now with that said, I'm not doing it with giant crankbaits/swimbaits/etc.  I'm usually doing it with a wacky worm, frog or something smaller profile.  I also don't hang them over the side of the boat.

[Functional]

I'll usually do it with a follow up bait but thats about it. If I have more than 1 other person on the boat with me I wont do it at all and all the rods go back in the locker except the one I'm using. 

[Jig Man]

I leave mine at the end of the rod.  They aren’t hanging over the side because my front deck is big enough for 7.5’ rods to lay down flat.

[Susky River Rat]

I will only do this if I set the rod down to get a drink then pick it right back up to use again. That would drive me insane. It also makes me tweak s little when people run the bait right up to their top eyelet. It also makes me shake my head when they actually hook a guide and not use the keeper. At least use the structural part of the guide. 

[you]

2 hours ago, padlin said:

I guess you’d call me a dangler

 

Same here.

 

If I'm alternating frequently between a couple of rods in my kayak, I'll keep the other one 'dangling' in a rod holder. The tip is away from the hull and other rods. No danger of snagging unless I decide to paddle into a bush.

 

I've never had an issue with guide damage, either.

[scaleface]

Man, I do a lot of things wrong.

[J Francho]

Me too. My reason is that I either have to grab the net quickly or the angler is a follow up bait that needs to be in ready mode. 

[Fishingmickey]

I dangle all the time, I switch rods and presentations a lot, especially when junk fishing.  Two, three and sometimes even four rods are ready to fly in a instant.  I do put them up when I am spot fishing with one or two baits or when I am traveling from spot to spot.  I carry 15 rods on my kayak when I tourney fish. Usually a couple of spinning rods, a finesse worm rod or two. MH rigs with spinner bait, chatter bait, heavier t-rig, and a couple of crank baits. Managing your rods and gear and how well you do it is pretty much up to the individual. 

FM

[Moray]

I don’t  like it when people reel lures to top of rod or even worse dangling when in my boat.

2 stories: This spring on a trip to Boundary Waters Canoe Area in MN my tow boat driver told me the previous day he had to do an emergency pick up because a dangling lure in a canoe ended up in someone’s eye. 
I was back in BW a week ago and one of my trip partners reeled an El Choppo to rod tip and leaned against a tree. Later that evening a ruckus in camp turned out to be a flying squirrel hooked to said Choppo. It was not a lot of fun getting the little guy unhooked with trebles flying everywhere!

[TnRiver46]

I have a fluke or a top water ready like that for schoolers. If you have it stowed away nicely, the fish will be gone by the time you cast, guaranteed 

 

I’ve nabbed many big smallies by having it ready while my buddies are fumbling trying to unhook it from the reel. You’ve got 5 seconds or less 

 

this one comes to mind, it was chasing threadfin and my buddy was fumbling with his while I was already hooked up 

[Swamp Girl]

12 hours ago, gimruis said:

I have a friend who is trying to take up more fishing this season and I have had him out 4 times.  Just recently he did something that I don't quite understand when I see it.  Instead of hooking the lure to the tender on the rod near the reel, he leaves the lure just "dangling" from the tip and sets it down while he picks up another setup and starts casting, or grabs the net to scoop up a fish.  This unattended setup is sitting there over the gunnel just waiting to get tangled in the net or line from another setup currently being used!  He did it once and a few minutes later, I told him to not do it again for the reasons stated above.  Sure enough, 15 minutes later, he did it again and another line got tangled in it.  You can imagine my response the second time.

 

Why on earth do people do this?  I see it fairly often in kayaks and canoes.  Its not hard to hook the lure to the tender so its out of the way.  Literally takes under 10 seconds to do.  And yet people leave one or more setups just sitting there like this while not in use.  There must be an explanation.  I always hook my lure to the tender when not in use.  Always have, always will.  Just make it part of the routine when a setup is not in use.

 

I admit I do this. However, I'm in 15' 6" of canoe and there's nobody else with me. If I were sharing space or had less space, I wouldn't do it. Still, you're right. 

[Darth-Baiter]

i dont let it dangle.  a dangle tangle (:D) in a kayak is miserable.  no thanks.