Swinging Fish

[piscicidal]

First off, 99% of the time I do not swing fish. Fishing recreationally, if I try to lip a fish and he gets away...oh well.

There are times though when I can see the need to swing fish. For instance, often down here in low water situations, gators get real aggressive and crowd the boat if you are catching fish. This becomes a problem with bigger fish that are thrashing near the surface. You want to just get that fish in ASAP. A net is not always practical in the slop. My question...I use dobyns 766flip/805 champion rods for most flip/pitch/punch situations. Can you swing a 6-7 lb fish with these rods without breaking them in half? I like these rods and would rather not learn the hard way. But, I like my hands/fingers, also, and would like to keep those, as well.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

Swinging fish into the boat is a practice I discourage with my customers, especially with high modulus graphite rods, but if you feel like you have no choice, try to keep the rod as close as possible to parallel with the water so as to not flex the tip beyond 90* to the blank. The two rods you mentioned are pretty stout and should have decent deadlift capability.

[Dwight Hottle]

Try a boga.

[SirSnookalot]

I swing or better put "spring" the fish up as high 10 ft at the Boynton inlet, jetty is too high to do that, average snook is probably 6-8#, with medium or med hv spinning gear Fishing off a boat this technique could be done with some practice, but there are a couple of easier ways I think. Needless to say I think a net is the best option however we never carry one when fishing offshore. I either lift a non toothy critter by the leader, bonitas run 10 to over 20#, no big deal to lift them, or you can use a gaff. I can lift a fish with gaff either under the gills or use the gaff on their lips. I don't see a bass posing any problems in landing.

I just noticed, yea the boga is a good idea too.

[bigbassctchr101]

If you swing the fish in quickly with the fishes inertia, there shouldn't be as much load put on to the rod. Yes, there are better methods. But, big fish can be put into the boat even with not so heavy rods. I swing 3-4 pound bass often with a medium rod for rattle traps and cranks. I've put them in the boat as much as 5-6 pounders on the same gear with 10lb test line. If you don't use the fishes inertia and pull it straight up out of the water, you'll prob break something sometime. Just my opinion.

[Packard]

Either grab the line and lift it or get a fish gripping device.

[clayton86]

I swing 5+s with a cheap tenacy combo all the time it doesn't break its a Med its spooled with 10lb mono. I also swing em outa the slop with my MH lightning rod no prob both are cheap quality rods

[piscicidal]

Thanks for the replies. I do have a boga grip and do use it quite a bit (esp. mudfish). Not sure the boga grip is that much quicker than lipping (maybe even a little slower). The added 12" space that the boga grip gives is not especially reassuring when an aggressive 8 foot gator is bee-lining at your bass which is half raised out of the water. Grabbing 50lb power pro by hand is something I did one time and will not repeat.

[piscicidal]

I swing 5+s with a cheap tenacy combo all the time it doesn't break its a Med its spooled with 10lb mono. I also swing em outa the slop with my MH lightning rod no prob both are cheap quality rods

I hear ya. I swing 5s with my frog rod all the time. And to be honest, if I broke it, I wouldn't be all that upset. My concern is more toward these higher modulus Dobyns rods. I worry about the relatively low ductility on these blanks when swinging a big fish. And I really don't want to learn the hard way that you shouldn't swing a 6lber with it. Maybe I'll give Gary Dobyns a call.

[J Francho]

If you can swing them, then why can't you net them? It doesn't make sense. Yes, I realize you're dealing with slop. If you can pick the fish up out of the slop, then you get a net through just as easy. A rubber net would be perfect, so you get some slop in the net too - that's half the fun. Also, clear a spot to land your fish next to the boat before hooking into one. I'll do this fishing mats up here.

[breezy]

Honestly, I don't think you will have a problem with either the 766 or 805. Those are both some seriously stout rods. If you're that worried about breaking it just figure out a way to start using a net, better to spend a few extra seconds messing with a net than constantly worrying about breaking an expensive rod. A lot of the time I will use the rod to partially or just barely pick the fish up and out of the water then swing it into the net. There is usually someone else in the boat to net for me, but if not I just hold the net in one hand and use my other to swing the fish in.

I might have an incident occasionally where I look like a fool but for the most part it works ok Looks like your only options are a net or swinging the fish in though. Picking up a lot of slop in the net or snapping a rod both sound better than losing a hand/arm

[SirSnookalot]

As far as I'm concerned the main issue of fishing is to catch them and the preservation of my equipment is not the top priority, it's all easily replaceable. Given the nature of the danger involved, I know what those gators can be like, I'd just swing them up.

Not only do I freshwater fish but spend much more time in saltwater. Just this past Monday and this is commonplace, we catching 20# bonita. By the time we get the fish to the boat these 20 pounders are now 10 pounders, simply reason a school of 6-8 bull sharks hanging around us all day................so ya gotta be careful , gators pose an equal threat.

[Bassn Blvd]

Gator Posse is here. I am born and raised in S. Florida and have fished with gators more times than I can remember. I have never had a problem getting a fish out of the water, without swinging, before it was eatin by a gator. I swing fish all the time, mostly in tourny's, but generally not over 2-3 pounds because I use light line and don't want to risk a pop off.

I've had gators follow the bass towards the boat, but they usually turn around or go under befor they get too close. Sometime though, the smaller gators will try and come closer but generally they keep their distance.

[gobig]

You can swing fish with that rod all day long. The only way that rod is going to break is if it is damaged before hand. Besides it's got a lifetime warranty.

[endless]

Either grab the line and lift it or get a fish gripping device.

Exactly what I do Either lip( no gators here), grab line, or use my gripper for fishes with teeth like bowfin. I have a net but rarely use it. I just never think about it.

[The Bassinator]

Save your rods get a net