How to hold a jigpole?

[iceman cometh]

I'm a newbie to tightlining crappie on a jigpole in the "softwater" months(spring,summer,and fall), though it is the main technique I use in the winter through the ice on ice gear. I bought a cheap 12' slab seeker pole last year and only fished it two days. I was really disappointed. First off, I spent the first hour trying to cast or slingshot it with horrible results, only to find out later it was used for vertical jigging. So, I went back the second day, fished from my boat, and within 10 minutes I thought my arm was going to fall off from the weight of the pole. I tried sliding the reel up or down on the seat to see if this would help, but it didn't. Is there a proper way to hold these long poles so it doesn't feel like your arm is going to fall off?

[CrappiePappy]

what you are experiencing is two things: one, the heaviness of "glass" type rods - and, the difference between a 12ft longpole and a micro-lite ice fishing rod :rolleyes: Sounds like what you've got is more suited for putting in a pole holder :o (definitely not for casting or "shooting" with) And about the only way you can use "your" particular outfit for vertical jigging - is to have enough handle length "behind" the reel, to rest under your forearm (and not just hold the rod/reel with your wrist).

Not much can be done about the weight of the rod. And, depending on what reel you have on it (mainly "its" weight) you may not be able to get much "balance" out of it, either. Putting the reel on the handle as far to the butt end as possible, and still have a "tip heavy" feeling rod ? - that's an indication that your reel is too light to balance the outfit properly. You can get into a bit of a dilemma when trying to match out and balance those longer poles. You want it to be light, so you can hold it horizontal for long periods of time - you want it to be strong, so it can hoss those big slabs outta the cover and towards the boat - you want it to be sensitive to the slightest "tic" ... and yet, you want it to be balanced, with enough reel/handle weight to offset the weight of the rod blank length - but, you don't want the outfit to weigh a pound The problem comes when trying to find a light weight outfit, that's properly balanced, and still stout enough to do the job.

I like for the rod to balance where my 1st finger would normally be on the handle, when fishing with it. This places as much weight in my hand, as is forward of my hand. I can live with a little "tip heavy", or even "butt heavy" ... but, I mostly cast - so my rod isn't usually "held horizontally" for any length of time.

About the only time I fish "vertically", is when I'm tightlining minnows (and I'm not holding the rod, then) ... or "Vertical Casting" jigs (see articles section for explanation). I don't use "longpoles", at least nothing over 8ft long, that is. So, I'm not the one to ask about what brands/models are what you might want. We've got several reputable rod maker members/sponsors, so you might check out what they offer. ........... luck2ya ...cp

[frank lawhead]

I,ve Used About All The Lengths Of Poles [all Graphite]
Any Over 10' Just Don,t Feel Good To Me---get Tip Heavy ....
Spent 1/2 Day In Boat With One Very Good Jig Man And He Was Using A 10' Pole ... Never Said Anything To Him About Using Longer Rods But I Assume He Felt The Same Way

[Mopar Matt]

Buy a lighter rod, preferably one with adjustable counter balance. I like the Wally Marshall pro series rods. They have a stiff backbone with a soft tip, are lightweight and you can adjust the balance with brass washers on the butt section to compensate for the reel.

[FishHunter]

Hey Guys, Head for the local Hardware Store and buy some of the rubber cane tips to fit over the butt of those unbalanced rods. Stuff them with a slug of lead and install. Cheap way to make a long day on the water bearable.
-FishHunter