16.5 Trolling Rods ?????

[brobrash]

Went spider rigging with the longer rods this weekend and caught lots of fish off these longer poles, I normally run 12 footers but these 16.5's caught way more fish and I lost even more. Any Ideas on the quickest way to get the fish in the boat without a net? Seen the Pros use these long ones but never payed attention to how they did it unless they had a net. I will use a net but don't like to. Not a big problem when fishing 12 ft down but 8 ft down becomes a comedy. Any Ideas?

[SLAB MASTER]

I learned this from fishing with some people in Grenada. Outfit your poles with thumb-bar bait casting reels, then when you hook up all you have to do, if you are fishing shallow, is to hit the thumb bar and let out whatever amount of line you need. If you are fishing deeper it is just as easy to take up line with this type of reel as any other reel. I hope this helps you. I fish with 14' footers and it works really good.Thumbs Up

[bugman]

I learned this from fishing with some people in Grenada. Outfit your poles with thumb-bar bait casting reels, then when you hook up all you have to do, if you are fishing shallow, is to hit the thumb bar and let out whatever amount of line you need. If you are fishing deeper it is just as easy to take up line with this type of reel as any other reel. I hope this helps you. I fish with 14' footers and it works really good.Thumbs Up

Very good advice.

[Jigging Tournaments]

Swing them in the boat!!!!!!!!! and leave the net at home-

[C N]

Swing them in the boat!!!!!!!!! and leave the net at home-

He has a 16' foot rod and is fishing 8' deep........ they don't get close to the boat

[gabowman]

Keep your drags loose and you can pull line off the reel to get the fish in your hands.

[JDavid]

I vote long handled net- we usually get 5-6 extra keepers when they are biting good in the boat using a net, don't know how many times over the years I have had a hook pull free as soon as I got the net under a big crappie. Just my $.04 (inflation ya know)

JDavid

[C N]

I vote long handled net- we usually get 5-6 extra keepers when they are biting good in the boat using a net, don't know how many times over the years I have had a hook pull free as soon as I got the net under a big crappie. Just my $.04 (inflation ya know)

JDavid

Good point. We've had quite a few drop off into the net just like you said.

[Bulletman]

I bet it IS a COMEDY with a 16' rod and 8' of line out and trying to reach the fish LOL

[papadave]

I've found that we catch more fish in the 16s too, about a 3rd more at least.
X2 on swing it in the boat, over the back if need be. My fishing partner has gotten used to a crappie in the face from time to time ....... also we use the little Bucks baitcasters, clicker engaged. It's pretty easy to strip line as you lift, putting the fish in the right place, but a smaller fish just get swept back, or up, to the other fellow in the boat.