technique question

[ryguyfi]

lets say for instance you have a 12" stockie on... do you prefer bringing him in by hand stripping your line, or do you prefer to reel in slack and bring him in by reeling... and does this change with fish size or techniques. I've seen it done both ways and have done it both ways but don't really know if there are advantages to each. Prob larger fish to reel in to get use of drag, but any advantages besides that?

 

[jrcll]

I think most people use the reel, by stripping in line you wil have a pile of line at your feet to tangle or step on, as you mentioned with a large fish you will need to use the drag and the leverage of the rod to reel him in

 

[JackM]

For me it depends on the size of the fish, but a huge factor is how much line I have at my feet already. If I catch a small trout with only a few feet of slack line in my hand or hanging down, I'll put it on the reel. If I have more than a few feet, I'll line it in. Even with a bigger fish, if it isn't willing to take line back during the fight, I'll end up line-landing it. Most times with a 12 inch plus fish, it'll fight enough to let me pay out what is hanging off the reel and I'll land it on the reel.

 

[Padraic]

JackM wrote:
For me it depends on the size of the fish, but a huge factor is how much line I have at my feet already.

I'd agree with that, but also how hard the fish is fighting. I've literally skittered some trout (even fair sized ones) across the surface of the stream stripping the line in by hand. Some trout smaller than 12" made me put them up on the reel simply because they try harder.

Current is a huge factor in how well a trout fights. So is whether the trout is upstream or downstream of the angler. If you are upstream of the trout, than you either have to pull the trout up through the current or run down to him.

 

[tomgamber]

For me it depends on what the fish does. If he takes me to the reel, I reel him in...if he doesn't or can't take me to the reel I almost always just strip him in. I haven't had many fish take off in the other direction for some reason. In this instance, its a little hard to keep pressure and still work line into the reel with the idea of reeling him in. Line tends to accumulate on the spool rather loosely and if he does run later, and your line get fouled, he's gone. I think It also depends whether your one of those people who casts say right handed and then has to put the rod into the other hand to reel. I cast right and reel left so all that juggling isn't a factor.

 

[MKern]

I agree with Pad.-- it depends on current. I am sure you have had small fish tuck in the current and it feels like the fish is 5 lbs.

I use the stipping method a lot and don't feel that large fish need to be landed on the reel. However, if it is a fish that is picture worthy. I place the slack on the reel so I don't step through it or tangle it on rocks/branches.

Personally, I like the feel of the line being pulled back through my fingers during a run.

 

[PaulG]

Most of the time I just strip, it has to be a pretty nice size fish for me to put it on the reel!

Paul

 

[tomgamber]

I think another reason I tend to strip is that I don't really tend to dwell on a fish just caught. All I want to do is get my line back on the water for another fish. If I've reeled all my line in I have to strip it all back out before I can cast again. If I just strip in the fish, my line is already ready to cast again and at approximately the right length.

 

[Wulff-Man]

I rarely use the reel. The only time I do is if the fish is fighting so hard that I think I'm in danger of snapping him off, so I want to use the drag. That doesn't happen very often (unfortunately!). I don't really have a problem with line tangling at my feet when stripping the fish in, for some reason. It's just easier all around to strip them in. Sometimes you have to be careful to be prepared to let the line slide through your fingers if the fish suddenly runs. When I want to get on the reel, I put some tension on the line so it goes on the reel nicely without tangles. I do this by looping the line through my hand so that my thumb and index finger are controlling the fish, and my little finger is controlling the line as it goes onto the reel. In between is the extra slack line.