How to fish with a pole

Fixed line fishing really catches fish!

Yes, pole fishing is “BIG”

Before the invention of the fishing reel the angler would tie some string to long stick and fish with that…it worked for a long, long time!

Then fishing reels were invented and anglers forgot about the fixed line methods…well some did!

 

In Japan, China, Europe and a heap of other countries anglers have continued to use fixed line fishing …and they have turned it into an art form.

They don’t users stick and string anymore. High tech blends of carbon and fibreglass are mixed to create rods that are super light, very strong and have a lot of bend.

It’s also amazing the size of the fish they can handle with these things especially when they have no spare line to play with…it all has to be handled with a flexible rod that acts as a shock absorber.

 

There’s a televised fishing competition in Japan, a world championship, of fixed line fishingThere are strict rules and many completion officials sitting between the anglers to make sure they follow the rules.

The competition is held on large man-made lakes and every angler sits at a numbered spot. The lake is stocked with Hera, a type of carp, and the anglers use very expensive fixed line rods with floats attached to catch the fish.

The winner is the angler with the most fish at the end of the competition.

 

This is just one of many competitions held around the world and the reason this fishing’s so popular is that it works so well.

 

I have fished this way many times and had great success for a few years it was my favourite method.

It works really well on still waters like lakes, ponds, dams etc. but can be used on rivers and beaches.

The rods I have used are various length carbon “poles”.

The lengths range from 2.1metres to 7 meters and they are telescopic with many sections…the 7 meter rod is less than 1 metre long when collapsed into its storage size.

 

European anglers got so fanatical on using poles that it has become one of their main ways of fresh water fishing.

They even went one step further by putting “elastic” in their poles

…instead of connecting the line to the end of the pole they tie it to a “connector” that is attached to a long piece of very thin, but strong, rubber tubing.

This tubing it attached to the inside of the pole and when a big fish pulls hard the rubber tubing acts like a reel drag…it stretches so the fish has to fight against the stretching rubber.

 

It might sound a bit strange but I have used them many times and it’s a real hoot to see the rubber stretching in and out of the end of the pole as the fish fights to get away…and YES, the elastic sometimes breaks!

 

So are these fixed line rods or “poles” worth looking at?

 

I say “absolutely” for 3 reasons:

 

  1. Most importantly they’re a lot of fun. I’ve always used them with small floats and you get a real kick watching a float disappear underwater as a fish takes it.
  2. They are easy to use.There’s no casting involved and it’s real easy to put the bait in the same place every time as you just lift the rod and lower the bait. This way you can put you bait right over the top of berley you have thrown in.
  3. They catch fish.I’ve caught redfin and trout… and some big carp in freshwater and garfish, bream, mullet and trevally and flathead in salt water.

 

Fixed line rods are becoming more common in Australia and so more and more are available from tackle stores. They’re usually pretty cheap unless you go “high end” with super light construction and high flex capability.

 

To get the best out of your rod it is best to use a float but still put the bait on the bottom.

It’s easy to do this…

  • Put a float on your line
  • Estimate the depthof the water 
  • Put a sinker on heavy enough to sink the float
  • Plop it in the water…

…if the float disappears under water the float is too low…if it floats on its side it’s too high…

…then just keep adjusting the float up and down on the line until it sits “just right” in the water.

After this you put on the right sinkers(usually split shot work best), tie on a hook and your ready to go.

 

When you fish, throw in berley to the spot you want to fish and place your bait right over the top…

and get ready for action.

 

Fixed line fishing can be a real buzz…and because light floats are very responsive you’ll know the second a fish is messing with your bait.

 

Give it a go…who knows, it might just become your favourite fishing method!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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