Are you curious how much your your rod weights?

[Guest Fishing For Life]

After steelheading for two straight days at the opener, my wrist got so sored

that I thought I had to go to hospital. I believe it was caused by the combination of

the reel+rod toal weight and the weight inbalance.

 

just wonder if there are comparison regarding

1) rod model number

2) rod length

3) rod weight

4) rod center gravity location

5) centerpin reel weight

 

information mentioned above will definitely help me towards

purchasing the new rod & reel

 

Thanks!

[GbayGiant]

I can never understand how guys get sore from fishing ? I mean no matter what combo you get it's light either way, where taking maybe a ounce or two total by getting the lightest most expensive gear compared to a nice average set up. I hear it all the time in musky world, which makes a little more sense considering the weight of things is 50x heavier than most fresh water fishing but still it's a walk in the park compared to any other physical activity or a average work day. If it is truly sore just from fishing it will go away after your little wrist muscles catch up to the stress from fishing long periods, just like the first week you put hockey skates on your feet kill but eventually adapt.

 

Not trying to be a ass but honestly it's fishing man, it's the easiest sport (activety) you could possibly do as far as physical/athletic ability. This is why we see 500lbs fishermen drinking beer and eating wings while fishing at the same time.

 

If your sore from fishing I think you should go to the doc, chances are it's not fishing related.

 

Now you can still get a $1000 G-loomis rod, $2000 custom titanium float reel, shorten the rod to lighten the load and get a reel seat that slides so you can balance it wherever you want. In the end you'll have a hole in your pocket, a 3 ounce lighter set-up and the same wrist problem. It will go away naturally if it is from over fishing, don't worry you'll get use to it in no time.

[SlowPoke]

It probably has more to do with technique than weight/balance. If you can develop another way to get the job done, switching techniques throughout the day will probably ease your pain. I cast left and right with both my spinning gear and baitcaster and found a big difference at the end of the day. I still have to work on another technique for trolling, my butt gets sore!

-Brian

[jace]

I started fishing both hands for the same reason. When i go on vacation, i fish literally 12+ hours/day, all day, every day, for almost 2 months straight...trust me when i say your equipment's balance and weight matters. So after learning to fish both hands, stripping weight off my rods and reels was the next step and it makes a huge difference which is why for both bass and fly, the only 2 types of fishing where your hands are swinging literally all day long in fairly rapid succession, the higher tech rods have the weight down to nothing. For both, you're probably making about 5-10 casts/minute, maybe more. anything repetitive causes tremendous strain, regardless of the weight, but once you add weight, it adds to the problem. ...don't think so? ask a secretary or data entry person with carple tunnel syndrome how they would feel about adding weight to their fingers while typing. ...and that's why you can get entire bass and spinning rod/reel setups that cost well over $1000 but they weigh 10oz, total, rod and reel. Typical middle priced reels weigh that much by themselves and most cheaper freshwater reels alone can be twice that. Most heavy setups and bluewater equipment, although they weigh a ton, they are either not used for casting all the time and sometimes not cast at all (trolled, bottom, whatever). Besides this, lightweight and super powerful standup stick don't go together which is why the very big rods over 80# class are heavy e/s-glass.

 

For steelhead rods, you're going to have to fork out a lot of cash to get the weight down because even with generally lightweight components, the length of the rod magnifies it so you're going to need and want the very lightest components available. It's hard to do the first time, it was for me, but you will never look back after you do and you'll wish you did it sooner. You're going to have to find something probably built around titanium guides as they are the lightest out there. There are some factory rods built with RECoil guides...go to a store and compare them to a rod with normal guides and you'll feel a huge difference just doing a wiggle test, you'll feel the big heavy normal guides swinging the rod tip much longer than the titanium and RECoil rods...and guess what's fighting and dampening all that extra wiggling....your wrist. multiply that by a 1/2 day of fishing day after day.

[jonnybass]

I started fishing both hands for the same reason. When i go on vacation, i fish literally 12+ hours/day, all day, every day, for almost 2 months straight...trust me when i say your equipment's balance and weight matters. So after learning to fish both hands, stripping weight off my rods and reels was the next step and it makes a huge difference which is why for both bass and fly, the only 2 types of fishing where your hands are swinging literally all day long in fairly rapid succession, the higher tech rods have the weight down to nothing. For both, you're probably making about 5-10 casts/minute, maybe more. anything repetitive causes tremendous strain, regardless of the weight, but once you add weight, it adds to the problem. ...don't think so? ask a secretary or data entry person with carple tunnel syndrome how they would feel about adding weight to their fingers while typing. ...and that's why you can get entire bass and spinning rod/reel setups that cost well over $1000 but they weigh 10oz, total, rod and reel. Typical middle priced reels weigh that much by themselves and most cheaper freshwater reels alone can be twice that. Most heavy setups and bluewater equipment, although they weigh a ton, they are either not used for casting all the time and sometimes not cast at all (trolled, bottom, whatever). Besides this, lightweight and super powerful standup stick don't go together which is why the very big rods over 80# class are heavy e/s-glass.

 

For steelhead rods, you're going to have to fork out a lot of cash to get the weight down because even with generally lightweight components, the length of the rod magnifies it so you're going to need and want the very lightest components available. It's hard to do the first time, it was for me, but you will never look back after you do and you'll wish you did it sooner. You're going to have to find something probably built around titanium guides as they are the lightest out there. There are some factory rods built with RECoil guides...go to a store and compare them to a rod with normal guides and you'll feel a huge difference just doing a wiggle test, you'll feel the big heavy normal guides swinging the rod tip much longer than the titanium and RECoil rods...and guess what's fighting and dampening all that extra wiggling....your wrist. multiply that by a 1/2 day of fishing day after day.

 

It really makes no difference after you factor in a 1 ounce bell sinker and #2 trebel loaded with an oversized marshmallow.

 

ha ha.

[jonnybass]

After steelheading for two straight days at the opener, my wrist got so sored

that I thought I had to go to hospital. I believe it was caused by the combination of

the reel+rod toal weight and the weight inbalance.

 

just wonder if there are comparison regarding

1) rod model number

2) rod length

3) rod weight

4) rod center gravity location

5) centerpin reel weight

 

information mentioned above will definitely help me towards

purchasing the new rod & reel

 

Thanks!

 

For noodle rods, I've always opted for a rod with the sliding rings so that you can position your reel in a spot that has the most balance. As an added bonus, you can always switch your reel in the future and then simply re-position.

[jace]

It really makes no difference after you factor in a 1 ounce bell sinker and #2 trebel loaded with an oversized marshmallow.

 

ha ha.

 

 

sure it does. your 25 Oz rod reel +1oz to my 10 Oz Rod reel + 1oz sinker. I'm still swinging 1/2 your weight. That 1oz tackle is really what doesn't matter when i've shaved over 10 Oz off the rod/reel.

[jonnybass]

sure it does. your 25 Oz rod reel +1oz to my 10 Oz Rod reel + 1oz sinker. I'm still swinging 1/2 your weight. That 1oz tackle is really what doesn't matter when i've shaved over 10 Oz off the rod/reel.

 

Granted, but you're still not taking into account the weight of the over-sized marshmallow. Nevermind.

[bassman]

I find that I get sore when I'm not catching fish.

 

Suck it up Alice.

[canadian_copper]

THIS TOPIC HAS ALWAYS MADE ME LAUGH IN THE STEELHEAD BOARDS.

GUYS WOULD CHOOSE A REEL OVER ANOTHER CAUSE ITS HALF AN OUNCE LIGHTER.

NOT MANY FISH STEEL AS MUCH AS I DO AND I HAVE NO PROBS AND I USE ONE OF THE HEAVIEST REELS OUT THERE!!UNLESS YOU HAVE A MEDICAL PROB OR SOMETHIN RELATED GEAR IS REALLY NOT THAT HEAVY. WERE TALKIN OUNCES NOT POUNDS. IF MY 10YR OLD CAN HANDLE MY ROD AND REEL I SEE NO PROBS.

ALOT OF STRAIN WILL COME FROM OTHER THINGS LIKE STANDING POSITION(ON THE BACK) FOOT WEAR AND FOOTING. CASTING SKILLS, DISTANCE ECT.

ALL I CAN SAY REALLY IS SUCK IT UP IF IT HURTS BUT BETTER YET HIT THE GYM ON OFF FISH DAYS!!!

BEST OF LUCK

[Guest Fishing For Life]

Regardless of how tough you are or how much you love fishing,

isnt it great to know how much rods weight before making purchases?

 

I just notieced that most rod information are available (material, lenth, line weight .. etc)

but not the weight .. why wouldnt I buy a rod a bit more expensive but still within my budget

when it can be easily balanced ..

 

just my $0.02

[jace]

THIS TOPIC HAS ALWAYS MADE ME LAUGH IN THE STEELHEAD BOARDS.

GUYS WOULD CHOOSE A REEL OVER ANOTHER CAUSE ITS HALF AN OUNCE LIGHTER.

NOT MANY FISH STEEL AS MUCH AS I DO AND I HAVE NO PROBS AND I USE ONE OF THE HEAVIEST REELS OUT THERE!!UNLESS YOU HAVE A MEDICAL PROB OR SOMETHIN RELATED GEAR IS REALLY NOT THAT HEAVY. WERE TALKIN OUNCES NOT POUNDS. IF MY 10YR OLD CAN HANDLE MY ROD AND REEL I SEE NO PROBS.

ALOT OF STRAIN WILL COME FROM OTHER THINGS LIKE STANDING POSITION(ON THE BACK) FOOT WEAR AND FOOTING. CASTING SKILLS, DISTANCE ECT.

ALL I CAN SAY REALLY IS SUCK IT UP IF IT HURTS BUT BETTER YET HIT THE GYM ON OFF FISH DAYS!!!

BEST OF LUCK

 

 

so go join a football forum and tell them that they spend big bucks on modern lightweight equipement because they need to go to the gym more.

 

tell world class edurance cyclists like tour de france riders that they need to train more instead of spending 5-6 figures on lightweight carbon fiber bikes.

 

tell pro tennis forum members that if they trained more, they could go back to old wooden and aluminum rackets and be just as good.

 

serious long distance hikers are unfit and that's why they buy titanium gear and tents and sleeping bags that weight 1-2lbs.

 

a genuine marathon runner can go back to heavy old rubber and leather shoes if only they dedicated themselves to the sport

 

Anything we do all day involving muscles benefits from reduced weight and well designed equipment.

[MJL]

For me, I'm probably one of the smallest guys out on the river - I'm not particularly tall or heavy nor am I very strong so finding the best way to lug around a heavy rod is important. Consider the physics of levers. Fishing rods are just that. You have a long length on one side of the fulcrum (where you place your hand) and a short length on the other (butt section). Naturally physics is working against you in terms of what load you have to carry. If you wanted to lift a heavy object, you'd push down with the long length between you and the fulcrum to lift load the short length. You can have the lightest rod in the world but the physics of it is always working against you because of the fact that the butt section of a rod is always going to be shorter than the rest of it out in front of you. There is also the multiplier effect - I'm no mathametician but it's something that I studied in operations management and ergonomics. If you try to lift something farther away from you, the harder it will be and the greater the force needed to lift it. Hence, this is the reason why people can get away with using heavier centrepins - They're located very close to the fulcrum...Stick it at the long end of 13ft of graphite and you've got problems - Ounces seem like pounds.

 

With that said some things you can do

- Shove the butt end of the rod under your armpit so that it takes off most of the load - You yourself become the counterbalance rather than the 12 inches of cork and a rubber butt cap.

- Find a position that keeps your wrist as straight as possible - A bent wrist kept in that position for hours will always hurt at the end of the day...That's why they used to sell those ergonomic computer keyboards that split in the middle. It screwed with people's minds but at least it kept your wrist straight.

- Switch up the way you hold a centrepin over the course of a day to minimize the repetitive strain on certain muscles in a particular position.

- Take your rod and reel to a physician and have them help you find a good way to hold things to minimize strain and the chance of injury. I took my rod and reel to school and showed my prof...He helped me understand what I needed to correct in my casting technique.

- You can always blow $ and buy a custom rod and reel which may be lighter and better balanced.

 

One tip I've used from my experience in fly fishing is to use your body to cast. Lefty Kreh advocates this is the best way to prevent screwing up your arm. I tuck the butt section of the rod under my armpit and turn my body during the cast. All the power generated comes from my body rather than just my arm. You can't cast as far but I can cast to 95% of the places I fish. It helps if you use slightly heavier weight on the business end to load up the rod during the cast and act as a weight for zinging it out.

 

Always stretch before fishing - sounds weird but it really is a physical activity.

 

These things have helped me. I still do get sore wrists after 2 days of fishing 14hrs each day. The pain is far less than what I used to experience.

[danc]

Well said MJL. Being in shape has nothing to do with it at all.

[lew]

Try casting 10" wooden baits for 12 hours, then you'll know what tired really means

[MJL]

Try casting 10" wooden baits for 12 hours, then you'll know what tired really means

 

That's what rod holders and trolling motors are for

[shane]

Try casting 10" wooden baits for 12 hours, then you'll know what tired really means

 

You need one of these..

[irishfield]

Try casting 10" wooden baits for 12 hours, then you'll know what tired really means

 

Why I like to troll Lew ! lol

[lew]

I think you guys are all just getting old

[GbayGiant]

so go join a football forum and tell them that they spend big bucks on modern lightweight equipement because they need to go to the gym more.

 

tell world class edurance cyclists like tour de france riders that they need to train more instead of spending 5-6 figures on lightweight carbon fiber bikes.

 

tell pro tennis forum members that if they trained more, they could go back to old wooden and aluminum rackets and be just as good.

 

serious long distance hikers are unfit and that's why they buy titanium gear and tents and sleeping bags that weight 1-2lbs.

 

a genuine marathon runner can go back to heavy old rubber and leather shoes if only they dedicated themselves to the sport

 

Anything we do all day involving muscles benefits from reduced weight and well designed equipment.

 

 

 

LOL, so now where comparing Bob Izumi to Lance Armstrong ? Come on guys it doesn't get any easier on your body than fishing, this is a joke to me (you guys are young, I can understand an old man getting a little sore). The next strenuous activity down from fishing is laying in a hammock all day with a Corona, but let me tell you, that Corona bottle really gets heavy at the end of the day, maybe they should design some ultra light beer bottles too, my wrist is taking a beating.

[Casey123]

Ok Ladies, think it is time for some off you to find another way to pass the time!

[MJL]

LOL, so now where comparing Bob Izumi to Lance Armstrong ? Come on guys it doesn't get any easier on your body than fishing, this is a joke to me (you guys are young, I can understand an old man getting a little sore). The next strenuous activity down from fishing is laying in a hammock all day with a Corona, but let me tell you, that Corona bottle really gets heavy at the end of the day, maybe they should design some ultra light beer bottles too, my wrist is taking a beating.

 

For me, it's not so much the weight that I'll be carrying throughout the day that I'm worried about, it's the motions involved compounded by the weight and carried over a long period of time (years) that I'm most worried about. I'm young and fish hard now, I want to be fishing hard when I'm old. I know a few anglers who had to give up the sport they loved because of injuries to their wrist, elbows and rotator cuffs - prominent in fly fishing, some in float fishing.

 

An activity doesn't have to be strenuous to cause injury. You can be sitting down at your computer browsing the internet using a mouse and develop Tendonitis and/or tennis elbow - I did case studies on this in school and its surprising how much a problem ergonomics (or a lack thereof) actually is in the workplace. Auto assembly workers who do nothing but screw bolts onto a car without having to lift anything can develop injuries. Casting a rod for 14hrs a day over years can cause injuries. Pain is a sign something is not right. I love fishing and do my best to do it in ways to prevent injuries.

 

When I'm 80+ yrs old, I want to be able to do this - Definitely worth watching when it hits 2:30

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tc3Z9okcH3A...feature=related

 

You don't have to feel pain when you're old.

[danbo]

[Guest skeeter99]

my wife says my rod weighs quite a bit LOL!!!

 

 

sorry I have been holding off not saying that but I just had 2

[Guest Fishing For Life]

I am just wondering if there are any rods with its center of gravity at the end of the rod

not in the middle of the rod ... if so, it would be alot easier to balance it out with reels ..

 

Anything there?