Hi there! Before heading out to do kayak fishing, it might be practical for you to learn how to set up a fishing pole. The fishing pole is your second most important piece of equipment in kayak fishing. After all, the kayak can’t fish for you, right?
Seasoned kayak fishers know that having the best fishing poles equates to catching the best fish. Ironically, the best fishing poles in the market aren’t pre-assembled. Trusted brands usually deliver their fishing poles in parts. Therefore, you have to figure out how each part fits yourself.
Nevertheless, it’s better to bear with this than buy pre-assembled fishing poles of poor quality.
This talk is a simple guide to setting up a fishing pole. However, I’ll have to talk about the different kinds of fishing poles before heading to the main topic. After this, I’ll give a brief description of the parts of a fishing pole. Lastly, I’ll then give you the tutorial on how to set up a fishing pole.
Of course, the tutorial will be all about the set-up for assembly and set-up for fishing.
Types of Fishing Poles for Kayak Fishing
Spinning Fishing Poles
Don’t be misled because this kind of fishing rod doesn’t spin. Instead, spinning fishing poles are designed to hold a spin casting reel. Spinning fishing poles are very popular. It’s because they’re inexpensive and may be used by kayak fishers of all levels.
Baitcasting Fishing Poles
This kind of fishing pole provides better accuracy when casting. Thus, seasoned Kayakers use this when they want to cast the bait on an isolated spot. Mastering baitcasting fishing poles takes patience. Using them without any practice might lead to a tangled fishing line. Kayak fishers call this “bird’s nest”. Honestly, you don’t want to end up experiencing the ‘bird’s nest” because it takes about half a minute or two to get it undone.
Fly Fishing Poles
Fly fishing poles are perfect for fly fishing reels. As the name implies, they’re perfect for kayak fishers who love to do fly fishing. Fly fishing is a kind of fishing technique that requires hand and body coordination, patience, and timing. It’s very cool to look at because the fishing reel seems to be dancing in the air.
Parts of A Fishing Pole
What’s A Male Ferrule and Female Ferrule?
Have you ever heard a seasoned kayak fisher say that the fishing pole is made out of male and female parts? I’m pretty sure that you found it silly or strange. However, you shouldn’t have. The fishing pole does have male and female components; these are the male ferrule and female ferrule.
The female ferrule is the upper part of the fishing pole. It’s where you’ll find most of the guides, the windings, and the tip-top. Contrarily, the male ferrule is the lower part of this fishing pole. It’s where you’ll find the handle, the butt, the butt cap, and the reel seat.
By the way, don’t confuse the butt with the butt cup. The butt is the portion of the male ferrule that’s directly above the handle. The but cap, on the other hand, is the part that’s directly below the handle.
Windings and Guide
The guide is the part of the fishing pole where the fishing line enters. I like to call it the “fishing line highway” because it’s where the fishing line traverses on. On the other hand, the windings are the cords that fasten the guide on the fishing pole. They’re usually found of the lower portion of the guide.
The Handle
The handle is the part where you hold the fishing pole. Handles may be wood, rubber, plastic, or a mix of these. Typically, the best handles are those which support the ergonomic positioning of the hands while fishing.
The Fishing Reel Seat
The fishing reel seat is the portion where you mount the fishing reel. Some fishing poles come with fishing reel seats with clamps to hold the fishing reel more securely. You’ll know that a fishing reel seat is good if it doesn’t allow the fishing reel to wobble or separate from the fishing pole
Tip and Tip Top
The tip is the uppermost portion of the fishing pole. It’s the part that receives all the tension as the fish struggles to get free. At the upper end of the tip is the tip-top. It’s the final guide that puts the fishing line in place.
How To Set Up A Fishing Pole
- First, you have to find a flat surface. A table or any other similar object will do. Just be sure that it allows you to lay all the parts of the fishing poles without dropping. If you can’t find an object with a flat surface, clear the floor instead and lay the parts on it.
- Usually, the guides, butt cap. and windings are already attached to the fishing pole. That said, all you have to do is to work on the bigger parts of the fishing pole. I suggest that you work on the male ferrule first since it’s the part that holds the other parts of the fishing pole.
- Get the handle and attach it to the male ferrule. Remember not to place it oppositely or you’ll end up with awkward hand positioning when fishing. Next is the fishing reel. By default, the fishing reel comes with a clamp that allows it to attach on the fishing reel seat. Nevertheless, don’t trust it and secure its base with a cord, rubber band, or glue.
- After inserting the handle, lay the male ferrule aside and work on the fishing reel. Expose its line spool and attach the fishing line. While attaching, remember to look for tangling. Not installing the fishing line well will make the fishing reel impossible to turn.
- Now that you have the fishing reel installed, it’s time to attach the male and female ferrule. Doing this is easy since all you have to do is insert the male ferrule on the large hole that’s located at the base of the female ferrule. By the way, remember that the guides should be perfectly aligned when attaching.
- The fishing pole is mostly complete after attaching the male and female ferrule. All that you have to do is to get one end of the fishing line and run it through each guide. Specifically, the fishing line should insert on the butt guide first (the lowermost guide) and then to the tip-top last (the uppermost guide).
- Finally, attach the hook and put it on the hook holder.
How To Set Up A Fishing Pole To Catch Fish
Now that you have the fishing pole ready, it’s time to catch some fish. I’ll assume that you’re a beginner using a spinning fishing pole. Here’s how you set it up for kayak fishing.
The most important thing that you need to learn is how to attach baits on the hook. Live baits are the most tricky out of all baits. This includes earthworms, maggots, and other grubs. To attach them on the hook, pierce their butt and insert the hook on their body. Remember that the hook must not protrude. Also, don’t let it go all the way through and leave the rest of the worm’s body unhooked to attract fish.
The same principle also goes to artificial baits.
Now it’s time to cast the bait out. Press the button on the fishing reel first. This button loosens the spool and allows it to turn. After this, hold the fishing pole way past the head. Build momentum and decide timing by swinging the fishing pole a bit back and forth. Finally, swing the fishing pole forward. After doing this, the fishing line will dart forward and encompass a short distance before plunging into the deeps.
Of course, the fish won’t take the bait immediately. Put the fishing pole on the kayak rod holder and work on the other fishing poles. Just follow the steps that I mentioned in this section from the beginning. Know more about fishing ? Click the link.
Conclusion
Knowing how to set-up a fishing pole is a fundamental skill in kayak fishing. Without knowing how to do it, you’re nothing but an average Kayaker who owns a fishing Kayak. That said, having adequate knowledge about fishing pole set-up is as important as mastering the basic and advanced techniques in kayak fishing. So don’t even think of riding the fishing kayak if you don’t know how to work with fishing poles by yourself.