What's The Biggest Fish Poundage Wise That You Will Rod Lift Into Your Boat Or Onto Land? 2025
tcbass reply :
I'll usually rod lift a bass up to 3lbs into my boat. Any larger then that I'd be afraid that if break my rod. Perhaps I'm just being paranoid. I did start bring a collapsible net and that's working out well. I usually hold the rod at the reel and my other hand about 8" inches in front of the reel allowing the entire rod to flex and I keep the rod level, not high sticking it.
What's the biggest fish poundage wise that you will rod lift into your boat or onto land?
Tony L. reply :
I tihink that it is less about the weight of the fish and more about the angle at which pressure is being put on the rod, but 3lbs seems fair. Anything bigger is a really high quality bass in my area so i would probably be netting it anyway. I have been known to sometimes grab hold of the line and swing the fish in that way. No strain on the rod at all. 
Careful grabbing too far ahead of the reel. If I am not mistaken, rods are designed to flex throughout most of their entire length to absorb strain. The further up you grab, the more you are forcing all of the pressure to be taken up by the outer portions/tip of the rod.
Bankbeater reply :
I try never to lift anything bigger than a dink. If I can reach the fish I will lip it in the water.
Bluebasser86 reply :
I've boat flipped 5-6 pound fish with heavy gear in the right conditions, like if they're coming up towards the boat. In that case you can use their momentum to lift them into the boat with very little force. Just dead lifting though, 3 pounds is about the max.
frogflogger reply :
Unless it's raining boat flipping is not a very healthy thing to do to a bass - I'm impressed that major league fishing penalizes for a fish touching the deck or the angler's body. These critters are the foundation of all our fun, show them some respect.
Choporoz reply :
I'm with Bankbeater. Unless I can call it a 'dink', I'll lip it. I've started carrying a net in the boat ever since I got a treble buried in a finger last summer, but I haven't used it yet.
gulfcaptain reply :
I lip anything over 2lbs, just to be safe. Don't want it falling off hitting the ground, or deck. I know they do it in tournaments on the ELITE Series because they don't allow nets, but if you watch FLW they net almost anything that looks to be 3 or better. I agree with respecting the fish and causing as little stress as I can to them and returning them to the water as quickly and softly as I can. I do like the Major League rule, everything has to be released below the gunnel and no fish can make contact with the angler or the deck. They even have a rule if you brake a fish off I believe....so they give the fish all the respect they deserve.
A-Jay reply :
I realize this is not what the cool kids do ~ but I use one of these quite a bit.
A-Jay
basshole8190 reply :
I do what bluebasser does if they're not too big. I call it "bouncing"
Rivers Edge reply :
I agree with Bluebasser86
einscodek reply :
Depends on the fish, if its light enuf sure.. if its not, Ill use the rod to keep tight lines on the fish even if it cant be hoisted.
I watch my rod and use it as much as it can to get it close before grabbing the line then working with the fish.
No more hooks completely thru my thumb for me..
Alonerankin2 reply :
I have one hopped a few 5 pounders in the boat...flippin just 5 or 6 Ft. Off the edge of boat in heavy hydrilla targeting open pockets ... Flip/bam lift swing/ done. Happens quick.... Strong sticks can get it done..... I have stuck 8 llb and that's a bit diff. Time to grab em by the mouth! In heavy hydrilla a net is no help really.
Dwight Hottle reply :
I guess I'm too cheap to risk breaking a good rod. So i net them, lip them or grab the line to lift them. I never swing them into the boat just using the rod.
SirSnookalot reply :
More difficult in my opinion to flip them up from a boat than from certain shore positions. In a boat I think you are too close to the water to "spring" them up. When I'm fishing a sea wall or jettie that are around 6-10' high I can spring them up pretty easy. I only use a mh rod when I do this and not all mh rods spring the same, there is a limit of course. Our average snook is 26-28", 6-8# fish, heavier than that I use a pier net. So far so good with 10 years of doing it under my belt.
Kevin22 reply :
Depends on the rod. With a MH or H casting I'd boat flip a 4 no problem. With a ML spinning rod I'd grab or net anything over 15".
OntarioFishingGuy reply :
i always reach down and grab them. Same for releasing, I always revive them by holding them in the water.
Dyerbassman reply :
I don't see a reason to boat flip them. Ever. What's a good reason?
flyfisher reply :
I fish from a kayak so no boat flipping for me as i always lip them but when i did fish from a regular boat more regularly I never flipped a bass into the boat, always reached down and lipped them. Seems lazy to me and there is potential to break a rod, lose a fish or hurt the fish all in the name of what, saving a few seconds?
NEjitterbugger reply :
I prefer not too but the biggest I have was a 4-6 largemouth... This year early spring...
Kevin22 reply :
On 7/3/2014 at 4:21 AM, Dyerbassman said:I don't see a reason to boat flip them. Ever. What's a good reason?
Fishing in heavy current where if you take your foot off the TM you will be spinning around in circles or up in the rocks. Unless you want to reach for the net for every 12" fish you catch, boat flipping is the only option.
ColdSVT reply :
if it is a pound or so ill flip it into the boat...nothing more though
for the record i have never broken a rod while in the act of fishing...not yet anyhow
jignfule reply :
On 7/2/2014 at 9:55 PM, A-Jay said:I realize this is not what the cool kids do ~ but I use one of these quite a bit.
A-Jay
Rubber Landing Net.jpg
Rubber Landing Net.jpgWhat is it ?
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 7/3/2014 at 4:21 AM, Dyerbassman said:I don't see a reason to boat flip them. Ever. What's a good reason?
Fishing a tournament and a fish is coming up towards the boat. The faster I can get them in the faster I can get back to fishing and the less time they spend in the water the less time they have to get off. I don't bounce them though, I flip them towards me and grab the line before they hit the deck.
I fish out of a small aluminum too and it's always windy around here, sometimes it's the only option or the boat will be on the bank by the time I get a fish wrangled and lipped.
Also, I don't like treble hooks tangled in a net or buried in myself.
TNBassin' reply :
I always try to grab the line and support some of the weight myself so the rod doesn't have to bare all the load.
Arv reply :
I lip pretty much everything
kickerfish1 reply :
On 7/2/2014 at 10:32 PM, Dwight Hottle said:I guess I'm too cheap to risk breaking a good rod. So i net them, lip them or grab the line to lift them. I never swing them into the boat just using the rod.
^^ What he said ^^
normmcclean reply :
We jackpole 40# tuna all the time with heavy gear of course as for bass if its my flipping rod then 6lb is my airborne limit if I'm drop shotting then I'm down on the deck for a lip grip its all about committing to the first grab
kickerfish1 reply :
At the end of the day it all boils down to how badly you want to protect your equipment. Now tournament guys that are playing for the big bucks I say swing away and due whatever it takes to get the fish in the boat and cash in for the tournament. For the folks that are fishing for fun "with high end rods" I would question the need to flip a fish of any size. Why chance rod breakage of putting added strain on a rod only to have to file a warranty claim or replace the rod out of pocket if it isn't under warranty. I would never think of boat flipping anything with my Megabass, Loomis, Champ Extremes, or Cumulus rods. Do as you wish with your gear but I believe a good percentage of rod claims can be prevented by avoiding flipping fish.
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