Fishing Forearm? 2024

Red reply :

I am wondering if anyone here has pain in the top side of their forearm, which they think is due to fishing? Mine has been getting worse and worse. It isn't terrible, unbearable pain, but it has got increasingly worse and is now pretty constant. I did a bit of research and it seems the two big muscles in that area of the arm are responsible for moving the wrist. Anyway, anyone have any advice on how to deal with it? I am certainly NOT going to stop fishing like some websites recommended!

Cliff

bocabasser reply :

i get that pain when i flip a weight that is an ounce or heavier. that is one of the reasons i don't flip as much as i should.

webertime reply :

ICE ICE ICE.

Stretch BOTH arms like this... arms out in front, palms up. Walk up to a wall and palms against the wall. Keep your elbow locked and change the angle (rotation) of your palms on the wall. Hold each angle for 15-30 seconds. Those are muscles that move your wrist from neutral to cocked back (thumb towards elbow, but you knew that). Stretch and ice repeatedly. If it gets bad you could start to get some serious tendinitis and nerve issues (ulnar nerve). I have issues with it due years of Lacrosse (hyper extended elbows), Weight lifting and fishing.

When you are out there flinging a 1/2oz bait a few hundred times it is working your muscles a lot, just a small amounts of stress over hundreds of reps., it adds up... You should stretch your arms/shoulders/back just to keep things loose and to prevent this sort of injury.

If it gets bad try going lefty (or righty) for a bit.

ICE ICE ICE...

Wishing you good luck and stay on top of it. I didn't and it turned into bicep tendinitis, the worst pain/discomfort I've ever had.

rowyourboat reply :

get some light weights and work them out. i started doing this a few years ago and it really helps my stamina. also remember to stretch before and after fishing. i know it sounds stupid, but it als helps.... and like it was mentioned, use ice. also, use a baseball to rub out the soreness by rolling it over your buscles

Red reply :

Quote
i get that pain when i flip a weight that is an ounce or heavier. that is one of the reasons i don't flip as much as i should.

That is why I am getting concerned a bit. I do ALOT of flippin and pichin, but recently I was on a hot crank bite. But it has died so now I will be hittin the timber with a jig. Thanks for all the tips, gonna ice it down right now.

SoFlaBassAddict reply :

One thing a lot of people don't realize is that you really should stretch your muscles before fishing. Especially when you're doing different techniques than you're used to doing. Fishing can be really rough on the body at times.

aceman387 reply :

Its funny this topic came up because the past 3-4 weeks i have been having a pain in my shoulder and left arm and numb finger tips on my left hand which i believe is a pinched nerve. Could this be from fishing to much? i do fish before work and after work . I don't plan on taking a break to recover because we have 4-5 months of old man winter bearing down on us.

fishfordollars reply :

Quote
Its funny this topic came up because the past 3-4 weeks i have been having a pain in my shoulder and left arm and numb finger tips on my left hand which i believe is a pinched nerve. Could this be from fishing to much? i do fish before work and after work . I don't plan on taking a break to recover because we have 4-5 months of old man winter bearing down on us.

That numbness in your fingers and fore arm could be Carpel tunnel syndrome. I had it and had to have both hands operated on back in the mid 90s. It's coming back now so i may be looking at a do over.

Casca reply :

do you cast using just one hand/arm? if you do try using a two handed cast. i have small hands and basically need to cast this way and have never had a problem with my arms or shoulder. i don't stretch for fishing but i should, it can only help. i know you'll keep fishing 'till your arm falls off,hopefully it won't. best of luck.

regards,

Casca

webertime reply :

Quote
Its funny this topic came up because the past 3-4 weeks i have been having a pain in my shoulder and left arm and numb finger tips on my left hand which i believe is a pinched nerve. Could this be from fishing to much? i do fish before work and after work . I don't plan on taking a break to recover because we have 4-5 months of old man winter bearing down on us.

That's the Ulnar nerve. This is the same nerve that give you writer's cramp/carpel tunnel, it's also your "funny bone" it's also the nerve that runs up the back of your shoulder into your neck.

I have custom wrapped my rods to alliviate any strange pressure points on my hand and ever so slightly change the angle the rod comes out of my hand. I have Carrot Stick casting rods and the grip is tiny and the winding check hits right in the middle of my palm and made my ring and pinkie fingers go numb all the time earlier this year. Since I wrapped it I've been golden. I'll post pix of it when I get home...

00 mod reply :

When I fish alot, my elbows hurt......maybe i keep my forearms in shape other ways..... ;D

Shane J reply :

I know what you're talking about. Sometimes I get that after fishing all day, especially if I make sweet love to my wife the night before, then fish all day, I come home feeling like an old man!

I.rar reply :

why do you think popeye looks the way he does? ;D

i rarely ever throw anything over 3/4 oz (bait , weight , and hook total) , but when i do , i immediately feel pain in my arm as well. im too old for my age. :-/

J Francho reply :

For you guys pitching heavy jigs and punch rigs, consider having a rodsmith balance your rod with the bait on it. I added a bit of weight to my flipping stick, and while it feels a little funny throwing frogs, its perrrrrrrfect for pitching 1 to 1.5 oz. baits.

flyboy reply :

It is basically tennis elbow. Google tennis elbow and you will find a number of techniques to stretch and work the muscles to eliminate it. While it is bothering you be sure to use ice religiously.

BobP reply :

If you stroke jigs hard for very long, it can definitely make the ligaments in the top of your forearm hurt. I don't think it's just muscle because it can last months, not days.

"Doc, it hurts when I do this..."

"Well, stop doing that."

Change your technique. Try casting crankbaits with the reel rotated counter-clockwise 90 degrees. It helps a lot.

Red reply :

Thanks for all the info guys. I iced last night for 20 minutes and again tonight. After each icing I used the "baseball" technique someone mentioned. This process so far has eliminated the pain. However, this morning at work as soon as I grabbed my hammer the pain was back and lasted all day until I just iced again tonight. I plan to be flippin and pitchin a jig all day friday so I will report back after that trip.

NorcalBassin reply :

Quote
Its funny this topic came up because the past 3-4 weeks i have been having a pain in my shoulder and left arm and numb finger tips on my left hand which i believe is a pinched nerve. Could this be from fishing to much? i do fish before work and after work . I don't plan on taking a break to recover because we have 4-5 months of old man winter bearing down on us.

Ace... that's coming from your neck. A given joint traditionally refers up or down one level, if it is an entire extremity it is almost always coming from the spine (arms = neck, legs = low back).

NorcalBassin reply :

Quote
It is basically tennis elbow. Google tennis elbow and you will find a number of techniques to stretch and work the muscles to eliminate it. While it is bothering you be sure to use ice religiously.

Ding, ding, ding... you are the winner for getting the diagnosis right.

8-)

slonezp reply :

First of all, what a depressing thread.

Secondly

Quote
Its funny this topic came up because the past 3-4 weeks i have been having a pain in my shoulder and left arm and numb finger tips on my left hand which i believe is a pinched nerve. Could this be from fishing to much? i do fish before work and after work . I don't plan on taking a break to recover because we have 4-5 months of old man winter bearing down on us.

I too have numbness in my pinky and ring fingers that wakes me up every night, happens while driving, and worst of all I get numbness when senko or fluke fishing on a spinning combo. A guy I work with had surgery last year to relocate a pinched nerve. Same symptoms. I would like to prolong the inevitable as long as I can. I just got back to work after having rotator cuff surgery and can't afford more time off.

:'( :'( :'(

NorcalBassin reply :

Quote
I too have numbness in my pinky and ring fingers that wakes me up every night, happens while driving, and worst of all I get numbness when senko or fluke fishing on a spinning combo. A guy I work with had surgery last year to relocate a pinched nerve. Same symptoms. I would like to prolong the inevitable as long as I can. I just got back to work after having rotator cuff surgery and can't afford more time off.
:'( :'( :'(

If it's your pinky and ring finger then it very well may be the ulnar nerve. Your buddy had a SMUNT (Submuscular ulnar nerve transposition), and the outcomes unfortunately vary greatly with that procedure. That being said, you are far from surgery if your symptoms are intermittent. Whatever you do, do not put any direct pressure over the inside of your elbow (nerve is most superficial there and susceptible to chronic irritation)... so make sure you rest the meat of your forearm on the console while driving or any other time you would otherwise be resting on your elbows. Hopefully this isn't the case, but if the cuff repair you had was on the same side as your hand symptoms, your neck could be the culprit (C5 refers to the shoulder and can decrease your cuff strength to the point of leading to partial/complete tears). Your ortho doc should be able to do a pretty quick differential diagnosis to figure out what's going on with you. Good luck!

slonezp reply :

Quote

Quote
I too have numbness in my pinky and ring fingers that wakes me up every night, happens while driving, and worst of all I get numbness when senko or fluke fishing on a spinning combo. A guy I work with had surgery last year to relocate a pinched nerve. Same symptoms. I would like to prolong the inevitable as long as I can. I just got back to work after having rotator cuff surgery and can't afford more time off.
:'( :'( :'(

If it's your pinky and ring finger then it very well may be the ulnar nerve. Your buddy had a SMUNT (Submuscular ulnar nerve transposition), and the outcomes unfortunately vary greatly with that procedure. That being said, you are far from surgery if your symptoms are intermittent. Whatever you do, do not put any direct pressure over the inside of your elbow (nerve is most superficial there and susceptible to chronic irritation)... so make sure you rest the meat of your forearm on the console while driving or any other time you would otherwise be resting on your elbows. Hopefully this isn't the case, but if the cuff repair you had was on the same side as your hand symptoms, your neck could be the culprit (C5 refers to the shoulder and can decrease your cuff strength to the point of leading to partial/complete tears). Your ortho doc should be able to do a pretty quick differential diagnosis to figure out what's going on with you. Good luck!

Rotator cuff surgery was on the opposite side and a work related injury.

aceman387 reply :

Maybe Glenn could come out with a fishing strength training video for this site, complete with weight training, stretching, and of course plenty of girls in skimpy bikinis to fill in the background.

Shane J reply :

I like it, ace. "Fishing Fitness with Glenn". It's got potential.

Catt reply :

Wait until y'all get older, it hurts even more

bassmedic46 reply :

I use ice and take Motrin, Seems to keep the pain in check.

Tin reply :

i got the hgh to heal quick

come at me bro!

Catt reply :

Go to your local Pharmacy and ask for Banalg but beware not to put it where you don't want it!!!

WRB reply :

http://www.tennis-elbow-treatments.com/

Once tendons are inflamed, they don't heal on their own. When you get older arthritis sets in and the pain gets a lot worse. Treat it now while you can.

WRB

flyboy reply :

Does anyone have a link for Glenn's fitness video?

Grey Wolf reply :

Quote
Does anyone have a link for Glenn's fitness video?

As soon as he gets it made , you'll be the first one to get a copy.

BassThumb reply :

That's tennis elbow inflammation. I've had a few bouts of it in the last few years, but mainly in my right wrist or just above it. This is from repetitive casting, half of which are wristy sidearm casts. I've tried to make a point of improving my left handed casting this year mainly just to distribute the wear and tear a little bit. I'm still not nearly as accurate, but not all casts require precise accuracy, so I toss those left handed, and my elbow and wrist feel much better.

While we're on the topic of fishing related pain, for those who have had issues with joint pain in your rod hand, "The Claw", where your hand stiffens up from gripping a baitcasting reel tightly, the solution that worked for me is taking heavy doses (2/day) during the fishing season of a joint health supplement Glucosamine and Chondroitin. This stuff works wonders for joint inflammation by making your cartilage stronger and making it absorb shock better, but I doubt it will help with the tendon inflammation.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/tennis-elbow/DS00469

The brand I use, from my local store.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Spring-Valley-Glucosamine-Chondroitin-Plus-Joint-Lubricants-Dietary-Supplement-90-ct/10324592

deaknh03 reply :

I got a bad case of tendinitis earlier this year in my right elbow, and boy did it hurt. Couldn't bend my arm without pain, and this had never happened to me before. I toughed it out for a couple of weeks and hoped it would go away, but it didn't. i tried different things like icing and other methods but nothing worked for me. I ended up speaking with an old timer that frequents my store, and he had the same issue previously. He said that using free weights , light ones, and building up from there worked for him. I hit the gym at least 5 times a week and had been having trouble because of the elbow, so after I spoke with him I tried the light weights at the gym. I did bicep curls with 10lb weights to start, and it hurt, but after about a week and a half I worked it up to 15 and as of today I am back to normal. No pain, nothing! I can hit the gym without pain and fishing doesn't hurt me anymore. I also take a supplement called Zyflamend by a company called New Chapter, and it definitely helps also, helps to keep the inflammation down, as it works on my faulty hips also. I hope this helps at least one other person, good luck!

Fishes in trees reply :

I recall having a similar situation with my casting fore arm several years ago. I got one of those tennis elbow sleeves at Wallmart that helped a little bit, but it was hot and sweaty during the summer. It never occurred to me to use ice at the end of the day, and I didn't have a computer to search on line either.

I ended up changing my pitching technique a little bit (I don't remember from what to what) and that helped some. Then I bought an 11 ball bearing Calcutta and that helped a whole bunch because it only took a quarter of the effort my prior reel took.

t has been a few years now since I've gotten that shooting pain in my forearm.

OHIO reply :

I don't have any pain in my forearm, but my elbow sure does hurt. A LOT.

I was playing football today and my elbow just started throbbing and my hand was hard to move as well.

It was nearly impossible to make a tight fist with it.

This has never happened to me before, so I am going to attribute it to the increased amount of fishing I have been doing lately.

Hopefully it's nothing serious.

deaknh03 reply :

OHIO, thats exactly what happened to me.elbow was killing me, couldnt even fully extend it without a lot of pain.

flyboy reply :

This thread has really gotten involved. I recently came back to bass fishing from offshore and flats fishing due to retirement and a move. You don't cast that much in salt water and for the first few weeks back on the trolling motor I had aches that I could never explain in the scope of this post. It seems the pain started in my fingers and translated to the bottoms of my feet. I don't use a seat and standing up there all day like a flamingo running the trolling motor takes it's toll. The hands hurt the most, followed by the forearms and then the shoulders. I can't remember who it was but I was watching a video and one of the pros said you have to learn to cast with two hands to spread the work out to take the pressure off joints etc. I am a mad man when it comes to casting, typically casting two or more times more than most people I fish with; I don't fish fast I just feel you can't catch anything if your line is not wet.

I began trying the two hand technique that I see so many of the pros using, mostly to relieve the pain. Soon it became a game to see how accurate I could be and from how many different angles I could cast, while attempting to get into impossible spots without getting hung up.

The technique has produced many benefits. I don't think much about casts anymore; it seems that my body and the rod just work together and choose the angle for any particular cast I need to make, I can cast fairly accurately from either side of the plate and most of all I don't hurt as much after a day of fishing. My distance has improved with little or no effort.

Redlinerobert reply :

I developed the same pain after my first trip to Brazil. Even though I work out religiously,casting that 2 oz lure all day every day for 9 hours straight was a little tougher than I thought it would be.

When I came home I eventually figured out it was tennis elbow. talking to a few friends I came up with a solution that 100% works and has all but eliminated that issue for me. My subsequent trips to Brazil I've been able to cast with no issues at all.

This tennis elbow brace is amazing. I have a couple (in case I lose one) and use it every time I go out fishing.

http://www.amazon.com/Mueller-Tennis-Elbow-Brace-1-Count/dp/B00267SFW0

Nick reply :

Red,

Flyboy hs it right. You've got tennis elbow. I finally earned this malady on both forearms this past year. Comes from lots of casting over a lifetime. We should learn to warm up better. Good thing is that both of my forearms are just about well after months of suffering. I recommend icing after exertion, warming up before, and resting the aching forearm and elbow joint when possible.

I was told to work through the pain, and that was a mistake. I injured my forearm even more to the poinbt that my ulnar nerve would tingle. I cut out weight training and just stretched and massaged the forearms daily. If the pain continually got worse, I would stop everything and rest for two or three days. I feel for you, brother, because it's no fun not setting hooks! Anyway, it took me about 6 moths for the right arm to heal, and my left arm is about 80% fixed after 7 months. Good luck, and the compression bandages are also good for pain relief.

flyboy reply :

Are we targets or what? Did anybody notice the adds in the left column for every kind of lotion, exercise or snake oil for tennis elbow? Just blows me away.

rebeav reply :

I am right handed and hold my fishing rod with my left hand. I am experiencing constant pain and discomfort in my left elbow. Hard to describe exactly where but if you put your right hand over your left and push up with the left against the right where my pain is. The outer bone of my left elbow is sore to touch even. Is this "Tennis Elbow"? Started 6-7 days ago after spending all night fishing. Today I put ice (frozen meal in a bag of somekind) on it but it seemed to make it stiffer. Going to get a sleeve or something it really feels like I need a sling.

FishinDaddy reply :

I had a problem last year in my right shoulder that was work related. So I learned to pitch,flip and cast left handed. I now use both depending on the target and I did not even realize I was doing it until my daughter pointed it out.

The pitching made the biggest difference in fatigue and was the easiest to learn.

deaknh03 reply :

rebeav, sounds like you got it. it does get very tender and sore to the touch, god forbid you bang it on something!

NY_ANGLERS reply :

i have the same thing thanks for all the info

Taylor Fishin 4 life reply :

here is something that will help. http://reviews.basspro.com/2010/16515/the-balancer-rod-balancing-system-reviews/reviews.htm put your reel on your rod and ad weight until the rod is balanced at the reel platform on the rod.

smbrule reply :

Quote
Wait until y'all get older, it hurts even more

Yea, I'm definitely older. Have been bass fishing for 60 years.

About five years ago begin selling off my 7 foot rods and now fish with 6' to 6'6" rods. Longer rods magnify the strain on my wrist, forearm and shoulder. Also I try to avoid roll casting which causes much of my problem.

For the most part now I'm reasonably pain free even though I fish seventy or so days of the year.

Note: Typically a 6' rod is about 3-4 inches shorter from the reel seat to the tip compared to a 6'6" rod as the handle is shorter. I extend the handles on my 6' rods as I prefer to two hand cast when possible to avoid aggravating pain. So, the majority o my rods are 6'3" in length.

Problem is that there are not a lot of 6' rods available.

rebeav reply :

hiker reply :

I was getting a lot of pain on the back of my right wrist when retrieving senkos. There was no way I could fish something like a zara spook. It turned out to be tedonitis and it got so bad that it sounded like a badly creaking door every time I moved my hand. I iced and took motrin religiously for weeks and it finally went away. Now I have a right handed retrieve reel (as opposed to the lefty retrieve that I was always using before) to kind of balance the load. I retrieve with either hand now, and I think that's helping quite a bit. Also, I try to vary the methods that I work the bait (twitch left for awhile, then twitch right, etc) in order to alleviate the work on my wrists.

Redsyn reply :

Quote
here is something that will help. http://reviews.basspro.com/2010/16515/the-balancer-rod-balancing-system-reviews/reviews.htm put your reel on your rod and ad weight until the rod is balanced at the reel platform on the rod.

Save yourself some money. Go to your tackle shop and buy the rubber butt caps for saltwater rods and put it in the back of the rod w/ your reel mounted. Start balancing by just using the rubber cap. Then put in 1 additional quarter at a time until your rod/reel feels the most balance to you. The butt caps I bought are $3 each and just add how many quarters you need.

SeanW reply :

Quote
I am wondering if anyone here has pain in the top side of their forearm, which they think is due to fishing? Mine has been getting worse and worse. It isn't terrible, unbearable pain, but it has got increasingly worse and is now pretty constant. I did a bit of research and it seems the two big muscles in that area of the arm are responsible for moving the wrist. Anyway, anyone have any advice on how to deal with it? I am certainly NOT going to stop fishing like some websites recommended!
Cliff

Troy Linder(Als son) is a physical therapist and has some videos to address fishing issues/injuries. Its called Fit 4 Fishing. Check it out it helped with my shoulder and elbow issues.

SusqyMusky reply :

You bass fishermen sure are wimpy. Yall should try throwing musky plugs all day.

FWIW; Before I switched to baitcasters and a wrist brace I made this ergonomic handle for my spinning rods.

Maybe it will spark some ideas other than the video..

10645

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