My pole is gone forever..........or is it?

[40 Pound Club]

Went fishing on the rock river tonight, my fiance caught a 13.4 lb flathead on a bluegill. Her biggest fish. About an hour after that (around 10), at the speed of sound, my pole flies over the edge of the boat and splashes down in the water. The chem light I had fastened to the end of the rod swam away within an instant. I had just tied down my really big pole to the cooler full of bait. I was sitting right next to this pole and saw the whole thing occur but had absolutely no time to react. After it was in the water I thought briefly about jumping in after it (like I've done a time or two before) but it was gone before I could weigh the risks. I was hoping that with 7 other poles hanging out of a 21 foot pontoon that someone would snag the line.......but no such luck. So please, if you fish the rock river in Illinois, keep an eye out for a 7 foot ugly stik rod with 30 lb braided stren........you can keep the fish.

[Katmaster Jr.]

Dang, sorry to hear that. Been there, done that, I switched to Clickers and haven't had the problem again. My dad lost a spinning rod and reel to probably about a 60-70 lb Flathead one day. We were bank fishing at a dam, and a Huge Flathead came up near the bank, where the shad were running, we actually saw him and everything. So my dad put a live bream on a bobber and threw it down there, wasn't too long before the bobber popped under, well we were probably 10 yards away from the poles, but with it in a sturdy pole holder we thought it would be ok, we were wrong. Sure enough before my dad got to it, the pole was flying in the river. Always secure your poles properly folks, or use a clicker, otherwise you can bank on it that your rod and reels going to end up in the water!

[teaysvalleyguy]

Went fishing on the rock river tonight, my fiance caught a 13.4 lb flathead on a bluegill. Her biggest fish. About an hour after that (around 10), at the speed of sound, my pole flies over the edge of the boat and splashes down in the water. The chem light I had fastened to the end of the rod swam away within an instant. I had just tied down my really big pole to the cooler full of bait. I was sitting right next to this pole and saw the whole thing occur but had absolutely no time to react. After it was in the water I thought briefly about jumping in after it (like I've done a time or two before) but it was gone before I could weigh the risks. I was hoping that with 7 other poles hanging out of a 21 foot pontoon that someone would snag the line.......but no such luck. So please, if you fish the rock river in Illinois, keep an eye out for a 7 foot ugly stik rod with 30 lb braided stren........you can keep the fish.

That sucks bro, I know the feeling. Lost a pole last Saturday. Hopefully we will snag em one day.

Tea

[buddah]

I feel your pain...grrr... I too lost a rod. Look at it like this, Now you can get a better rod! That one sounds pretty good though. Sorry for your loss.

[Shawn]

I never use a clicker, and was very close to losing my "lucky" pole to a nice channel cat... rod in the back of the boat against the transom. I thought it was secure when I left it a while...

I lucked out and my line caught on the motor mount. Ended up with a channel cat around 10#!

I'll still rarely use a clicker, but if there's big cats around best to be sure to use a secure rod holder or make sure the rod is secure. I figure if you're not close to the rod and you're using clicker, it's a good chance the catfish will either drop bait before getting hooked, or hang you up in some cover. If you're spools locked, and the rod secure the fish will often drive the hook home and hopefully you get to the rod quickly to land the fish.

I'm usually very close to the rods, and watching carefully. I'll use those nickel "jingle bells" on my rod sometimes for bite detection if I'm bank fishing... those signal even the lightest bites.

Shawn

[catfishjohn]

Man I really hate to hear that!!! :sad2:

[Norm]

keep an eye out for a 7 foot ugly stik rod with 30 lb braided stren........you can keep the fish.

I've caught fishing poles before, but they are the crappy ones. You always lose the expensive one, but only catch the useless crappy one. Sorry to hear it. I just used my new 7 ft ugly stick rod last night for the first time. I was using live bluegill on the rock river. I didn't catch anything, but the d&#% boaters kept comming by just as the good bites were starting. I was trying a new spot, the closest one I could find to where the pecatonica meets the Rock river. Need to find a different spot.

[AwShucks]

I guess I am not too much of a sportsman. I carry some poly rope with me...ten foot sections and 4 foot sections. I throw the bait in, tighten the line, set the clicker, and tie the pole to a rock. I am either a pessimist or a realist...haven't figured it out yet. But, I don't loose my poles either.

[catseeman]

Nick, sorry the fish got your pole. I would go back with a trebel hook and try to snag the oufit. I have done this with success even a day later. I sometmes use the safety pin type stringer to secure my poles if i don't have a good holder available. It amazed me how small of a fish can take a rod out of a boat. I even expermented with different rods and holders in boat whie it st in the driveway. the angle of he rod has lot to do with the leverage the fish getsuse to steal your equipment. Long rod and high angle I chain it down.

[40 Pound Club]

Thanks for everybodies comments. I had just finished tying down my primary pole when this happened and my fiance and I were both staring at the pole when it happened. We were sitting within arms reach but it just happened so fast. I always tie down my poles with a poly stringer or I wedge them in.....just didn't get that far before it happened. Also, I have pulled in a 7 foot ugly stik and it was a pretty decent pole that my dad still uses to this day. So maybe it was my debt to the waters.

[Butchy]

Hey 40 pound club,
What area of the Rock are fishing?

[40 Pound Club]

I was fishing the Byron area when this happened

[laidbck111]

I guess I am not too much of a sportsman. I carry some poly rope with me...ten foot sections and 4 foot sections. I throw the bait in, tighten the line, set the clicker, and tie the pole to a rock. I am either a pessimist or a realist...haven't figured it out yet. But, I don't loose my poles either.don't disagree on bit I use the stringers on mine all the time. And it doesn't take a huge fish to pull your pole in a 10 lber pulled in my nephews pole. Got lucky and snagged it with a weighted trebel hook though.

[Flatheadhunter33]

Sorry about your luck brother. Losing gear seems to be a trend lately...hope you get it back eventually.

[katcatchingfool]

my wife just caught a pole last saturday below carlyle lake damn nice pole we were walleye fishing with jigs and she snaged it then she said happy fathers day

[armynavy]

Sorry to hear that nick I was just at Oregon dam and didnt float that far or I didnt snag into anyway, will have to get together sometime and do some fishing.

[amfit2btied]

I too have lost poles in this fashion. I now use a two foot bungee, on one end ive crimped the s hook shut on a carribeener which i hook to the reel. The other end is secured to the gunnel hooks on my flatbottom. Seems to work.

[noah]

man i feel your pain i just had a 50$pole not includeing reel and 65ld spiderwire do the saim thing so i feel ya bro:sad2::sad2::sad2::sad2:

[brother hilljack]

sounds like my kind of luck, I hope you stumble upon the pole!

[roondad]

sorry about your luck, but I always use a clicker... learned my lesson the hard way. happy fishin'!:wink: