It's been so long since my wife & I fished together I completely forgot about an issue I had thought I broke her of.
You see, she uses only a spinning outfit and prefers to hold the rod with the spinning reel up when reeling in.
I thought I had broke her of that habit but nooooo! She even hits me with the old "corpal-tunnel" excuse now.

Anyway, no sense fighting a loosing battle so, as I'm setting up a rod for her I'm considering doing a spiral configuration.
At least that way when she fights a fish the guides are down and the rod is stable. I think I can do this without sacraficing the casting attributes but?

Comments? Input?? (don't hold back, I can take it! ) LOL

Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

Teach her to use a baitcaster and never go back. LOL

Spinning reel on top? yuk!....how about a spin cast reel for her on a spiral wrapped casting rod?

DR

It may even be a good idea to use a bait casting type seat with the way she is holding the rod. It may provide more stability for her. Before you build I suggest you put a spinning reel on one and see

Spincast & baitcast are out of the question I'm affraid.

Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

Okay, lets think about this. She uses a spinning reel....so she's probably afraid of casting reels and birds nests. I'll assume she casts it normally and not upside down as that would be a feat! She retrives with the reel upside down....so she likes to use her right hand to reel in the line. Hmmmm....putting that altogether....ever consider a spincast??

They are easy to cast (with either hand). They let her use her right hand to retrive. And they would pave the way for her to use a convential casting reel. I'm sure you have a nice rod that could make a difference in the equation.

FWIW I used to have a small Daiwa backpack spincast outfit I kept in the car. It was quite a blast catching baracuda on it:) Also, despite being right handed I like a left handed baitcaster for bass. Saves having to switch hands.

Now if you are just looking for an excuse to make another rod I can email you my requirements. As luck would have it, it would be a spiral wrap one....hehehehe.



Russ
P.S. You are blessed that she is fishing with you. I'd do whatever it took to please her and show approval. After all, is it an issue any place other than in your mind?

I thought of that Steve but she doesn't touch the seat except when casting. When reeling in or fighting a fish she tucks the but under her arm & against her side and holds the rod high at the foregrip.

Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

Ray

Give her what she wants, take her fishing more often and be thankful you both enjoyed the day.

You bet Bobbie!
That's exactly what I'm trying to do. It's any easy thing just to put on enough of the right guides that the line follows the blank and doesn't
drop under the blank when she flips it over but I thought of the "reverse spiral" just for her.

I also agree with you Russell,
I'm very blessed that she goes fishing at all. She doesn't care to go to the lake unless we are camping cuz I'm moving around casting or in my
float tube. Unless we just sit & bottom or bobber fish. She loves a boat but it has to be BIG! No small rentals for her I'm affraid.
She LOVES to go with me to any of the piers in the salt though. She loves fresh crab and we drop a crab net down and she has me all to herself
mostly too. She really loves the ocean.

Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

Is she flipping the reel onto the top so she can retrieve with a certain hand?

No Tim,
The reel handle can be placed on either side. She's been doing it since she was little. Old habits I guess.

Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

get a divorce?

Find one of the old "underspin" type outfits. Refurbish it and have her try it. She might fall in love all over again.

..............

You mean open face spinning reels aren't supposed to be on top?!? Darn, seems like everything trickles back to us
Iowans kinda late from California. Hang in there Tina; if it don't feel broke, don't fix it!

Does she out fish you using this method??

I think we should all try it because we know our wives are never wrong.


Bill

Ohio Rod Builders

Canton, Ohio

Bill Eshelman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I think we should all try it because we know our
> wives are never wrong.
>
>
> Bill


Bill, that is the smartest thing ever written on this forum.

Do you think it would help to - switch - the handle ?? Most reels they can be put on either side.

Bill - willierods.com

When teaching someone to fish, it's pretty easy to get them to use good form. Trying to break old habits are an entirely different story.
I frequently marvel at people fighting truly HUGE saltwater fish with stand-up rods: more often than not, the butt of the rod is tucked under their arm. The only leverage they get is from bending backward at the waist.
Using this form, a small fish can be a challenge. A 100 lb amberjack or a 300 lb yellowfin or even a 40 lb mahi can wear the fisherman down in a hurry.
I gave up (years ago) trying to get people to break this habit. Certainly they are not getting the leverage their rod was designed to provide. Occasionally such a fisherman will ask why I hold the rod the way I do (butt in the crotch/groin area), ant I am happy to explain the leverage advantage. But I discovered something else: even the people who hold their rod "wrong" enjoy themselves, sometimes more than the fisherman suffering through the throwbacks while waiting for the exceptional fish.
I have seen many people retrieve their bait/lure with the spinning reel "upside down." It looks uncomfortable to me, and I know the rod/reel is unbalanced. But as long as they are enjoying themselves (and they usually are), where's the harm? Only one place, as far as I can tell: when they out fish me!
My wife loves to fish, and I was able to teach her from ground zero. She had never used anything other than a cane pole when I met her. I enjoy fishing with her more than I do with anyone else. And if she had come to me feeling she needed to stand on her head when casting, I would have been bemused, shot some great video, and enjoyed the experience no less. A spouse who loves to fish is a blessing. You are a lucky man indeed.

Thanks for all the replies folks,

Nobody commented though weather or not a "reverse spiral" for a spinning rod is worth considering or not. Moot point though in my case because upon further discussion she decided she doesn't what any "funky looking" guides. LOL So, I'll be wrapping a standard spinning outfit.

In the near future though I think I am going to build one. If it does work well enough it could be a perfect display modle and provoke many a discussion in my Dad's
new store/shop. My wife is by no means the only person I've seen use a spinner like that and no reason one couldn't "custom build" a rod just for them.

Tom,
I wish they made larger underspin reels too but I've only seen them for light fresh use. This rod is a 15-25lb outfit like a heavy popping rod.

Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

I don't know about the reverse spiral Raymond, but what about changing the configuration of the grip itself? Suppose you could make something that put the reel below the blank when on the retrieve, but still "upside down" and still allow her to cast it the "right" way?? I have something like a 90 degree offset in mind. I can see the Cobra handle modified so that she would at least get a more stable retrieve position on it. Not really sure what is going through my head except that different shaped grip ought to be the thing to look at??

I don't know about the reverse spiral Raymond, but what about changing the configuration of the grip itself? Suppose you could make something that put the reel below the blank when on the retrieve, but still "upside down" and still allow her to cast it the "right" way?? I have something like a 90 degree offset in mind. I can see the Cobra handle modified so that she would at least get a more stable retrieve position on it. Not really sure what is going through my head except that different shaped grip ought to be the thing to look at??