Moving to lighter gear due to injury?

[Drew03cmc]

Hey all, I've got an injured right shoulder, likely needing surgery, but I am an avid angler and Kayak fisherman. I've noticed myself gravitating to physically lighter rods and reels due to less strain on it. I have noticed that using a spinning rod has become problematic also due to the nerve from my shoulder down to my hand being messed up. My hand goes numb while using a spinning rod. I've been using, almost exclusively, an Alphas CT SV 70SH and a Tatula Elite 6'9 ML with smaller baits like the 3.5g Egu Dama Level, Pop X, Level Crank, X Nanahan, etc. Has anyone else had to do this and found you prefer it?

I spent a few weeks earlier this month tossing around chatterbaits and after a day of that, I was done for a day or two.

[hoohoorjoo]

I have a severely-torn labrum and labradorite cyst in my right shoulder. I moved away from heavy and longer rods. I have a couple of 6' rods that I use quite frequently. I've learned that I don't need a 7-6 hvy rod to throw most of the baits I throw. Even my chatterbait rod is rated medium I do throw some medium-sized hard swimbaits, also, but I use a Fuego CT on a custom mhx swimbait rod, 956swb blank that was butt-cut down to 7'4" most of the time.

[Johnny A]

Back in the old days, an Ambassadeur 4500C + Quantum Tour Edition 7' cranking rod weighed in slightly under 2 lbs. My right arm was shot due to saying to Hell with the relay, I'm gonna throw the bastard out from deep right to home plate. My arm was like a noodle after that. Got me into finesse light tackle reel quick.

[Drew03cmc]

Back in the old days, an Ambassadeur 4500C + Quantum Tour Edition 7' cranking rod weighed in slightly under 2 lbs. My right arm was shot due to saying to Hell with the relay, I'm gonna throw the bastard out from deep right to home plate. My arm was like a noodle after that. Got me into finesse light tackle reel quick.

I'm enjoying the hell out of my ML Tat Elite and Alphas for my average dinks around the house here. It's light, responsive and casts a mile with small baits on 20# Smackdown. It also has enough umph to fish small plastics or jigs on light wire hooks like the Raid Egu Dama.

[slipperybob]

Sort of the same as I age and my right shoulder doesn't want to function. I've basically gone to casting left handed, but strangely still cross the rod over my right shoulder. That's just how my eye hand coordination functions as it's used to seeing the rod swing operate from the right side of the body. In a way I like shorter rods in function because it is less strain. Somehow even the build of the rod makes a lot of difference for me too. There's just something different from a 7' rod vs a 6'10" rod.

I will also admit that I fish my spinning rods inverted with a baitcasting reel. There's just something nice about a shorter 6' rod in L or ML power that functions so well and even better without a trigger reel seat. Even much better for an ice fishing rod.

[sbd3]

Back in the old days, an Ambassadeur 4500C + Quantum Tour Edition 7' cranking rod weighed in slightly under 2 lbs. My right arm was shot due to saying to Hell with the relay, I'm gonna throw the bastard out from deep right to home plate. My arm was like a noodle after that. Got me into finesse light tackle reel quick.

I'm enjoying the hell out of my ML Tat Elite and Alphas for my average dinks around the house here. It's light, responsive and casts a mile with small baits on 20# Smackdown. It also has enough umph to fish small plastics or jigs on light wire hooks like the Raid Egu Dama.

I’ve got chronic rhomboid/trap muscle knots on my right side that doesn’t like heavy gear. I have a 2023 feider jerkbait rod en route and a tatula 80 collecting dust that should pair well. I’m glad to hear it can handle some some plastics, have you fished a shaky head on it?

[Drew03cmc]

I’ve got chronic rhomboid/trap muscle knots on my right side that doesn’t like heavy gear. I have a 2023 feider jerkbait rod en route and a tatula 80 collecting dust that should pair well. I’m glad to hear it can handle some some plastics, have you fished a shaky head on it?

Not a shaky head, but I am looking into assembling a medium fast setup with an Alphas Ito to make myself a rod I'm confident with a shaky or fluke that doesn't weigh what a spinning rod does. It will be using 12# fluorocarbon and be setup for weightless Senko and flukes or 1/8oz shakyheads and 1/4oz jigs. Something like that would make one of my spinning rods obsolete, honestly.

[Jason Penn]

i've got away from spinning with a 7'mmh brent erhler rod/steez ct combo. it doesn't throw 1/8oz shakeyheads that well, but i generally use 3/16 & 1/4 anyway.
my age has got me using hi-viz line for all bottom contact now. i'm using sunline night fc in 17# for t-rigs & jigs, and 10# dunk sniper on the ct.

[MK49]

To me, lighter the better. It's not because of injury. I went to Mexico about 16 times, and usually 1 week per trip. I'm (was? getting older now ) a power fisherman, and my main things were (actually, still are) Topwater (walking baits and poppers), Jerkbaits, Lipless and Deep Crankbaits. Depending on the season, I fished 10 ~ 12 hours a day, everyday for a week in Mexico, catching 100+ bass a day. Walking the dog for a few hours in the morning, then jerkbaits, crankbaits..... After the 1st few days, my shoulders/arms started getting tired. By the 6th day, I couldn't even cast accurately. I got a little smarter after a few trips to Mexico. I forced myself to use soft plastic baits at least 1 or 2 hours a day, just to rest my body. Obviously, the first thing I did was looking for lighter rods/reels, which had to have enough line capacity and enough power to land 10+ pounds bass. Even with lighter gears, I had to rest (by using soft plastics) a few hours a day.

Now, I'm over 50 years old. I haven't been to Mexico for a while. I still fish a few times a week, but only up to 4 hours a day. I'm still looking for lighter rods. I don't think I can fish like I used to in Mexico. I'm too old to do power fishing, 10+ hours a day for 7 days in a row. Too sad. Oh, that reminded me of Rick Clunn. He's over 70, and as far as I know, he's still tournament fishing (I might be wrong). That's just amazing.

Actually, I remember talking to two guys from Louisiana in Mexico. They looked 10 to 15 years older than I was. When I told them I caught 150 bass on that day, they didn't really believe me. After a couple of days, their boat was close to mine. After the fishing, one of them said "now, I know why you catch so many fish everyday. (I did catch 4 or 5 bass in front of them, while they were fishing slow.) You fish fast. You're a power fisherman. Enjoy doing that, while you still can." I didn't take his words seriously, back then. Now, I understand what he meant. I know for sure I can't do the same thing now.

Another time in Mexico, I started talking to two guys from Texas. Again, they were older than I was. They were hardcore deep cranking dudes. Every time, after the afternoon fishing, they said their arms were tired. I didn't quite get why they were so tired, because I could crank all day long easily. Now, I'm old enough to know. In the last 3 days, I fished 3 to 4hrs a day. I'm planning to fish tomorrow, too. After I walk the dog for 15min, my arm/wrist was tired, so I started throwing poppers to rest my arm. After burning lipless crankbaits for 20min, my reeling hand got tired, so I started walking the dog again to rest my reeling hand. I didn't need to do that 10 years ago. Getting old (out of shape ) or injury sucks for sure. Either way, lighter gear helps. Actually, I just oredered a new rod, which is supposed to be super light.

[dragon1]

I still do a lot of heavy power fishing at 53...but dang do I need a couple three days to heal after a hard long session! Lol.

I just make sure to always have light gear with MH and heavy gear when I go out, unless the water is so high and fast that it demands heavier gear. Also, I don't really fish heavier power techs when the water gets really cold, or when the bass are keying on smaller forage, so that helps to keep my body a bit more intact throughout the day. Lastly, learning to use both LH and RH reels helps to split the burden between both sides for different techs. It took me a half dozen tries to finally get used to a LH reel, but now most all my topwater twitching/walking/popping is LH as well as bottom contact jigs/plastics...power cranking and speed cranking I still prefer RH.

The biggest things that wear me out now is huffin' a heavy 20lb + backpack for miles/hours and paddling my large Jackson Mayfly kayak all day, especially if it's windy.

Like the Rolling Stones said..."What a drag it is gettin' old"...

[MK49]

I still do a lot of heavy power fishing at 53...but dang do I need a couple three days to heal after a hard long session! Lol.

I'm also 53 + a few weeks.

I fished 4 mornings (3 ~ 4 hours each) in a row from last Thu to Sun. I decided to rest yesterday (Mon). I was planning to go today, but I was tired, so I didn't go. I'm planning to go tomorrow, but it's supposed to be very windy, so I'm not sure.

[dragon1]

I still do a lot of heavy power fishing at 53...but dang do I need a couple three days to heal after a hard long session! Lol.

I'm also 53 + a few weeks.

I fished 4 mornings (3 ~ 4 hours each) in a row from last Thu to Sun. I decided to rest yesterday (Mon). I was planning to go today, but I was tired, so I didn't go. I'm planning to go tomorrow, but it's supposed to be very windy, so I'm not sure.

A good chop can really turn the bite on this time of year, so there's the bright side.

[RMCatchNrelease]

I'm 3 weeks away from the water due to injury and the itch is killing me.

I'm battling tennis elbow and pinched nerves. Having issues just holding a rod.

The Mexico story reminds me of myself. I love to throw frogs, flip, and big swimbaits. The last few years have really taken a toll on my body. I do a 9 day trip every spring, fish sun up to sun down, and slam those hooksets.

I'm hoping to rehab all winter and get back next year.

[boatinpete]

Me also, am selling soon new Antares as my BFS Aldebaran 22 to me is almost all I use after 3 rt arm operations, so light hard to believe.

[MK49]

I'm 3 weeks away from the water due to injury and the itch is killing me.

I'm battling tennis elbow and pinched nerves. Having issues just holding a rod.

The Mexico story reminds me of myself. I love to throw frogs, flip, and big swimbaits. The last few years have really taken a toll on my body. I do a 9 day trip every spring, fish sun up to sun down, and slam those hooksets.

I'm hoping to rehab all winter and get back next year.

Hopefully, you can recover soon. After the rehab, you might get even stronger. I understand your pain. I screwed up my shoulder 7 years ago, and I couldn't fish or even play guitars, because I couldn't even pick up a guitar to play. Another time, my back was screwed, and I couldn't fish for 3 or 4 months.

I've fished 45 times in the last 3 months (yeah, I keep the log), but only 3 to 4 hours at a time. I just try to go out as many times as possible to keep me in shape. But, I know it's not enough to get back to 10 years ago. I fished 6 mornings a week, before I went to work + 3 or 4 trips to Mexico every year. I was 10 years younger, too. I'm pretty sure I will never go back to that condition.