Why do we pump and wind

[nutsaboutfishing]

This might be a really stupid question, but I was wondering what is the purpose of pumping and winding when you have a fish on.

I can see why you need to do this if you have a very large fish on and you can't physically wind the reel without dropping the rod.

But when you're not in this situation all the experts (by this I mean TV show hosts) still pump and wind.

It seems to me when you pump the rod backwards it would place more strain on the line which increase the chances of breaking it or having knot failure.

And I know you need to keep pressure on the fish by having a bent rod, but couldn't this be achieved simply be winding without the pump?

Please help

richard

[thefisherman6784]

When u pump up, you bring the fish towards you, and if it is a bigger fish, your drag will be set so that when you pump up, your drag might slowly come off

By pumping and winding, it avoids reeling straight against the drag, because when u pump up and wind down, the line that is wind onto the reel, that line is not as tight so your not winding against the drag

I don't think I have worded that very well but hopefully you get what I mean

Cheers Gianni

[nutsaboutfishing]

When u pump up, you bring the fish towards you, and if it is a bigger fish, your drag will be set so that when you pump up, your drag might slowly come off

By pumping and winding, it avoids reeling straight against the drag, because when u pump up and wind down, the line that is wind onto the reel, that line is not as tight so your not winding against the drag

I don't think I have worded that very well but hopefully you get what I mean

Cheers Gianni

That makes perfect sense Gianni thanks

[Guest no one]

Habit, I don't pump and wind on something that I don't need to on, but i use the rod to its full use instead of just winding!

[Crossfire63]

Because the reel is a line storage device not a fish winch.

You lift the fish with the rod and reel in the slack

[nutsaboutfishing]

Because the reel is a line storage device not a fish winch.

You lift the fish with the rod and reel in the slack

thanks makes even more sense now

[JimT]

This might be a really stupid question, but I was wondering what is the purpose of pumping and winding when you have a fish on.

I can see why you need to do this if you have a very large fish on and you can't physically wind the reel without dropping the rod.

But when you're not in this situation all the experts (by this I mean TV show hosts) still pump and wind.

It seems to me when you pump the rod backwards it would place more strain on the line which increase the chances of breaking it or having knot failure.

And I know you need to keep pressure on the fish by having a bent rod, but couldn't this be achieved simply be winding without the pump?

Please help

richard

It keeps you fit........especially on those slow days

[Yowie]

If there is nothing on the hook other than just some bait, or you are retrieving a metal lure at speed, you just wind the line back onto the reel in a continuous manner.

An exception to the metal lure is one then needs a pump and wind retrieve, such as a soft plastic to give the lure the required action.

Winding by the above methods winds the line onto the reel in a firm manner, but does not wind the line onto the reel under extreme pressure.

When you hook a fish and just wind the line straight onto the reel without the pump and wind method, the line will be wound on under extreme pressure with a larger fish, which can cause the line to bury itself into the line already wound onto the reel, and cause it to rub excessively, which may lead to minute fraying, and also cause the mono to stretch, which will reduce it's breaking strain.

Also by winding the line under pressure, it will jam on the reel and casting distance will be dramatically reduced.

Braid does not stretch like mono, and may also rub on itself and break.

When the reel drag is set appropriately during he pump and wind method, you will wind the line back onto the reel under a moderate pressure, and if the fish decides to swim off, the drag will allow the fish to take line off the reel without causing excess pressure on the line, knots, hook and the fish's mouth.

[pjbink]

Winding mono on under pressure means it's still stretched and will want to contract on your spool and in extreme cases can collapse the spool. Pumping and winding will reduce the stretch as well as being more mechanically efficient (ie easier) when trying to gain line under heavy pressure. Also trying to gain line while the drag is slipping with a threadline will lead to line twist and pumping and winding will prevent this.

That said when bottom bashing with braided lines offshore I just use the reel to gain line using a steady retrieve. Pumping and winding will lead to a lot of pulled hooks due to the lack of stretch of braid and the boat going up and down on swells.

[The Incredible Hull]

I can see why you need to do this if you have a very large fish on and you can't physically wind the reel without dropping the rod.

When fishing for larger fish, generally when you're able to lift the rod, you're turning the fishes head around to come back toward you.

Also you need to consider rod weight and line weight. Most anglers will use lighter gear, as there's much more chance of hooking up as opposed to using heavier gear for donuts. So in these situations with lighter line, you will definitely need to make use of the pump and wind because instinctively you'll have less drag in case your line snaps.