Rig length for whip...

fishplate42 · Aug 15, 2017

I have been using my small telescopic flick-tip. 3m whip in our local river. It is just the right size for this little water. Using a 2.4m rig it swings to hand nicely.

I have another whip that is 6m and that has the top 4m telescopic and the bottom 2m are put-over. It means I can use the whip at 4, 5 or 6m. My logic is telling me to make a rig at 3.4m and when using it at 5m or 6m to break it down to 4m when landing fish. Is my logic correct? I am not match fishing so speed is not a concern.

Ralph.

john step · Aug 16, 2017

fishplate42 said:
I have been using my small telescopic flick-tip. 3m whip in our local river. It is just the right size for this little water. Using a 2.4m rig it swings to hand nicely.

I have another whip that is 6m and that has the top 4m telescopic and the bottom 2m are put-over. It means I can use the whip at 4, 5 or 6m. My logic is telling me to make a rig at 3.4m and when using it at 5m or 6m to break it down to 4m when landing fish. Is my logic correct? I am not match fishing so speed is not a concern.

Ralph.

Back in the day I had a Dam whip just like that and I used to break it down just like that when I wanted to fish a shorter , tighter line if that makes sense. Usually if it was breezy.

Then I Binkered it one day

mg:

trotter2 · Aug 16, 2017

I would say no, whips are fishing to hand meaning the lenght should equal the swing lenght
to hand with a fish attached.
The only exception would be in windy conditions were you can't control a longer length of line or when conditions dictate a shorter length of whip for example under trees.
That my take anyway.

fishplate42 · Aug 16, 2017

john step said:
Back in the day I had a Dam whip just like that and I used to break it down just like that when I wanted to fish a shorter , tighter line if that makes sense. Usually if it was breezy.

Then I Binkered it one daymg:

My whip is a DAM, so I suspect it is the same as yours. I bought it (dirt cheap) along with several others, from a mate who was having a clear out.

trotter2 said:
I would say no, whips are fishing to hand meaning the lenght should equal the swing lenght
to hand with a fish attached.
The only exception would be in windy conditions were you can't control a longer length of line or when conditions dictate a shorter length of whip for example under trees.
That my take anyway.

I usually allow 2ft or 600mm for swing length reduction, so would you suggest I only use the whip as a solid length and use rigs matched to the length? If that is the case my rig should be 5.6m long. Is that correct?

Ralph.

peter crabtree · Aug 16, 2017

I keep rigs for all the different lengths on winders. All to hand.
Too easy to bump fish off disconnecting sections with a fish on...

trotter2 · Aug 16, 2017

fishplate42 said:
My whip is a DAM, so I suspect it is the same as yours. I bought it (dirt cheap) along with several others, from a mate who was having a clear out.

I usually allow 2ft or 600mm for swing length reduction, so would you suggest I only use the whip as a solid length and use rigs matched to the length? If that is the case my rig should be 5.6m long. Is that correct?

Ralph.

Yes mate idealy , if you can control that lenght it will increase your speed of fishing just swing the fish in.
Or use the extra section in reserve if you hit a bigger fish add a section, just like pole fishing.

fishplate42 · Aug 16, 2017

Thanks guys, I had a feeling I might have been over complicating things. I like the idea of keeping a section back in case of hooking a bigger fish.

Ralph.

Peter Jacobs · Aug 16, 2017

As others have said, it is a line to hand whip so make your rigs to equal the length you will be using minus the weight of the typical fish you expect to catch.

You can then easily swing the fish to hand without having to reach lower or higher than the comfortable fishing position.

That will mean making up rigs to different lengths, obviously.

trotter2 · Aug 16, 2017

I don't fish the whip much now, but one dodge I used was to make the winders up to the shortest length and just add additional mono to the rig. It avoided carrying loads of different winders.

robcourt82 · Aug 16, 2017

I make my to hand rigs just a few inches shorter than the whip, you have to raise your arm a bit to swing them in but its so much easier rebaiting and unhooking with less tension in the rig.

Mark Wintle · Aug 16, 2017

I used to allow a foot for the attachment at the tip of the whip - two silicone bands, one left on the whip a foot from the tip, the other a 40mm length of fine stiff silicone tubing for the actual tip then the rest of the rig length would be a foot less than the length of the pole less the hook length which I standardised at exactly 6" for pole fishing. I used a whip for speed fishing and the length of the rig had to be spot on but the method of attaching at the tip meant I could adjust the rig length by a few inches.

trotter2 · Aug 16, 2017

Yes mark that was the method of attachment I used.
I think the tenkara method relies on the same method ot attachment.

Richox12 · Aug 16, 2017

robcourt82 said:
I make my to hand rigs just a few inches shorter than the whip, you have to raise your arm a bit to swing them in but its so much easier rebaiting and unhooking with less tension in the rig.

I do exactly the same. And with silicone attaching the rig you can adjust the length of rig anyway

fishplate42 · Aug 16, 2017

That's interesting. I suspect it is because I am not speed-fishing, but I tend to have my rigs a little shorter than most. I don't find it a problem, the fish swing to hand comfortably and I just tuck the butt under my arm for re-baiting etc., relieving any tension on the line.

I will try some rigs a bit longer and see how I get on. I use the three pieces of silicone method of attachment and again, it did not occur to me I could use that as a fine adjustment of length.

Thanks guys, I have learnt a lot from this thread, now all I have to do is got out for a day's fishing and try it out!

Ralph.

silvers · Aug 16, 2017

the telescopic top sections with take apart bottom sections is oftern referred to as a "system whip".
Usually, as per other replies, I will fish with same (slightly shorter) line than whip length chosen for the day. And often have multiple whips set up at different lengths.
Other than adding sections for bigger fish, it's sometimes useful to add one or two sections to follow a shoal of fish out as they back off the feed for a while.
Also in windy conditions (especially a downstreamer) it can be useful to reduce the amount of line. In that case you're essentially short-lining with a flick tip.

Rig length for whip...

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