Jigmaster drags and salmon reels.

[stonefly-2]

I’ll make a video on how to get unstuck next time I go out. I searched YouTube and couldn’t find a decent video. I’ve saved thousands of dollars of tackle with a proper whip technique.

Basically as you feel yourself get hung up quickly back off the drag. Do not put into freespool or your reel will backlash. Once at minimal tension from loosening the drag kick into freespool. Then with 2-3’ of slack start whipping your rod tip up and down with about a foot or two rise and drop. Do it fast enough that you can hear the line on the water. Use your thumb to control the spool and don’t let the line get tight or you are just making things worse. I’ll make a video so it’s easy to see.

Also if you hook up on a monster rockfish and your rod goes bendo take a second a flick your line. If it strums like a guitar string it’s a rock, not a fish. Often people confuse rocks for big fish since the boat is bobbing and drifting which makes it pull drag.

That would be a worthwhile video.

I was taught that way by a panguero in baja as a kid, we used 60-100# mono and 16 oz. weight class tackle and it works like a charm.
"most of the time"

While your'e at it and if you agree on the method cover those times you can't get it to pop free, particularly when the boat is drifting.

What i was taught is to put it in freespool while thumbing to prevent backlash, take two wraps of line around the carreta (that's how he told it ) itself, take two handfuls of rod and when it comes tight rip it back with all your might to pop off whatever will pop off.

It's a neat trick on heavy gear and not something you would do instinctively or before you burned your thumb good.

That's also the situation where people with level winds get bit.

[deckhandmike]

Don't mess with level winds!! Good way to get hurt. I've never made a video but maybe I should. I could cover bait, presentation and technique pretty quickly. The stuff I saw on YouTube was laughable.

[NapalmCheese]

Don't mess with level winds!! Good way to get hurt. I've never made a video but maybe I should. I could cover bait, presentation and technique pretty quickly. The stuff I saw on YouTube was laughable.

I'd watch, always learning something new ya know? The way you describe getting unstuck sounds like a more 'scientific' method of how I used to get jigs and stuff unstuck while bass fishing. Basically just whipping the line with enough slack to let the thing flop side to side on/under whatever it's stuck?

Re: levelwinds, the Penn 209 has a plastic gear for the levelwind. Guaranteed to break after mostly crushing your finger, but not totally crushing your finger; so it's obviously totally safe...