Is a fisherman’s posture a thing when it comes to angling? Does the way you stand, sit, and hold your fishing gear affect your success rate? Well, one thing is for sure – you must be able to maintain your fisherman’s posture so that you can avoid any injury. How? This article is especially for you.
When it comes to standing on your boat, you must be mindful of your balance if you don’t want to fall on the water. When sitting for a prolonged period, make sure that your legs are comfortable and that there’s enough room to move it. You can also twist you’re a little bit once in a while, and some are stretching to keep that blood circulation flowing. Holding your fishing gear is about finding the perfect spot where you can have the best control. More importantly, never touch the sharp edge of any fishing gear.
If you’re excited to go fishing, it’s unlikely for someone to give a thought of their back. However, it would be best if you minded your posture since there are various fish species under the water. Fishing is all about patience, which only means that there are times that you have to wait for extended periods for a fish to bite on your bait. Think about spending hours sitting in an office chair while working – that’s what you’ll probably undergo when fishing.
How to Stand Sit, and Hold Your Fishing Gear?
Your back is a dynamic structure, but you have to be mindful of it even when fishing. Once in a while, you have to keep regular and controlled movements to decrease the possibility of having acute low back pain. This injury is common for sitting for extended periods because the back muscles and joints become tight and stiff. As a result, it makes your back more prone to straining muscles or sprained joints when you eventually get up and move.
When it comes to getting the boat, oars, fishing rods, or motor – it may require some significant bending and bending that will involve your back. The issue of back pain doesn’t come from the heavy lifting stuff, but from sudden bending and reaching a position that applies stress on some back joints and muscles that are already tight and stiff from sitting for prolonged periods.
If you have been sitting throughout the day while fishing, it would be beneficial to perform some simple back stretches. You can do it by stretching your back from right to left and holding it for about 30 seconds on each side. You can do the same thing forward and backward positions. Finally, you can also do some exercises that involve reaching your toes for at least four times per leg for 30 seconds each time to stretch your hamstrings.
What Should You Do When You Got Injured Back While Fishing?
If you already have a sore back, it’s best to call your chiropractor to assess and help you in treating your condition. This expert can locate the areas in your spine and muscles that restrict your mobility. Once you get your spine back to its normal state, it’s better if you can maintain its condition by doing some exercises. This method helps in keeping mobility in your spine. Exercise your back regularly to prevent the same or other relevant injuries.
Always remember that you have to keep your back straight when reaching for your fishing gear. If you have to bend over, keep the concave arch in your lower back to prevent any injury. Otherwise, you’re putting yourself at risk once you lose the concave curvature on your back when bending.
What Does it Mean of Good Posture?
It is all about proper alignment of your body whenever you stand up or sit down. It involves the correct position that requires adequate training for yourself against gravity. Aside from looking stunningly high, proper posture will also keep your bones and joints in perfect alignment that decreases wear and tear on supportive structures.
What is the Importance of Having the Right Posture?
Proper posture contributes to your overall wellness, even when fishing. Posture refers to the position of your body while standing, sitting, or when lying down. It is a result of the habits that you have been doing over the years. Some people have developed poor posture without realizing it, which is why you should be mindful of those bad habits to avoid falling short. So, in this part of the article, we will help you learn why it is essential to have a good posture and some tips that you can do to improve yours.
- Right posture helps in reducing back and neck pain. The correct alignment of your spine will allow you to move smoothly so that your body can support your overall weight without any struggle. On the other hand, poor posture will only give stress on your tendons, muscles, and ligaments. As a result, it will eventually lead to neck and back pain.
- The right posture improves digestion. Poor body posture may also give you poor digestion. Why? It is because slouching will put your body in an unnatural position that can affect some of your abdominal organs. It is the same with stooping or hunching over at your office desk for prolonged periods, which may lead to increased for acid reflux and constipation. Once you notice that you’re having a series of heartburn, it’s because you’ve been in a poor posture for too long.
- Good posture helps in improving muscle and joint function. Improper posture doesn’t do any good in your body. It only puts stress on your joints, which can only cause it to wear faster than you could ever think. Your muscles and other structures of your body function well when you have the right position. It helps in avoiding osteoarthritis, which refers to abnormal wear and tears. Aside from other factors like age and genes, the way you carry your body also plays an essential role in how much stress you put on your joints. So, make sure that you keep your body aligned entirely to reduce any muscle fatigue while keeping your bones healthy and lubricated.
- A proper posture helps in boosting your mood. The right position may not be the first thing in mind when you think about those factors that will help you improve your mood. It is because your brain and body have two-way communication, which means that your posture affects your mood. So, next time you feel that your spirit is shrinking – try to shake yourself a little bit, sit upright, and avoid slouching.
- Proper posture is beneficial for the health of the spine. A good position is one of the most straightforward methods to maintain and keep your spine healthy. It may require a lot of practice and mindfulness, but the proper posture can provide the best back support. It is essential to do it frequently, especially if you are going to sit on your boat for extended periods.
Why Should You Have the Right Fisherman’s Posture?
Sitting and standing for an extended period without proper posture even when fishing will harm your overall health. The right fisherman’s position is about relaxing and standing with proper alignment to improve blood flow to keep your nerves and blood vessels healthy. Also, adequate posture is beneficial for supporting muscles, ligaments, and tendons to decrease back and neck pain.
What are the Risks of Not Having the Right Posture when Fishing?
If you don’t have the right posture when fishing, you will be at high risk of acquiring musculoskeletal injuries. This distress is commonly applicable to lower back, hands, knees, feed, and other upper extremities. The degree of pain depends on how much stress applied to your body parts.
- Low Back Pain – This musculoskeletal injury is one of the most common that every angler would face. Sitting for an extended period, and immediately standing once a fish bites on your bait is an issue if you don’t stretch your body from the time – especially for elderly anglers. According to research, there are approximately 92.4% of anglers have already experienced low back pain due to fishing. These activities involve repeated also involve repeated lifting of loads, throwing and dragging of a fishing rod.
- Shoulder Pain – Here’s another common musculoskeletal injury that affected almost 64.8% of anglers. Shoulder pain is due to heavy load carrying and continuous movements of shoulders that may strain it. Also, this injury is because of excessive throwing and pulling of the fishing rod or net that causes microtrauma to the structure around the shoulders’ joint. Some repeated overhead activities may also lead to acute tendinitis due to inflamed or irritated rotator cuff. It is what experts call as the “Rotator Cuff Tears” that is slow to develop, which happens due to excessive actions with the arms working above shoulder level.
- Knee Pain – This injury is a common problem of 31.4% anglers, which usually happens because of a fall or a slip while fishing. Knee pain occurs when there’s a co-contraction of the muscles around the knee joint, combined with an increased joint reaction force. As a result, it leads to more stress on the tissue around the knee joint, causing the pain — prolonged standing when fishing can lead to discomfort, occupational injuries, and muscle fatigue.
- Hand Pain – It is a common musculoskeletal injury to 25.8% of anglers. Hand pain involves hand numbness, tingling, and tension, which are almost similar to carpal tunnel syndrome. This injury caused by repeated movement at the wrist and hand puts stress on the small muscles around that part. Once you have hand pain, make sure to consult it with your doctor to make sure that you don’t have Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). It is a common hand problem for most adults, but the complexity of symptoms depends on the compression of the median nerve. For example, some patients may experience a weakened grip while others may have worsened numbness, tingling, and pain sensation.
What is the Right Casting Posture?
If you’re aiming for the most extended possible casting arcs, you must have the right caster’s body. It involves an angled sideward body towards your target fish. Meanwhile, your food opposite the casting arm must be in the forward position. On the other hand, you can place your other foot behind for better support.
As you cast, your body weight shifts to your forwarded foot while the weight shifts back to your back foot as you backcast. This stance will allow you to cast easily – forwards and backward. As a result, it enables maximum rod arc movement that you need to get the maximum casting distance.
- Tips When Casting from a Boat. Whenever you’re offshore fishing, you need to keep these tips in mind so that you can fish efficiently from your boat.
- Smoother and Shorter Casts. The best thing about fishing on a boat is that you can maneuver it close, or even directly on top of your target fish. However, you must be careful not to spook them. As a result, it would only require you to do shorter casts which are more forceful and smoother to do. As much as possible, you have to reduce the noise when casting – regardless of the distance.
- Make sure that You are Comfortable on Your Boat. Whether you are standing or sitting while fishing on a boat, you must keep stable decks. For example, some vessels like pontoon boats will allow you to move quickly. On the other hand, canoes and small rafts will only let you sit while fishing.
- Cast from the Front of the Boat. Casting from the front will allow you to keep an eye on your target fish, which helps identify when to rig, unhook, and even snap some photos. Also, this method will make it easier for you to avoid obstructions.
- Look out for Other Fishers. If there are other anglers in the area, make sure to maintain awareness to avoid conflict and tangling of your fishing lines. Give one another plenty of space for casting to prevent hitting your fellow boaters.
What is the Right Way for Fly Casting Posture?
One of the common problems that you may encounter when it comes to fly casting starts with their knees. Never stand up with your knees locked straight because there would be no balance or control over your body. Fly fishing is almost similar to any other sport wherein you have to forward one foot forward and the other backward. No way that you can put both feet on the same level because you would lose your balance, especially when bending your knees.
Bending your knees will also give you powerful muscles right through your core. As a result, you will have better control over your fishing rod and line for more power and accuracy for every cast. In fishing, it is essential to have a firm stance for you to create a hard-to-stop casting stroke.
How to Hold a Fishing Rod?
One of the most common reasons why some fish don’t make it up on your boat is because of the improper way of holding your fishing rod. Remember this – whether you are waiting on a bite from your target fish or if you’re retrieving the fishing line, you have to hold your fishing rod the right way. Your left hand must be in front of the reel, while the other one must be at the back for better support.
- Why Should You Hold it the Right Way?
- You must hold your fishing rod in the mentioned position, at least for the most conventional reel, so that you can guide your fishing line correctly. If you don’t guide your fishing line straight, you will likely have backlash the next time you cast out even if you have the right tension. The role of guiding your fishing line on and off the fishing reel is essential, even if only for cranking.
- This position can also give you a better advantage during a fish fight. When you hold your fishing rod incorrectly, there’s a possibility that you’ll lose a lot of the power required to make a solid hook-set. It is because you don’t have enough touch and the flick of your wrist that comes into play.
- If you’re holding your fishing rod according to what we described, you will not lose fish bites – not to mention it will make you look like a real professional.
Watch an excellent and professional angler, and see how he set his hook. You will see that his left hand is in the front of the reel, while his right index finger is on the reel’s spool. Meanwhile, his right thumb is on the trigger or gear level – and this is the best position when holding your fishing rod.
What is the Right Boat Positioning?
Aside from the right fisherman’s posture, you must understand the why’s and how’s of boat positioning to increase your success rate. It will help you develop your angling skills, boost your confidence in fishing, and become a better angler.
- How to Use Your Boat Properly? When it comes to fishing, boat positioning just as important as understanding your fishing rods and reels. The right use of your boat can make a huge difference in your catch rate. First of all, you have to learn how to distance your ship to avoid spooking the fish. It is when familiarity with the drop-offs, fall-downs, gradual slopes, and rip-raps is essential. Understanding the current conditions of the water, its vegetation, rocky areas, and wind conditions are crucial in maneuvering your boat.
- The Right Boat Control. There will be moments that you will have to face water that has different currents, and you may end up spending more time waiting on your prey’s bite. In these cases, the boat position and its control can make a significant difference. So, how to ride your boat correctly? Here’s how.
- Never compromise your safety, and it is always your priority. Put it on the top of your list at all times when riding your boat. Also, as much as possible, never get into rough water situations to avoid any accidents.
- If you’re fishing during a windy day, it would be helpful to point your boat towards the wind for better control. On the other hand, you can use a “sea anchor” or a “windsock” if you are fishing with the wind. This device has been around for several years. It is easy to tie it to a cleat towards the back end of the boat. Then, you have to throw it into the water as you let it drag behind your small ship.
How to Anchor in the Right Position to Catch More Fish?
Anchoring a boat and placing your bait is essential so that you will not end up spooking your target fish. Anchoring is crucial because you have to put down a trail that will either attract or terrorize your prey. Finding the right position to place the anchor is one of the hardest parts of doing it. So, here are some steps to help you do it correctly.
- Step #1: You have to take into consideration the water current and wind direction. Then, motor up once you reach the marker in position at least twice the depth of the water. So, for example, if the water is 20 meters deep, you can motor up-current and upwind for approximately 60 meters. After that, you can let the boat drift so that you won’t frighten your target fish.
- Step #2: Once you have reached the spot, decide on the type of ground-bait or chum to use to set up. In the case where there is little or no current, a surface trail is most suitable. On the other hand, the Berley trail is appropriate when the water current is too strong. Regardless of the condition, you have to position the Berley so that you can attract fish towards your bait.
- Step #3: Place your bait in the right place after anchoring your boat. Avoid positioning the anchor in a situation where the water current will push your Berley trail towards the location of the fish.
- Step #4: Finally, you have to drop your bait as natural as possible. Remember, the goal is to avoid spooking the fish. You want to have a presentation under the water that would look like their prey. The key to right anchoring is good judgment and observation.
How to Catch More Sports Fish?
As an angler, you have to keep on learning and improving your skills, or else, you can’t advance. If you want to catch more sports fish, the secret is to take it one step at a time. Don’t rush it. Take your time understanding the behavior of each species, their habits, and where you can find them often. Aside from these points, here are some expert tips to help you catch more sports fish.
- Always be ready and organize. You have to get organized with your fishing gear and keep it within your reach at all times. You’ll never know when you are going to need them.
- You must use the right boat that is suitable for the fish species that you want to catch.
- Just like your fishing tools and equipment, make your boat organized. Think of it as your home. Any moment, a fish would come onto your fish, and you have to be ready for it.
- There’s no point driving your boat around all day. Instead, you have to stop and fish. Hence, it is the reason that you have to get familiarized with the behavior of your target fish.
- Avoid fishing on a massive body of water, especially if you don’t have a motorboat.
- Choose the right kind of artificial lure or bait for your target fish.
- Limit the number of fishing rods and reels that you bring on the boat. Just bring at least two to three of them.
- Fishing from a boat allows you to do trolling, cast and retrieve and jigging.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is It Better to Sit Up Straight or Lean Back?
It depends on every case. Ideally, when fishing, you should lean back slightly at approximately 135 degrees for the best comfort without slouching. Sitting up straight is also beneficial for your spinal and exercise.
What Is the Best Position to Sit?
When sitting on a boat, or any char, it’s best to keep your feet flat on a surface and rest them carefully. Avoid crossing your knees or ankles to avoid acquiring any injury. Then, position your knees at the same height as your hips or a bit lower than that. It would also be beneficial if you can maintain small gaps between the back of the knees and the chair.
Is It Good to Sit Straight?
Poor posture may lead to nerve compression and limited blood flow, which is why it is good to sit straight. If you want to avoid muscle pain, make sure that you have the right posture when standing up and relaxing so that your bones, ligaments, muscles, and joints align properly. Plus, sitting up straight is beneficial in strengthening your core.
Final Words
The right posture is essential, even when you’re fishing. Remember that you have to avoid a slouched posture when sitting on a boat for extended hours to avoid back muscles fatigued and sore. Instead, you have to sit up straight with your shoulders back so that you can maintain the curve in the low back.
Learn some stretching routines that you can do while sitting on a boat like reaching your toes across the left side of your body with your right hand. On the other hand, you can also grab the edge of your boat while slowly twisting your back from left to right. Make deep breathing as well to relax your body and exercise your lungs.