I spend 4-6 hours on average handling and casting a fishing rod each adventure. In past adventures, not balancing the rod has caused fatigue in my wrist, arm, biceps, shoulder, and even my neck and can eventually become impossible to handle. All this will affect your quality of fishing and effectiveness in catching your prey. 

The type of rod you’re using will determine how to balance the rod with what reel and the position of that type of reel. In my case, whether I am fishing for steelhead or beach fishing, I use long rods. My rods vary from 11 feet, 11 1/2 feet, 13 feet, and 13 1/2 feet. I hold the tip high so there is a lot of leverage on the wrist and forearm. The ultralight spinning reels I use for the ultralight long beach rods are 9 ounces and 11 ounces. A sliding reel seat allows you to find that sweet spot for the reel, like a seesaw in the playground, balancing with no effort. The reel’s weight will be the major factor with stationary reel seats. Another factor now in play is what your rod is made of. There are composite rods that are very lightweight on the market now that have composite graphite textured handles for easy grip. Most importantly, they will not absorb water or degrade as cork will do.

Different reels will have a different effect on your limbs. Spinning reels, bait casting reels, the fly reel, and center pin reels all have different holding patterns, which changes the muscles that will be stressed. The spinning reel is under your hand, hanging; the bait caster has your hand above the reel and is controlled with the thumb on the reel and the middle finger on the rod’s grip. The fly reel has your hand forward of the reel, holding the rod itself. The center pin reel has your hand in front of the reel and partially on the rod. The wrist, the forearm, the biceps and the shoulder muscles are all stressed in different ways.

Holding the rod’s tip in another position, low to the water surface, is a different fatigue story. Bass fishermen do this a lot. Using a bait caster reel, their common rods have a finger grip for stability. Even the line guides are different sizes from a spinning reel rod. How you retrieve also takes into account. Straight retrieves, jerking, twitching, holding (pause). When we talk of balancing, it is difficult to be perfect.

So, we are talking about the best position for the reel and weight related to the rod to obtain the best and optimum performance with the least stress on your casting arm. This will allow you to feel the bite and presentation of your various lures with the greatest sensitivity.

Knowing your equipment and physical ability will help you endure for a long time.