How To: Reel a fishing rod easily

Reeling a fishing rod has small quirks that can be easily overcome with technique.
You Will Need
* A fishing rod
* A reel
* A net

Step 1: Hold the pole
Hold the fishing rod tightly in your non-dominant hand, with your dominant hand even with the reel.

Step 2: Wind it up
Turn the crank clockwise with your dominant hand to bring the line in.

The small bar that loops around the reel locks it and prevents it from spinning counterclockwise.

Step 3: Don't flip the bar
Avoid opening the locking mechanism. It will allow the fish on the other end of the line to swim farther away.

Step 4: Reel it in
Continue turning the crank to wind the line around the spool. This will be increasingly difficult the bigger your fish is.

Step 5: Let out line
Manually pull extra line from the reel when you're reeling in a big one. This will give the fish more room to thrash about, tiring itself out before it breaks your line.

Use a lighter line with certain lures and baits that cause twists. A ball-bearing swivel will minimize twists.

Step 6: Play it
Slowly raise your rod until it is at the eleven o'clock position. The rod will bow. Lower the rod again and repeat the process.

Step 7
Drop your rod to waist height, grab your net with the other hand and lead the fish into the net.

Fact: The heaviest fish recorded by the International Game Fish Association was caught in 1959 off the coast of Australia and weighed 2,664 pounds.