Why use a whip?

[The Flying Tench]

As I understand it a whip is a short pole and you fish it with the line out roughly the length of the rod, so you can swing in little fish easily. But you can do that anyway with a rod and reel, and you've got the option of, for example, casting much further if you wish. So why use a whip?

[Ken L]

Speed!

My whip is 6m. It's fished line to hand, and it's feather-light.

For snatching bleak or strip fishing for small roach and gudgeon in a flow, it's a fine tool that I can fish with for hours.

Mine's a Chinese telescopic jobbie that just needed a Stonfo glued in and it cost me about £15.

[Martin56]

2 hours ago, The Flying Tench said:

As I understand it a whip is a short pole and you fish it with the line out roughly the length of the rod, so you can swing in little fish easily. But you can do that anyway with a rod and reel, and you've got the option of, for example, casting much further if you wish. So why use a whip?

Just make sure you're not in a big fish hole/venue or it will end in tears!!

[The Flying Tench]

Ken - thanks - the extra length was what I hadn't realised. Re Martin's point about big fish, is it any different with a whip compared to a pole?

[S63]

There is a venue in Kent where I use a whip for Rudd fishing, I’ve had fish to 2lb. Occasionally the carp move in and I inevitably lose a few hooklengths but have managed to land one of 5lb, really enjoy whip fishing as an alternative to rod and reel occasionally.

[Ken L]

25 minutes ago, The Flying Tench said:

Ken - thanks - the extra length was what I hadn't realised. Re Martin's point about big fish, is it any different with a whip compared to a pole?

I used to fish elasticated 7m poles line to hand occasionally and have won opens on the Trent doing it, but it's much heavier than a whip, and I'd be done for after a few hours.

Occasionally, I'd hook a good chub or a small barbel and a full length pole up in the air with the elastic stretched out drew a few comments.

The whip doesn't give you a safety net, so light hooklinks are a must. I remember a time, doing a bit of light livebaiting on a feeder of the Severn and I couldn't catch any bleak. I dropped the bait down on the whip to see if there were any fish on the bottom and hooked a "thing" that was probably a carp. I had it on for 20 minutes before the inevitable happened.

The other thing about a whip is that they are brilliant for kids (it's why I bought my two Chinese ones) because there's nothing to tangle.

 

[Martin56]

Yes, of course one can have great fun & land some very good fish with the whip but their Primary function is "Tiddler Bashing", at Speed.

Edited August 18, 2021 by Martin56

[Tigger]

Whips....not my scene man .

[The Flying Tench]

I take Ken's point about fishing a long pole being tiring. It's always looked a bit like that to me, and I've got a weak back so haven't ever bought one. But at the lake I've been fishing recently quite a few people use a shortish pole, just 2 sections I think, and it doesn't look too bad. I think they out fish my float rod, though of course that might be a case of the angler not the equipment!  But I've asked myself why the pole should do better, and one obvious answer is the very accurate groundbaiting using a pole cup. How do you groundbait with a whip?

[Martin56]

Just keep chucking a few maggots in around your float - Like i said in an earlier post, the whip is a tiddler bashing tool & not really that much science surrounding it.

Edited August 25, 2021 by Martin56