rigging an expandable pole

[Steven Popp]

Hey I'm new to to the group and fishing with an expandable pole. My question is how to rig it. I know they have line keepers and what I have done was put line one the keeper. I ran that line up to the eye and fish with that way. Is that a bad idea?

[carl hendrix]

get with david mc/scruff;;  several others on this site can really help out on this!!

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

No; in fact, having your line attached to the keeper instead of just the eye itself is added insurance.
Occasionally, a telescoping pole will be weak at the eye, the eye isn't well attached during manufacture or it gets stressed. Perhaps it's been damaged or a big fish has gotten ahold of you somewhere along the line.
Regardless, the eye-rod tip section is the weakest link. If your line is tied to the eye alone and you've got a fish on when it breaks....well, it's game over.
Tying to a point further down the pole them makes sense. On bamboo poles, you can tie a foot or two back on one of the bamboo joints (corms). You can do the same with a tele-pole, or tie back on the keeper. I've done it both ways, and I suggest you try both, too. I prefer tying about 18" back, running the line
up and then tying a simple knot at the eye.

PS. A "tip" I follow is to let a small drop of liquid super glue run down into the eye base. I do this when I get the pole; again, it's just a bit of added insurance.

[Steven Popp]

Hey thanks for the tips Dave I will put them into action. They are calling for good fishing today so we will see in a bit if they are biting.

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

No problem, anytime - and I mean that.
All of us are here to help.

[Jeffrey D. Abney]

I'll post a few up close pictures of how I like to rig my telescopic poles......some folks would think my method is too much trouble but high success rate for me......

[Steven Popp]

Jeff I seen them pics looks like a good idea

[Rober (Rob) Richards]

 on my 10 ft telescoping poles i put a B&M plastic reel on using electric tape under hose clamps that way i have extra line if i break off and its easy to reel in the line when i collapse the pole . These reels aint for casting just for line storage but they do have some drag and a clicker if youre not watching for the slip cork to go down ..not that I would fail to watch but sometimes the gills are real sneaky here in Missouri .