Okay, I'm going to stir up the sh!t here, but here goes.
I just don't know why so many people fight the fish out of the rodholder. It takes all the fun out of it. You can't feel the fish, you can't play the fish, no pump and reel, just reel. Where is the fun.
(There is still plenty of fun, just not as much as when stand-up fighting)
Simmer down, I am all for it, if it is a monster and you reelly have to put the heat on her, or if the seas are nasty, or if you are just getting started, Or if it is a tournament and you have $ on the line, but to reelly feel and enjoy the power of these fish I recomend you stand-up fight them. Even in a chair you get to pump & reel, so you can feel the fish, but the rodholder.....no fun to me, just work.
The rodholder works great just not as much fun, and I'm more about having fun catching these fish.
The charter guys, and the guys doing it for a living, I understand why many of them do it, because they need to put fish on the deck, it's their living. There is less pilot error out of the rodholder.
This is only an opinion, mine. Many will disagree.
Catching these fish in any fashon is a boat load of fun.