i find this very interesting. with single action reels? i have a hard enough time keeping the line tight as it is, keeping boat in gear. i’m fishing deep, like 250 plus feet deep, and i’ll often hit the gas to keep the line tight while i give my arm a chance to recover haha.
i also have lots of room it’s not too crowded where i fish so i don’t need to worry about courtesy. i usually keep it in gear till the fish is close then i kick it into neutral. i dunno. works for me.
For me the goal is to get to neutral as soon as possible but not until the fish is under control and I have boat down current/ wind from the fish. If you are bucking the tide and slam it in neutral your boat will turn and you will drift towards fish creating slack. If you are riding the tide you can get to neutral faster as you are being pushed away from fish. I am verbal with the guy playing the fish so he knows what to expect. "I'm going to slow the boat... I am going to neutral... I am going to turn to the outside... Let me know what you need from me... " Ideally the boat is gently moving away from the fish with current/ wind putting the angler in control. Same thing fishing solo. Get boat under and fish under control first then take my time at pulling second rod and landing fish.