Wing on Wing, disconnecting the Whisker pole

I'm trying to figure out the best way to disconnect the Whisker pole from the jib and mast. I've done some reading, and haven't found this specific issue addressed. A friend who has more experience, suggested disconnecting the pole from the mast first. This seemed like a bad idea to me, as you then basically have a spear connected ot a lot of power you may not be able to control. But....did I listen to my logic? Oh, No! With him at the helm and me at the mast, I disconnected the pole at the mast. Well...this was weeks ago and my hand has healed now, but I was lucky! Yesterday, I tried to disconnect the pole from the jib first and found it difficult with tension on the sheet. Now, I'm thinking probably the best method is to jibe the main, in order to cover the jib and disconnect the pole without tension on it (this is how I furl the jib and it seems pretty obvious to me now. Fortunately I still have ten fingers ) Thoughts?