How to Choose a Fishing Rod
If you want to fish, the first thing you must learn is how to choose a fishing rod. Choosing the right fishing rod depends a great deal on the type of fishing you want to do, and how experienced you are at the sport. It is a great sport, and a wonderful social activity, but like any other the exponent needs the tools appropriate to the form of the sport being pursued.
For example, a fisherman angling for salmon or trout will use a totally different type of rod to a sea fisherman trying to land a massive marlin or tuna. These are extremes, but demonstrate that fishing tackle is not just fishing tackle. There is a very wide range of possible designs of fishing rod specifically intended for the required application. Coarse or white fish such as carp are fished in a different way to other white coarse fish such as pike, and an individual fish can be caught using ground bait, a leger or by fly fishing. They all use different types of rod.
Rods are generally built for certain types of fishing, and within each type, rods are even built for certain species of fish. There can be a degree of crossover, but you can’t use a float rod for leger fishing unless you have it fitted with some detection device such as a quivertip. If you are new to fishing, therefore, choose a simple fishing rod that feels comfortable when you hold it. Beginners are best to restrict themselves to catching smaller fish until they become more adept and understand the fish better.
Your rod should also be flexible, and if you are not sure exactly what you should have then buy a second hand rod to learn with. The same is true of seasoned fishermen that are trying out a new type of fishing. If you have never fly-fished before, then try it with a cheaper rod first till you understand exactly the properties you need in a fly rod specifically for you. There is little point in spending lots of money on a rod if you are not sure what you are looking for.
Let’s look at one or two different types of rod that might help you determine your personal needs. When you set out to purchase a rod, you should have an idea of the main type of fishing you intend to use it for. Is it for salmon and trout in a clear Scottish mountain stream, or for carp in your local lake. Are you fishing for shark off California or for sea bass around the Florida Keys? In fact, you can use the same rod for sea bass and for spinning in your local river, although many bass anglers prefer baitcasting lines to the fine lines that are used on spinning rods.
What you have to keep in mind with your tackle, is that sea fishing is generally better done with traditional round reels with heavy lines, while the smaller fish are better caught using a fine, light invisible line that allows greater sensitivity in tempting the fish with the bait. If you are fishing carp to a marker float you want a set-up that allows you to cast to the same spot accurately all day.
So start with a simple rod that feels comfortable in your grip. Once you have become more experienced with the different types of fish, the baits and different lures, then you can start to look at more advanced specialist rods. A marker float has just been mentioned in relation to carp fishing, so that’s as good a rod to start with as any. There are specific things to look for in a good float rod.
First the material of construction. You can get fiber glass or carbon, but the good rods are generally made from carbon. Carbon fiber is very strong in relation to its thickness, and a carbon fiber rod can be very strong and also thin and light. You will appreciate the lightness when are fighting a large fish that simply refuses to come to the bank. The length depends a lot on where you are fishing. Abound 12 to 13 feet is a good average length, although you might want something longer if you are fishing deep rivers. However, unless you are an expert stick to about 13 feet for now.
Your rings are best made from chrome, but they can wear quickly and a good compromise between slip and wear is ceramic, and you should have at least 13 rings on your rod. The tip of your rod can be hollow or spliced. Which you choose depends on the type of fish you are trying to catch. The spliced tips have a length of solid carbon spliced into the tip, and was originally designed for fishing rivers and quick acting fish where you need a fast response and strike. These rods tend to have deeper rings so that line can be fed downstream without sticking to the rod.
The other type, the hollow tip rod, has a slower and softer action and is more suitable for the slower moving fish such as carp and chub. However, modern production techniques have enabled hollow tips to emulate the speed of strike of the spliced tip rods, and so spliced tips are generally no longer needed by anybody but the top professionals.
If you are legering, that is fishing without a float, you need a stronger reel, and a rod with either a quivertip or a swingtip to provide a detection system. The former is the more common and they come in a range of sensitivities. It is generally wise to have a least two of different sensitivities, and if you have only the one rod then make sure that the tips are interchangeable. Different fish and waters need different sensitivities of tip. The swingtip rods are more suitable for still waters.
The casting power of your rod comes from the butt and middle sections of the rod, and you should test the cast of a rod before you purchase it. However, if you take all of the above factors into account when buying your rod you should be able purchase a piece of equipment that will satisfy your needs for years to come. The secret is not purchase an expensive rod until you know exactly what you need, and what options are available.
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