There are quite a few fishing rods to choose from and many new anglers often find it an overwhelming decision to make. You don’t just have one or two fishing rods to choose from, you have hundreds and it isn’t as easy as you think. However, choosing the right rod will be important whether you want to fish for trout or pike.
When you have the right rod you catch more fish. Every angler will stress the importance of choosing the correct rod because it’s the single most important tool in fishing and you too need to make the right decision.
What Are Your Intentions?
The obvious answer – you’re going to fish – but what type of fishing do you plan? First and foremost, you have a few choices such as deep sea fishing, fly fishing and of course ice fishing and each of these are very different from one another and require different fishing rods and reels. It is also the same with the various types of fish out there; but when you know the exact type of fishing or fish you want to concentrate on choosing a rod will be much easier.
For example if you had the intentions of fishing larger fish such as sturgeons or salmons you couldn’t use a rod or reel which is suitable for smaller pond fishing, you would have to branch out on larger rods. However, when you know your intentions you can find the right rods and it will be much easier too.
Understand Your Level of Skills
Once you know what type of fish you are going to be looking for, you now need to think about the fishing skills you have. If you are just starting out, there is no need to choose fishing rods which are for the open ocean because you aren’t ready for this level yet. You may want to choose the right fishing rods however, there is absolutely no point in buying rods which are out of your league, and it’s a waste of money.
Choose a Suitable Length
Your rod can be anything from four feet to around fourteen and you need to be able to handle the rod you buy. If you aren’t experienced with a rod, you can do some serious damage with it so to help you choose the right fishing rod you need to choose the length to work with. Again, it does come down to what you plan to fish and the exact location too.
If you choose the shorter rods they usually cast a line over short distances and are best to catch the smaller fish. However, shorter rods are good when you want to be able to get a good handle on reeling in a struggling fish and actually can handle a lot of big game fish too.
When you choose the longer rods you have the ability to stretch a line further and can be used from a variety of options. If you want to get into fly fishing then the longer rods are best because they offer the most versatility for this task.
Understand the Weight of the Rod
Rods come in all sorts of weights and the weight will determine the suitable option for you. When the rod is heavier you have the ability to catch bigger fish since the rod is essentially stronger. The exact weight of the rod can allow you to determine how much weight you can comfortably and safely reel in whilst fishing. Remember, rods which are designed to carry bigger loads are generally stronger but it does depend on what you are fishing for.
A Heavy Action
When fishing rods come with a light action it means they are going to work best to catch smaller fish. However, when a rod has a heavy action to it, you can choose to catch larger fish such as bass simply because the backbone of the rod is stronger. A heavy action often means anglers can go after bigger fish since it can handle most fish.
Fiberglass and Graphite Rods
There are two types of rod materials to choose from, fiberglass and graphite. The fiberglass rods are generally heavy but come with a lot more flexibility which means they don’t break easily. However, the graphite rods are a lot more costly than fiberglass and are very easy to break. If you are an angler who wants to catch a variety of fish then a combination material of fiberglass and graphite is best.
Spinning and Casting Reels
You have the choice of a casting or spinning reel and while both are good, they work very differently. For example, the casting reel is more for those who want manual control; you get more control over the reel but if you aren’t experienced with these reels, they are harder to use. Spinning reels are best for those just starting out and work for most fishing needs too.
Deep Sea Fishing
When anglers are heading out to the open sea, they take the game to a whole new level because the fish found in the sea can range from small little foot-long fish to a thousand pound shark. For those choosing deep sea fishing you absolutely must choose long and heavy rods. These rods are going to be able to reach the deepest of levels but also remain strong to help reel in heavy loads.
Pier Fishing With Shorter Rods
If you choose to go pier fishing, which has become very popular, you are going to have to take into consideration those around you. Piers are busy even when the weather isn’t great and when the weather is beautiful things will get busy very fast and you don’t technically have a lot of room to work with. This means you have to work with shorter rods but you must be able to cast a great distance in order to reach the ocean floor. You can get smaller rods with a heavy cast line in order to catch fish deep below the ocean floor.
Ask for Help at an Angler’s Store
There are plenty of stores which specialize in fishing equipment and if you don’t know which rod is specifically right for you, head to a local store and get some recommendations. You could get a lot of help here to find the right rod for the type of fish you wish to catch.
