Fishing Rod Picking

Fishing poles and rods.

When I was at Bass Pro the other day I was impressed on the number and different types of poles they had for sale. When I was growing up back in Poland, Indiana, the Poland Hardware store is where you went to get a pole, or the Sears Catalog. I thought the Hardware store had a great selection; there were at least 6 poles and a good selection of cane poles.  8-) 

When you pick a rod you will want to consider: price, length, action and power. First pick your price range. They go from cheap to high-buck models. If you are just starting out, start with a less expensive one. It can become your second back up pole if you find you like fishing and you use it a lot. 

For a first pole, I suggest going with a “Medium” rod in all categories of ratings. It will let you do all types of fishing and it will let you get a feel of what you like and dislike about it. When you buy another pole you have much better idea of what to get.

On rod length: A long rod gives better casting distance and allows you to cast lighter baits. A short rod enables you to set the hook more quickly and is easier to use in close quarters. (Just a note here: you get a shorter rod when you snap the tip off your rod when catching or hitting it on something anyway… 8-)… I have number of these rods.)  So start with a medium length rod.

Action is where the rod flexes. Fast action rods flex at the tip, slow action rods flex over the full length. Slow action rods cast light baits well and are good for live bait because fish feel little resistance when they take the bait and start to swim off with it. A fast action rod has better sensitivity and gives a quicker hook set.

Power in a rod refers to the stiffness of the rod. It takes much more force to bend a heavy power rod. The size of tackle and the size of the fish you are after determine the power you need in the rod.

Rods are also made to fit the type of reel you put on the rod.

The rod and reel need to balance each other. If the reel is too heavy for the rod, the rod will feel butt-heavy and it will feel less sensitive. If the reel is to light it is hard to keep the rod tip up and is hard on your wrist.

The line guides on the pole need to match the type reel you get. Spinning gear needs large guides to reduce the drag on the line. Other types of reels use smaller guides.

*-) Cane poles do not need a reel or line guides and I think the only rating on them is the length. I still use one of these…it is low tech fun fishing.

Go fish and have fun.