Monday, July 21, 2008

Looking at the Attributes of Fishing Rods

If you’re not familiar with fishing rods or if you’re looking to choose something a little more specific than what you currently have to work with, then you’ll want to start paying close attention to the different attributes of the fishing rods that are on the market.

Let’s go over some of those attributes now and look at how they can impact your choice.

Fishing Rods: Length

If you’ve spent much time looking at fishing equipment, you probably already know that the rods come in a wide variety of sizes. What you may not realize is that the rod size you choose can have an impact on the type of fishing you can do well. For example, if you want to make long casts then you’re going to be looking for longer rods. If you re wanting a heavier line, possibly to catch bigger fish, then you should focus on shorter rods.

Furthermore, if you are interested in doing bottom fishing then you’ll probably want to stick to a shorter rod. These just work better for that type of casting. On the other hand, if you’re going to be using lures or if you simply have a hard time casting, you might want to choose a longer rod because it will make both of these steps easier.

Fishing Rods: Guides

Another important factor when choosing the right fishing rods are the guides. The guides allow the line to move as you want it to. That means your guides will have a big impact on the smoothness of your casting and reeling. Of course, guides made from certain materials can raise the prize of the rod so you may need to find a balance between cost and smoothness. Generally, the best choice is going to be ceramic guides. These are very quiet and smooth. You’ll also have fewer problems with line fraying and long casting.

The cheaper choices are usually stainless steel. They’ll get the job done but will not provide the same high-quality results as ceramics. These do work well, however, for shorter rods and bottom fishing rods when long casting is not such an important issue.

Fishing Rods: Taper

Even the most experienced fishers tend to overlook the importance of taper when it comes to choosing fishing rods. Taper, also sometimes called action, is how much the rod bends under pressure. The greater the bend the more difficult casting and baiting can be. In general, a slow taper will result in a lower priced rod.

At the other end of the scale, you’ll find the extra fast taper which causes only the upper part of the rod to bend. These are very flexible pieces of fishing equipment which work well for lots of fish but also cost a great deal of money.

Comparing Fishing Rods

When you’re ready to make a purchase or do some comparison shopping, online stores such as Sea Isle Tackle can be good choices because of their wide selection and because of the convenience of comparing from home.

No comments: