What fishing rod should you buy? A complete guide

What fishing rod should you buy? A complete guide

The rod is the beginning and the end of fishing, the main element without which the sport fisherman is nothing.

Throughout the history of fishing, there have been many types of rods that have been created with the aim of always offering more and better performance. Materials, actions, lengths... nowadays the offer is so wide that anyone can get lost. How to know which rod is the right one for me? There are many things to take into account. Of course, the final choice will depend on many other considerations that have to do with the specific type of fishing you are going to do as well as with your tastes and economic possibilities. And of course, don't hesitate to ask, we can advise you and solve any doubt you may have.

Length

The size or length of the rod is one of the most important points that must be taken into account. A good advice is to always choose a rod whose length allows us to maneuver and cast the tackle or lure with the utmost comfort.

There is nothing worse than fishing with a rod that is out of our size, either too big or too small, since without a doubt the only thing we will get will be wrong casts that will not obtain any result.

In the choice of size you should keep in mind that a short rod works very well for casting in narrow areas, while a long rod is essential for long distance casting. The current trend is towards shorter and thinner rods, which thanks to today's manufacturing materials are just as strong and powerful as the thicker and longer rods used in the past.

Strength

The term strength refers to the rod's ability to withstand the fight against the fish. The first thing to consider is that a rod must be strong enough to cast the weight to be used, whether it is a single, double, triple or telescopic rod. However, when choosing a rod, we should not make the mistake of thinking that the strongest one is the best. The resistance of a rod is not a characteristic that indicates quality, but rather a condition of the element; in other words, the rod must simply resist what it was made for, otherwise it would be useless.

According to the resistance of the reed we can make the following classification:

• Ultralight
• Light
• Medium
• Heavy
• Ultra-heavy

Of course, the lighter the rod's resistance means that it is valid for small fish, which will increase as we increase the resistance.

Choosing an inadequate resistance for the species we are trying to fish will mean that the rod will not transmit (or will do it wrongly) the sensations that the fish transmits during the fight, making the fishing action more complicated.

Memory of a rod

The natural shape of a rod is straight; however, the action of fishing involves constant bending. Well, when bending it, the rod offers a resistance that is equal to the applied force, but in the opposite direction, i.e., a reaction.

The speed with which it returns to its previous state is what is commonly called the rod's reaction or "memory".

The rod must have the proper reaction or memory so that the angler does not lose fishing sensation, to make the cast satisfactorily or to nail the fish if necessary.

Action

Maximum weight to which the rod can be subjected at the time of the cast. It is expressed in grams, usually with two numbers, which indicate the weight that the rod can support without problems.

In fact, each rod is designed for a specific type of fishing, according to which the level of flexion it can reach and the limit of effort it can withstand is established.

In this sense, three moments are distinguished in the cast:

• Critical zone: moment in which the rod tip is subjected to the greatest load, being able to overcome its resistance and break easily.
• Force zone: optimum position for the rod, where it can make the greatest efforts and is used correctly.
• Tension zone: position in which the reel and the line undergo the greatest tension.

As we know, when casting, the rod bends; well, this bending can occur in different ways. According to the shape of the bend, rods are classified as follows:

• Fast action or tip action rods: so called because they tend to bend at their tip. They provide greater fishing sensation, but are less effective for long casts.
• Medium action rods: bend in the middle of the rod. They give a good fishing sensation and are suitable for medium casts.
• Slow or full action rods: bend along the entire length of the rod. They are the most suitable for long casts.
• Slow or full action rods: bend along the entire length of the rod. They are the most suitable for long casts.

Weight

It is another of the fundamental points that we must take into account when choosing our rod, considering that it should never exceed our physical capacity. We must take into account that we will spend many hours 'carrying' the rod, but not only that, but we will also have to make a real physical effort in each cast, and we will surely regret it if the weight of the rod is excessive.

In any case, the rod should have the weight that the angler considers convenient, since lighter is not always better, we should not forget that in the case of needing to make long casts with coastal fishing equipment, the rods with greater weight have greater performance. The weight should be chosen, like so many other characteristics of the rod, according to the type of fishing we are going to do.

Assembly

The rod must be correctly assembled in terms of the position and type of thread guides, adequate handle, etc. An important aspect of the rod is the guide, rings or rod guide rings, which is a device for guiding the fishing line designed not to offer friction, hardness and, at the same time, to be light and not to add more weight to the rod.

Indeed, the rings must maintain the sensitivity of the rod, must prevent the line from twisting, must help the casting distances to be longer and must maintain the balance of the rod.

Handle

Another of the fundamental elements of the rod is its grip, since it is the one that allows the passage of sensations from the tip of the rod to the angler's hand, a set of sensations that are essential when it comes to achieving the desired results.

If we had to highlight a series of qualities that a grip must fulfill, we would talk about the following:

• Functionality: that is, the ability of the handle to provide the angler with an adequate support to manipulate the rod.

A functional handle allows a better transfer of energy from the angler's hand and arm to the rod and line.

• Ergonomics: quality that allows the angler to manipulate the rod comfortably and efficiently, minimizing effort. A rod should be equipped with a handle of a size and shape that matches the number and power of the rod, as well as standard human measurements. A well-designed handle results in better performance and less fatigue.
• Quality: based mainly on the type of material it is made of, on which the durability, the sensations transmitted, the weight, etc. will depend.

The material traditionally used is cork, which is marketed in different "grades" indicating its quality.

One of the most commonly used materials today is EVA Foam (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate). It is a synthetic material that has the right characteristics for the manufacture of grips of all kinds. It has only one disadvantage compared to cork: it is somewhat heavier.

In short, we can find a great variety of models on the market, each of which offers a different weight, length and action. The right choice depends on all these elements so that we find the rod that meets all the characteristics, and that fits our budget, of course.

Find the rod you are looking for on our fishing website Fishing rods.