A Beginner’s Guide To Selecting The Right Fishing Rod
Beginners have it the hardest- regardless of whether you’re trying to learn mountain climbing or even origami. The learning curve can differ according to the activity you’ve taken an interest in. Fishing is an activity or a hobby that can take up a lot of time studying and preparing. You need to get yourself familiarized with different fish species, laws, fishing rods, storage boxes, and clothes. Most professionals suggest that focusing your efforts into learning all that you can learn about a single species of fish is a good place to start. Different gear or rods are used for different kinds of fish; it’s quite easy to overwhelm yourself with information and bring yourself to a halt. Once you find yourself familiar with a single type of fish, the ways used to catch it, and the gear you should use, you’ll be able to see some results in no time.
Choosing your fishing rod is considered the most important step in a beginner fisher’s journey. There are two different opinions; one suggests not limiting your choices of rods to the type of fish you’re trying to catch, and the other suggests angling a specific rod to reduce the learning curve. We’ll be focusing on the latter strategy as it’s more beginner-friendly and straightforward. The market is filled with different names and brands, which is why we’ll be giving you a brief explanation of what the most important factors you should be considering.
Length
Choosing the length of your rod is dependable on the type of fish you’d prefer to catch. It’s not only the type of fish that helps you determine the length of rod you need; the habitat or environment you’re fishing in is also taken into account. Casting a long-distance shot using a short rod is not easy for beginners, which is why longer rods are recommended to make the process of casting it easier. Long rods are recommended for fishing on lakes and other open-water areas where the frequency of casting is high. According to the experts at reelfishingguru.com, shorter rods are used to catch fish that can put up a fight and require a lot of heavy rod action to catch. A shorter rod is also perfect when there are a lot of obstacles in the area like in the woods or fishing banks. If you can average out the frequency of your casts, you can decide whether you’ll need a longer rod for casting a lot or a shorter rod where casting isn’t frequent. This is where familiarizing yourself with the type of fish you’re looking for is beneficial.
Action
Action is a way to determine the flexibility of the rod and at which point in the rod does it bend the most.
There are 3 major types of action used in most fishing rods:
· Extra Fast: Just like the name implies; this type of rod is very quick to flex and isn’t easy to control for a beginner
· Fast: A little less tippy and it flexes right in the middle of the rod
· Medium: the flexing mechanism is close to the bottom of the rod. It’s considered one of the easiest to control for beginners and it’s usually recommended for first-timers.
Depending on your target, the action you’ll need will be different. Most professionals recommend focusing on panfish first as they are easily caught using the ultra-light rods because of their small size and weight. If you’d like to move on to medium-sized species, a medium action rod is great at catching bass. If you’d like to go hunting for bigger fish like salmon or catfish, you should opt for the heavier rods as they can withstand the punishment caused by these types of fish.
Reel
The type of reel you’re fishing with is often overlooked even though it is a very important element in the fishing process. Every type of rod uses a different type of reel; using the wrong type of reel can damage the rod or ruin the process of catching fish. There are two major types of reel settings; the one used with a spinning rod, where the reel is underneath the rod; casting rod set is the other type, the reel is on top of the rod. Most expert fishers recommend beginners to begin with spin-casting as they’re quite easier to use, unlike Baitcasting rods which require some experience using the angling technique in fishing. Pouring your effort and attention to find the perfect spin-casting rod and reel will reduce the learning curve of fishing overall.
Material
The material is usually mentioned last since it’s not as important as the action, length, and reel. Nevertheless, it provides its good share of benefits. There aren’t many popular materials out there except for two: graphite and fiberglass. They both have their own pros and cons. Graphite rods are considerably more expensive than their fiberglass counterparts, and for a beginner, they are prone to damage easily. Professional fishers prefer graphite as it’s easier to feel the vibrations of a fish taking the bait. Fiberglass is usually recommended for beginners as it’s cheaper yet more robust and can hold their own for a long while. Some experts choose to use fiberglass for everyday use if they are frequently fishing. Once you get the hang of fiberglass rods, you’ll be able to use a graphite rod the way it’s intended to be used.
The right fishing rod is something that may seem elusive for a beginner at first glance. But there are a lot of factors that could be taken into account to make it easier to choose one. As long as you understand how action, length, reel, and material affect your rod, you should be able to find the perfect rod in no time. Make sure you familiarize yourself with the type of fish you’re looking for to ensure that you have the right specifics when it comes to choosing a rod. Just like anything, consistency and patience are always going to pay off in the long run. Don’t give up quickly and you shall reap the benefits in no time.
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