"Tips on selecting rods and
reels ."
Author - John E. Brady, Hanover PA-USA
Copyright 2001
e-mail - jeb@jebswebsite.com
If you're looking at a new rod and reel, make sure you do your homework before you make your selection. There are just about as many types and sizes of rods and selections of reels these days as there are crankbaits and spinnerbaits. Just browsing through the selection in any tackle or department store can intimidate just about any of us. In their endeavor to give fisherman a rod for every occasion, as well as sell more product, rod manufacturers have gone all out in the selections they have available.
So how do you decide what to buy? It depends on what type of fishing you do, what types of baits you fish with, and a little mix of personal taste. If you're the type of fisherman that has gotten into the habit of using one rod for each different type of lure you use, it's much easier to decide what to buy. If you only use one or two rods when you fish, the selection is much critical. Make the wrong selection, and you could have trouble casting a large majority of your baits.
Rod manufactures have tried to help make the selection easier by listing line sizes, lure weights, and action on rods. Some have even gone as far as putting the type of fishing the rod should be for right on it. Unfortunately for the casual fisherman, this concept is not wide spread. To add to the complexity, all rod manufacturers do not measure there rod action the same. A medium action rod from one manufacturer, may be the same as a medium heavy from another.
Rod length can be a misconception as well. My favorite worm rod is a six foot medium action pistol grip. Another rod I use for spinnerbaits is six and a half foot medium action straight handle. But put the two rods side by side and match them up reel to tip, and the shorter rod is actually longer. So be careful when looking at the overall length of a rod. The rod blank from reel to tip is what is most important to give you the action you may want.
When selecting a good all around rod, the basics you need to look at is the range of the lure weight, line size, and action. Rod length usually will correspond to these measurements within six to eight inches. A good all around baitcasting rod is one with a line weight of 10 to 14 pound test, and a lure weight of 3/8 to 3/4 ounce. For spinning look for a line size of 8 to 12 pound test, and lure weight of 1/4 to 5/8 ounce. The action of each will probably be listed as medium, and should be 6 to 6 ½ foot.
When it comes to choosing a reel, the selection becomes much easier. The main thing you need to look for is the number of bearings in the reel. The more bearing the reel has, the smoother it will perform, and the longer it will last. Prices usually directly relate to the number of bearings. Most average priced reels have one or two. The high end model go up to 4 or five. Plan on adding about $15 for each additional bearing on the base price of a reel. It gets expensive, but it's worth it.
The other must item on a reel is a good drag. If you stick to a major brand, the drag should be acceptable. Other features to look for is anti-reverse. This is usually found on the higher priced models.
As the saying goes, "you get what you pay for", and "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn't". You can be misguided by looks. The market is saturated with great looking reels that sell at low costs. You need to weed through them to find the quality ones.
My advice is spend as much as you can afford on the reel, then spend what's left on the rod. You'll be much happier with your combination. It'll allow you to spend less time repairing your equipment and more time catching fish.
After all..."They call it fishing, but the goal is catching!"