A Beginner’s Guide to Choosing a Fishing Rod

A fishing rod is an essential tool for a fishing enthusiast. And if you want to become one, you’re already on the right track. Every fisher must know the secrets of identifying a good fishing rod. Read further below!

Know the Right Power You Need

A fishing rod’s power value determines the blank’s weight capacity. And as you may have guessed, the light-weight one is designed to catch small fish, like panfish, bluegill, crappie, and small trout. Light power has a limit from 4lb to 8lb. If you want to catch smaller fish, you’ll need the ultra-light rods, which can handle 1lb to 4lb fish.

In theory, you might be thinking that light rods should have been sufficient enough to catch fish smaller than 4lb. And this thought is somewhat correct, except you may not be able to hook the fish because light rod does not act fast enough with the fish’s pull.

The same thing goes with the heavy rods. They can surely hold fish smaller than 15lbs, but their big size will prevent you from feeling the pull from the fish.

Pick the Right Design

Fishing rods come in one-piece, two-piece, and telescopic model. If you want to save space and have the maximum mobility with your fishing rod, the telescopic model is the right choice. I found my favorite telescopic fishing rod at fishingoutcast’s website. It has detailed discussions on fishing rod types, complete with their advantages and disadvantages.

However, moving parts also means reduced durability. Unless you have the budget to buy a quality telescopic fishing rod, then you should pick a two-piece rod instead. It can be folded just enough, and it is more durable than the telescopic model.

Graphite vs. Fiberglass

These two materials will be your primary consideration factors in buying your first fishing rod. Graphite has supreme sensitivity, meaning that you’ll be likely to catch more fish than if you use a rod made of fiberglass. However, in terms of durability, fiberglass is superb, and it is also more affordable than the graphite rod. Therefore, unless you have a big budget for your new hobby, I suggest you use the fiberglass first. Buy the graphite rod only after you have made several successful fishing trips.

Start with the Spin-casting Rod

If you’ve watched fishing documentary videos, you should have known where the reel sits. Experienced anglers prefer the rod with a reel on top of it, while the newbies use the rod with a reel on the bottom side of it. This second type is also known as a spin-casting rod. The most recommended brands are Daiwa’s BG Spinning Reels, KastKing’s Summer & Centron, Shimano’s Stradic, Okuma’s Graphite Bite Feeder, and Goture’s Metal Spool Fishing Reel.…