Select the
right fishing rod for the job
There is simply no way to design a "one-size-fits-all" fishing
rod.
There are almost as many types of fishing rods are there are
types of game fish and every one has been designed for a
specific purpose.
Fishing rods have come a long way over the years from the
typical conventional rods that were being made back in the day.
It would be very easy for any novice or person just starting out
with fishing as a hobby to easily get confused about the
astonishing amount of choices on the market today. Just go to
any of your local fishing rod store and have a look around at
the rows and rows of fishing rods available at your disposal.
Hopefully we will be able to dispel some of the fears that you
may have if you are just starting to fish and needing to
purchase a new fishing rod with an overview of the types of
fishing rods on the shelves these days and what you might look
at eventually buying.
Choosing the Right Fishing Rod
When it comes to choosing a fishing rod, what does it all mean?
There are all kinds of instructions written on labels on the
fishing rod itself, and all of them have a different weight and
size. To clear up some of the confusion for you, although of
course it comes down to personal choice. I've seen a lot of
fishermen that have one rod that they use for all of their
fishing needs. This is a mistake and usually they do not catch
many fish. I'm not suggesting that you should have a box full of
many different rods, but you should have two or three just for
different situations.
Fishing rods come is the basic types listed below. This
information is printed on the rod itself, mostly above the
handle, along with suggestions as to line sizes to be used. It's
best that you have at least three rods to choose from for any
given fishing situation.
Ultra light Action - these rods are used for fishing very small
lures. Ultra light rods are perfect for small stream and river
fishing, such as when you're wading. The heavier the current,
the longer rod you will want. Ultra light rods are a great
choice for trout and pan fish.
Light Action - Light action rods are used for the same
situations as ultra light action rods. If you're just starting
out, start with a light action rod and work your way to ultra
light. Again, these rods are perfect for trout and pan fish
fishing.
Medium Action - Medium action rods are right in the middle of
the scale (imagine that). Medium action rods are to be used when
wading larger rivers for larger fish. I personally use medium
action rods for my walleye and smallmouth bass fishing in
Canada. Medium action is also a good size for trolling smaller
lures.
Medium Heavy Action - This size rod is great for trolling most
lures. Medium heavy rods are also great for most salmon and
steelhead fishing. As the name suggests, these rods are to be
used in situations where you're after bigger fish (10 to 20
pounds as a general example), although it's also a favorite size
for large mouth bass anglers.
Heavy Action - Obviously, these are your big boys. Largemouth
bass fishermen will use rods this size to fish heavy cover and
the like. Also, when you're fishing for big pike and muskie,
heavy action rods are a must. These rods are used for really big
fish (over 20 pounds as a general example). This action rod is
also used for heavy trolling, such as that done with
downriggers.
After this brief explanation, you should have much better
understanding of what the different actions of fishing rods mean
to you as an fisherman. As mentioned earlier, you will probably
want at least three different fishing rods for different fishing
situations. That way you can pick and choose as the situation
changes. As an example, I use my four foot ultra light rod for
most of my small river and stream fishing, but in the
springtime, when the water is really high, I switch to my five
foot six inch ultra light rod. The longer rod makes it easier to
feel bites in heavy current.
Below is a list of some of the different types of fishing rods, and
explanations as to why they work well for the type of game fish that they
were made for.
Finor Fishing Rod
Finwick Fishing Rods
Fire Red Fishing Rod
Firebrand Fishing Rod
Firebrand Fishing Rod Tips
First Fishing Rod
First Fishing Rod Ever Made
First Fishing Rod Information
First Fly Fishing Rod
First Mate Kayak Fishing Rod Holder
Fischer Fishing Rods Fly