Which fishing rod

Poles are used with just a line attached to the tip , and are very easy to use. Well, at least the basic versions. To use it, you simply have to lower the bait under in the water, and fish directly below the rod tip. There is no casting. Poles have a very limited use, but they are excellent for that purpose. If you like a basic approach, or you mostly fish in a described way, then the pole is for you. If not, choose a rod. Yes, there is a difference.

Saltwater rods can be used in freshwater, but avoid using freshwater rods in saltwater. The reason is that saltwater reels are more resistant to corrosion, and their metal parts are made from corrosion resistant materials. Although they are resistant you still have to take care of the rods, and clean them after use to remove dirt and salt. As I already mentioned, telescopic rods are collapsible , and sections slide into each other.

Collapsed telescopic rods are very short. When extended, these can be very long. Rods that come in 2 pieces have to be assembled together , and when disassembled, they are usually longer than collapsed telescopic rods. That means that these rods are harder to transport and they are usually shorter when assembled. Their performance is similar, and both can be used in a similar way, however, one or two piece is less prone to abrasion damage in the joints.

They can withstand rough use, and even if you break them, it will not cost you a fortune. Fiberglass is often chosen by beginners.

It is frequently used for slow and medium action rods. Graphite is a material that experienced anglers like because rods made from it are lightweight, sensitive, and accurate.

Many fast action rods are made from it. They are strong and stiff, but come at a high price. Composite rods are made from combination of materials, often fiberglass, carbon fiber, and similar. They have properties of both and that makes them a bit more sensitive than fiberglass, but not as strong as graphite.

And lastly, there are natural materials like bamboo. These rods are heavier, but they have been used for centuries. Some anglers like to use them today too, especially for fly fishing. Bamboo is strong and elastic, which is excellent. Knowing do fishing rods float or not is important. The truth is, they do, at least on their own. When pressure is applied, rod will bend.

If only the tip bends, that rod is considered to be fast. If the upper half bends it is medium, and if the whole rod bends, it is slow. Bending depends on a rod material and construction, and it also describes how fast the rod will come back into neutral position. This flexibility is important for precision, casting, and control over the fish. Power is another feature, and it describes resistance to bending. Power can be light, medium, heavy, or combination of two, like medium-heavy.

Action has an effect on casting distance, while power is more related to fish size and setting the hook. Faster rods can cast further. When it comes to power, light is for smaller species while heavy is for large ones. Action affects your lures. Slow are for live bait, fast ones for various lures presented to fish like bass, while medium is great for fish like carp. Here you can learn more about what does fishing rod action and power mean No matter what type of rod you choose, make sure you get one form a reputable manufacturer , even if it costs a few dollars more.

In the long run, it is a great investment. There are more than enough different types of fishing rods , and every angler should choose the one that is suitable for fishing techniques they will use. Keep in mind that rods , no matter the type, have to be paired with proper reel size, lines, and lure weights. If you are a beginner who is looking a versatile rod that can be used in various situations, go for telescopic or spinning, at least if you plan to catch small fish species and you do not plan to practice any special fishing techniques.

Slo-fishing is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. What is a Fishing Rod Used For?

What is the Easiest Fishing Rod to Use? Which Type of Fishing Rod is Best? What is the Best Material for a Fishing Rod? What is the Power and Action of a Fishing Rod? Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again. For a quick reference, check out this infographic which breaks down the major rod types, explaining where they are most commonly used, the type of reel they are best suited for and the relationship between rod action and power.

This is a great a start to choosing your rod. Now you need to consider the length of the rod, action, weight class, and the materials used in its construction.

At the most basic level, a modern fishing rod is a long pole which tapers from the butt to the tip. Action describes how much a rod flexes along its length and how quickly the rod tip returns to a neutral position when flexed. Most rods on the market are progressive tapering from butt to tip to allow for an even rod action. The action of a rod can also be influenced by whether the rod is a one-piece, two-piece, telescopic or a travel rod made up of multiple pieces.

While it is undeniable that a one-piece rod offers the ultimate performance in fishing rod action, it may not be the most practical rod to suit your lifestyle. A 5kg weighted rod suggests that you are targeting fish using up to 5kg rated fishing line. Lure weight is also sometimes marked on the rod indicating the maximum casting weight for that rod.

Both of these measurements should help you determine what size reel and what line weight to pair with your rod. Materials like carbon fibre offer superior performance but might be outside your budget for your first fishing rod. This iframe contains the logic required to handle Ajax powered Gravity Forms. Get the latest information here. Most rods are made out of fiberglass, graphite, or a mixture of both.

For a beginner or an all-around angler, a combination of both materials offers the most versatile package: It gives you enough stiffness to adequately manipulate a lure, while maintaining enough sensitivity for detecting small bites. Lower-end fishing rods and many higher-end ones, too usually feature guides made of either thin stainless steel or aluminum oxide ceramic frames holding cheap ceramic O-ring inserts rings designed to protect the insides of the guides and prevent line wear that chip or corrode, and eventually fail.

Additionally, the more pieces that make up the guide, the more pieces with the potential to fall apart.

A design with more pieces means more jointing and fastening, which usually requires glue. Since fishing rods are often exposed to sun, salt, sand, dirt, fish parts, and general wear and tear, glue is simply less than ideal as is plastic ; a single piece of relatively rustproof metal is incomparably sturdier.

More expensive and usually sturdier guides include inserts made of higher-quality materials such as silicon carbide SiC or titanium-framed silicon carbide TiSiC , which are usually affixed to rods built for performance longer casting and lighter weight.

While these materials are not necessarily stronger than stainless steel or lined aluminum oxide, they are higher-performance materials, and a lot more expensive. The rest, including the grip material and the number of pieces the rod itself breaks down into, is up to you.

I will suggest that, if you can accommodate it, a one-piece rod will almost always outperform a two- or three-piece rod. A one-piece rod offers better stiffness and more control—fewer pieces make for fewer problems with durability and performance, although portability suffers.

With the rod settled, we looked into reels, which are a lot more complicated since they have so many moving parts. For the average fisher, the to pound maximum drags on any of our picks will suffice. One of the most important features is durability. Cheaper reels come with cheaper drag systems made of felt or lower-quality carbon fiber, which disintegrates quickly. That means a semisealed drag—for keeping out water, dirt, and corrosive salt spray—as well as an all-metal body. It will also be repairable should anything go wrong, whereas with cheaper gear, the cost of a repair can often exceed the worth of the reel.

That said, if you plan to do a lot of bait fishing from boats, buy a conventional open-faced reel with a more dependable dual drag system. I tested all of the rods and reels from beaches, rocks, boats, and riverbanks. I also tested the gear on smaller bottom fish, including summer flounder, sea bass, and porgies or scup , as well as red drum and spotted seatrout in Charleston, South Carolina.

I spent several days fishing freshwater rivers for trout and smaller salmon, and a couple of days fishing private ponds and lakes for largemouth bass. It should be a single-piece model, if you can accommodate it. The GX2 is the latest update to a classic line of rods renowned for their versatility and durability for nearly four decades.

Compared with the original, it includes more graphite and less fiberglass, giving the rod more of a backbone for working lures and handling heavier fish, while still keeping the soft fiberglass tip that makes it sensitive enough for detecting subtler strikes and smaller catches. What makes the Ugly Stik GX2 so much more durable and versatile than other rods is that it uses both graphite and fiberglass to provide sensitivity and strength without sacrificing too much of either. It features a primarily graphite shaft for stiffness, along with a soft, clear, and flexible fiberglass tip.

In addition to having a durable shaft, the GX2 is the only rod in its price category that comes fitted with one-piece stainless steel line guides, which can literally be smashed with a rock and still maintain serviceability.

This design also represents an upgrade from the old Ugly Stik, which had two-piece pop-out guides that were the only weak spot in an otherwise bulletproof rod.

Croix offers a five-year warranty for its Triumph rod, which we tested as a possible upgrade pick. Another problem with the Ugly Stik GX2 is that the guides are not always perfectly placed.

Compared with the similarly priced Ugly Stik models, the Shimano Saguaro is a stiffer graphite composite. If you plan to fish with care and not with children , the Saguaro can make an excellent rod for medium-weight jigging and topwater fishing, but it is less than ideal for lightweight artificial lures or bait fishing, and nowhere near as sturdy as an Ugly Stik.

But the GX2 is more versatile and cheaper. If the Ugly Stik GX2 is unavailable, or if you know you want something stiffer for doing more lure fishing, the Ugly Stik Elite series is a good bet. Second, while the GX2 is the direct successor to the classic Ugly Stik, which had four decades of acclaim behind it, the Elite series is a whole new line. For most anglers, however, the GX2 is the better bet.

The Daiwa BG SW series is our reel pick because these reels are built tougher than any similarly priced competition.

Consider sizes to for small freshwater and inshore saltwater species, to for medium freshwater and saltwater species, to for surf fishing, and to for larger fish, including some pelagic fish like mahi mahi and small tuna.