saltwater fishing rod components

Choosing the right fishing rod can be a challenging task, especially for the casual or hobbyist fisherman considering taking the sport more seriously. If you’re interested in taking your fresh water fishing to the next level but find yourself casting about in confusion, here are a few pointers to help you choose your next good fishing rod.

First, consider your environment and the type of fish you hope to catch. Specifically, will you be fishing for lighter fish in small ponds where you may not need to make overly long casts? Or will you be fishing in lakes, where precise casts may be necessary and larger fish can be found?

Rods are often described in terms of their action–that is, how much of the rod bends when pressure is applied. Fast action rods only bend at their tips, and are adequate for most instances, particularly when single hooks are used as the hook tends to set more cleanly. Rods with slower actions bend closer to their base. These rods can usually cast somewhat further and may be more appropriate for larger bodies of water. They’re also better when used with triple hooks with larger fish, as the slower action sets the hook more firmly.

Rods are also described in terms of their power, or how much weight they are capable of pulling. Rated in terms of heavy, medium heavy, medium, etc. a rod’s power should be matched both with its line strength and with the weight of fish you are hoping to catch. Using a heavy rod with a light line will snap the line much more easily. Once again, the environment is an important consideration when choosing the right rod power. Heavily choked waters will require heavy power to clear fish and lures of plant growth and other debris, while clear and open water requires light rods with lines that are more easily concealed.

Rod responsiveness is an important determining characteristic of accurate casting, for which the rod’s material is highly responsible. Graphite is the most common rod material, though it is often just the main component among several others. Graphite rods vary widely in quality, and are commonly described using terms like IM6, IM7, etc. While these designations are not standard across manufacturers, it is often true that IM7 graphite is better than IM6 graphite from the same manufacturer. Fiberglass is another common material. Known for its ruggedness, these rods are commonly used when medium to slow actions are desired.

Guides are another crucial component of any rod, though guide characteristics are much more straight-forward. Guides should allow the line to move smoothly and with little friction, both for better casts and for easier catches. Silicon carbide, alconite or ceramics are widely acknowledged as serviceable guide construction materials. Stainless steel guides are not good, as they tend to break and require expensive repairs.

A great example example of a freshwater fishing rod for general use is the “Bass Pro Shops Power Plus Graphite Spinning Rod.” It is very affordable at $17.99 and includes all the usual quality features that Bass Pro Shops is known for including graphite and fiberglass construction for superior flexibility and strength. This light weight rod allows for easy detection of small nibbles on your bait and all-day casting. Perfect for crappie fishing but also can stand the strain of larger bass and walleye.

In many ways, fishing rods are like tools. Just as every construction problem can’t be solved with a hammer, so too can’t every fishing challenge be met with the same rod. There are many more factors involved in choosing the best rod for any given situation. The above should at least help you to begin experimenting, however.

About the author: Bill Keller writes about outdoor activities in North Texas from his blog at TowersOverTexas.com. To purchase Freshwater Fishing Rods or to see more articles about Freshwater Fishing Tackle just click on a link.

Fishing: Cabela’s Saltwater GuidePer Each Cabela’s Wire FRAM¬ Saltwater Guide¬ are an excellent component for your custom saltwater rod. The stylish chrome finish is corrosion resistant and built to handle tough saltwater duty. These individual Guide¬ are sold in multiple sizes for any type of saltwater angling from surf spinning to boat casting and jigging and live bait fishing. Color: Chrome. Due to limited quantities, current stock …

Fishing: Cabela’s Wire FRAM Saltwater Tip TopsPer Each Cabela’s Wire FRAM Tip Tops are an excellent way to finish the tip on your custom saltwater rod or repair an existing one. The stylish chrome finish is corrosion resistant and built to handle tough saltwater duty….

Fishing: Cabela’s Saltwater Aluminum Fly Complete Component Kit Create your own custom saltwater fly rod handles. The component kit includes 10 sturdy line Guide¬ for rods up to 9′6″. Kit also includes a reel seat, a reliable cork grip for easy handling, epoxy, a winding check and butt cap when required. Handle length: 121/2″. Reel Sea¬ Color: Black….

Before you buy a fish finder, you must first decide exactly what features it is that you need, instead of going out and seeing what is available, then trying to figure out what you want.

The biggest problem with looking first is that it is very easy to get overwhelmed with all the bells and whistles that are offered with some of the more high end fishfinders, and you can end up purchasing the fishfinder the salesman wants you to buy instead of the one you need. So before you make the mistake of overpaying for a fishfinder that is loaded with features you don’t need (no matter how cool the salesman tells you they are), take a few minutes to figure out what you need, then go and find it.

The first, and possibly most overlooked question you need to ask yourself is, will I be fishing in shallow water, deep water or both? The answer to this will immediately narrow the type of fishfinder you purchase since the frequency and cone angle of your transducer will determine the area of underwater coverage you will have. For shallow water applications a low frequency (50kHz) and wide cone angle (35 degrees) will cover a bottom area with a diameter of approximately 1/2 the water depth. As the cone angle increases, to say 90 degrees, the coverage area expands to 2x the depth.

In order to penetrate deeper waters, a narrower (8, 12, or 20 degree) cone with a higher powered transducer (192 or 200kHz) is required. The narrow cone means that you will have less bottom coverage, but without the more concentrated sonar beam, you may not be able to reach the depth you need. Alternatively, if you are looking for very high resolution in shallow waters, you can always get a wide angle cone with a high power transducer.

If you fish both deep and shallow waters, you actually have two options. Purchase a fishfinder with either a dualbeam or a dual frequency transducer. Humminbird offers their DualBeam Plus transducer which allows you to switch between narrow and wide beam operation, while the Eagle Seafinder series of fish finders offers a dual frequency (DF) transducer providing the power needed for either deep or shallow water penetration.

The next thing you need to know is whether you will be fishing in saltwater or freshwater. This is important because of their difference in water density. All transducers, regardless of frequency, will penetrate further (deeper) into freshwater than they will in saltwater. So if you have an idea of the depth of water you typically fish in (or expect to) this will be very useful to know since manufacturers will specify the maximum operating depth of their fishfinders, for the different frequency and cone angles offered.

A few other items to consider, if you know them, are the bottom conditions where you fish, and the type of fish you are searching for. Bottom conditions are important because a soft, silty bottom will absorb your sonar and generate only a weak return signal if you are using a low frequency transducer, whereas a harder bottom will be more reflective, returning more of the incident beam. Knowing the type of fish you typically fish for is also useful especially if you know if the fish prefers colder, deeper waters, or warmer shallow waters. If your fish prefers colder deeper waters, his preferred habitat may be below a thermocline (the horizontal boundary between warmer, shallow water and the colder deeper water). This change in water temperature creates a change in density that some sonars are capable of detecting since a portion of their signal will be reflected back when it hits this boundary. The thermocline will be displayed on your fishfinder as a line, with its depth also noted. If your fish is living below the thermocline, you’ll need a higher powered transducer to find them.

All of this underwater technology is great, but if you can’t actually see what the sonar does, it isn’t really helping you. Selecting the appropriate display is probably the most subjective part of buying a fishfinder. The only consideration is where your fish finder will be mounted, or not. If space is limited and your only option is a hand held device, you are most likely looking at a black and white or gray scale display. If the unit will be installed in a console, how much space is available may be the limiting factor, not your budget. However, if your only limitation is your budget, fishfinders are available with everything from small gray scale displays to large 65,000 color high resolution screens. So as long as the sonar components meet your previously determined requirements, the type of display you purchase is up to you.

If you follow these few simple guidelines, you’ll go in knowing exactly the type of fishfinder you need to buy, and not end up with lots of bells and whistles that you don’t need.

The availability of affordable fishfinders means that more people than ever will not only go fishing, but will actually catch fish. If you found this article informative and are ready to purchase a fishfinder, check out the different features offered on Hummingbird Fishfinders and Eagle Fishfinders.