The Beginner’s Guide To Purchasing A 1st Fishing Rod

Posted on July 2, 2009
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by Paul Mancini

Not too many activities can come close to the serenity that a person can enjoy while sitting out on a lake in a little boat, rod in hand, waiting for a fish to take the bait. It’s an almost curative experience, so it certainly doesn’t come as a surprise that fishing is one of the most popular sports in the USA.

A few ardent fishing enthusiasts will tell you that how you perform on the water can only be as good as your fishing equipment so it’s important to buy a good fishing rod. Unfortunately when you’re new to the sport you probably won’t be able to demarcate the good from the average, so here are a few tidbits that will help you in choosing a rod of your choice that will serve you for a lifetime.

When buying a fishing rod you’ll be blown away by the sheer range of choices staring you in the face. One method of choosing would be to go into the local tackle shop and pick the first rod that you lay your eyes on but this may not be a very successful strategy. The next would be to carefully consider the pros and cons of each fishing rod.

Rod Weight – Gone is the era when rods were all manufactured out of bamboo. Technological innovations have reached the fishing pole industry and today most rods are manufactured from synthetic composite materials. Most rods fall into 1 of four basic weight categories: light action, medium light action, medium heavy action and heavy action. Weight categories are usually printed right onto the rod itself. The differing weights are used to catch different types of fish, so before you select a pole you’ll need to make a decision as to what types of fish you want to catch with it. As a general rule, if you are fishing for bass or small mouth, use a light action fishing rod. The medium and the medium heavy action fishing rods are more suitable for catching small pike and musky while the really heavy action fishing rods will be most suitable for large Musky and for trolling. I am sure by now you can see a pattern emerging, that is the weight of the rod should correlate with the weight of the fish that you go after with it.

Rod Length – The length is the next variable that you need to look at with respect to your purchase. The length of rod that you select will depend on the place where you intend to fish. A more lengthy fishing pole can be expected to put more pressure on the fish after it’s hooked. So if you intend to fish in a river you probably want to go for a longer rod. Of course because the rod is longer you’ll want to choose an ultra light or a light action fishing rod for your convenience. A 5 foot rod is usually good for normal water conditions while a six foot fishing pole is what you’d select for high water.

Finally you will also have to decide on the amount of money you wish to spend on the fishing rod. Most fishing enthusiasts will tell you to not exceed a seventy five dollar limit. Usually fishing rods that fall in this range are extremely sturdy and you’ll find a number of wonderful rods under this price.

About the Author:
Paul Mancini is a reporter with over ten years editorial experience. Paul is presently employed as a publicist for fuzing.com, and is considered the in house specialist on Fly Fishing Rods and Fly Fishing Poles.
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