Fishing Rod

Fishing rod

Used by fishermen to catch fish, a fishing rod can be made from various materials. The original material was various woods such as Ash, Hickory or Bamboo. Modern versions make use of fibreglass or carbon-fibre. A fishing rod is used for sporting and personal fishing in comparison to nets that are used for commercial-level fishing.

The different types

Given that there are many different kinds of fish and locations the fishing rod has many designs to compensate for such requirements. Fly rods are used for the casting of artificial flies, spinning rods and baitcasting rods are used to cast baits or lures. Trolling rods are designed to drag the lure or bait behind a moving boat. Ice fishing rods are made in a way that they can be used to fish through small holes in ice-covered lakes.

Telescopic rods are used when people are camping or travelling. They are easy to carry as they collapse into a smaller rod. This makes for easy transport.

Tenkara rods are used in Japan for tenkara fishing. A simple style of fishing that fishermen partake in for freshwater stream fishing of trout. The tenkara rod is a mixture of carbon, fly and telescopic rods all in one.

Fishing rod specifications

The 'power' of a rod lets one know what weight of fish it can handle. The rod itself is heavier if it is to be used for larger fish. 'Action' refers to the speed with which a rod returns to its neutral position. Some brands present the 'bending curve' under the action label, which is an error. But this is up to the brand as well, as to how they present the specifications.

The 'bending curve' of a fishing rod has a large effect on how the fish and fisherman fight it out. The bending is affected by how a rod tapers; smooth tapering allows for an even bend. If a rod is stiff the fish has more power over the fisherman due to the physics; bending lessens the effect of the leverage by shortening the distance of the lever. The bending of a rod allows for the fisherman to keep the line under tension and also keeps constant pressure on the fish which tires it down into submission.

'Line weight' is the classification of what fishing line the rod can handle. The 'lure weight' describes what weight of a lure the rod can support.

Comments

Some fishing rods come in pieces and can be assembled, although a single piece rod is prefered for its better 'feel'. This is all, of course, subjective and also depends on the situation one is buying a fishing rod for. 

The price of a fishing rod can vary a lot based on its material, size and the brand that produced it. Generally, one can find something from all the ranges in the price spectrum, allowing one to pick based on their budget as well.