Freshwater Fishing Beginners Guide – General Purpose Rod
Written by billbam on October 21, 2009 – 11:57 am -Choosing the right freshwater 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.
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.
Tags: Bodies Of Water, Casts, Debris, Fisherman, Fishing Guide, Fishing Rod, Fresh Water Fishing, Freshwater Fishing, General Purpose, Graphite, Hook, Hooks, Instances, Light Rods, Line Strength, Next Level, Open Water, Plant Growth, Pointers, Ponds, Responsiveness, Rod Material
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Freshwater Fishing Beginners Guide – Fly Fishing Rods
Written by billbam on September 29, 2009 – 11:01 am -Any serious hobbyist or professional fly fisherman knows that their fly fishing rod is a tool, selected to meet whatever challenges their environment and catch may send. Yet, for the casual hobbyist hoping to take the craft of fishing more seriously, the qualities that transform a plain rod into an extraordinary one aren’t obvious. If you’re hoping to purchase a quality rod for fly fishing but aren’t sure where to begin, here are a few pointers to help.
First, know your catch. Familiarize yourself with the waters in which you plan to fish, and with the size of the catch you’re likely to bring home. This knowledge will influence many of the qualities which you search for in a fly rod.
For instance, the size of your catch determines how heavy of a rod you should purchase. Lighter fish require a lighter rod, while larger fish of course require something heavier. Fly rods are not rated by pounds test, as is true with more traditional rods, but rather by the weight of their line, on a scale of 1 to 14. While a heavier line can help catch larger fish, it is also unwieldy and not suitable for beginners for whom 5 is often recommended.
Rod length is the next important consideration. Here, too, you should consider your environment. While rods average in at between 8 and 9 feet, tight conditions make larger rods unwieldy to carry and cast. Shorter rods are also better for children, or others for whom casting larger rods may be a challenge.
Another quality important to your purchase is the rod’s material. Rods are often constructed of graphite, with fiberglass and more traditional materials such as bamboo. For your first semi-serious rod, graphite is an excellent choice that makes the decision slightly less complicated.
Rods are often described in terms of their action. That is, a rod with a faster action bends more toward its tip, with the degree of the bend decreasing rapidly as it nears the handle. Slower action rods bend throughout their length, with the bend ending much nearer the handle. Each type of action has its relative advantages. As a beginner, and to make the decision less complicated, it is usually best to choose a rod with a moderate action. This tends to both help improve your cast, and to help you determine which type of action fits your style better.
Perhaps the best advice for your first somewhat serious purchase, however, is to not invest much until you are more sure of yourself. Nothing says that the next rod you purchase must be your last, or indeed your only, rod. It is one of several that you will own over the years as you hone your craft, discovering your preferences and style.
Spending lots of money on an expensive rod locks you into that particular rig’s advantages and flaws. When you are first learning something new is your best opportunity to explore it, before habits form and are hard to break. Purchasing an expensive rod may have you feeling trapped and unwilling to branch out. There is much more involved in selecting a good rod, but with these pointers in mind, you can begin your exploration into the exciting world of fly fishing.
A great example of the fly fishing rod is the “White River Fly Shop Classic Fly Rod.” This classic rod is smooth casting with a medium-fast action and is priced at under $100. Its IM-7 graphite blanks are made of high-quality components such as Fuji Hardloy stripping guides and a beautiful rosewood reel seat.
Tags: Environment, Fiberglass, Fish, Fishing Fly, Fishing Guide, Fishing Rods, Fly, Fly Fisherman, fly fishing, Fly Fishing Rod, Fly Rod, Fly Rods, Freshwater Fishing, Graphite, Hobbyist, Pointers, Quality Rod, Traditional Materials
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Freshwater Fishing Buyers Guide – The Fly Fishing Reel
Written by billbam on July 13, 2009 – 11:44 am -Welcome back to our continuing series of articles on “Freshwater Fishing Tackle.” With this series we are hoping to remove the fear of buying fishing tackle from the beginning angler.
We will cover a wide range of fishing tackle including reels, rods, lures, lines, and accessories. It is hoped by the end of the series your can go online and purchase the right tackle and within budget.
The first topic covered has been the fishing reel, including the spincast, spinning and baitcast reels. Although these reels have many differences they basically function the same, you cannot say that about the final reel in our series. The Fly Casting Reel is not intended to cast line or land fish, its sole purpose is to help you manage the fly line.
Without a fly reel you would be tripping over excess line and working to intake or release line with each cast. The fly reel or fly casting reel has traditionally been rather simple in terms of mechanical construction, little has changed from the original design.
To use a fly reel you spool off line by hand, cast forward, and then release as the rod flicks forward. Modern models do incorporate a drag mechanism to prevent the fish from pulling out more line that is desired.
These Modern fly reels also have more sophisticated disc-type drag systems made of composite materials that feature increased adjustment range, consistency, and resistance to high temperatures from drag friction. And an automatic fly reel mechanism for spooling line back onto the reel just by pressing a lever.
Fly reels typically have large line spools designed to reduce line memory, maintain consistent drag and assist the quick retrieval of slack line in the event a hooked fish makes a quick turn back to the angler.
Drawbacks of the fly reel are limited use, since it is primarily used for fly fishing and a much higher price tag, especially at the high end.
A good example of the fly reel is the “Lamson Konic Fly Reel,” priced at $129. Lamson had one goal in creating the Konic: to make a reel with high-end performance, top-tier technology at a reasonable price.
This concludes or review of fishing reels, our Freshwater Fishing Buyers Guide will continue with a review of Fishing Rods.
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Tags: buying fresh water fishing tackle, fishing north texas, fly cast reel, fly fishing reel, fresh water fishing tackle, freshwater fishing gear, outdoor activities, outdoor recreation
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Freshwater Fishing Tackle Beginners Guide – The Baitcast Reel
Written by billbam on July 10, 2009 – 10:19 am -Our series of articles on Freshwater Fishing Gear continues as we attempt to remove the fright of purchasing fishing gear from the novice angler.
I personally had to do it the hard way, I bought gear that looked great but was totally wrong for the job at hand. With the thousands of reels and rods on the market, not to mention the millions of lures, tackle boxes, fishing nets, lines types and other fishing accessories; how could a beginner not make a few wrong and costly decisions?
We started our series on freshwater fishing gear with the reel; including the spincast and spinning reels. Today we will cover the Cadillac of the fishing world the Baitcast Reel; also referred to as Baitcaster, baitcasting, casting reel, and a conventional reel.
Baitcast reels can handle heavier lines and allows for longer casts than spinning gear in the same size range. Anglers regularly use line in the 14- to 17-pound-test range.
The design of the baitcast allows for precision casting to get the lure exactly where you want it. They use very sturdy drag mechanisms to slow larger, stronger fish and are intended to be used with heavier lures.
The baitcast reel is the preferred reel for catching Bass, Bream, Barramundi and more. Because of its casting accuracy it is great for fishing in water where snags can be a problem or for casting under bridges and walkways.
Baitcast reels have a revolving spool with the line spooled in the same direction as the line as it runs down the fishing rod. They have a center pin and the disks are connected by a series of outer pins that exposes the line. Some are made partly from composites, but most are still stainless steel, often with brass parts in certain sections. The baitcast reels sits on top of the fishing rod.
Because of it’s above the rod mounting the baitcast reel is more difficult to handle and has a much higher learning curve than either of the spincast or spinning reels. For this reason it is not a good entry level reel for children or the beginning angler.
Also its higher cost makes it cost prohibitive for the casual weekend angler who will only fish occasionally. Finally since it is primarily a cast reel it is not ideal for “toss it and leave it” type fishing.
A good example of baitcast reel is the “Shimano Calais Baitcast Reel,” priced at under $400. Finesse anglers will enjoy the solid feel and fluid handling of the compact low-profile baitcaster. It is made with ten stainless steel anti-rust bearings, flex-free aluminum frame and side-plates, and aluminum spool.
Look for our review of the baitcast reel in the next article in the continuing series “Freshwater Fishing Gear Beginners Guide.”
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Tags: baitcast fishing reel, baitcaster reel, buying fresh water fishing tackle, fishing in dallas, fishing in ft. worth, fishing in north texas, fresh water fishing tackle, freshwater fishing gear
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Spinner Reel – Freshwater Fishing Gear Beginners Guide
Written by billbam on July 8, 2009 – 1:19 pm -Welcome back to our ongoing series of articles on Freshwater Fishing Gear. With this series we are hoping to take the fright out of buying fishing tackle from the novice angler.
We will address a wide range of fishing gear from reels, rods, lures, baits, jigs, lines and hooks. It is hoped by the finish of the series your can go online and purchase the right gear and within budget.
We started our discussion of freshwater fishing reels with the spincast reel, the easiest reel for novices and the casual fisherman. This article will cover the spinner reel, and will continue with the baitcast reel and lastly an article on the fly fishing reel.
Spinning reels come in numerous varieties and are utilized by children, occasional hobbyist and enthusiastic fishermen alike. When it comes to fishing reels, the spinning reel is the most well-known and best-selling. It is principally used for light-line applications and rules in terms of performance and simplicity of use.
The spinner reel is ideal for catching just about any fish out there; whether it’s in ponds, creeks, lakes, or rivers. You can catch big mouth bass, channel catfish, rainbow trout or small bluegills and sunfish it doesn’t matter, if you have strong enough line your spinning reel will land the fish.
The spinning reel has a very distinctive look with the large wire bale around the open-faced line spool and a line roller to help hold the line as you retrieve it. The reel handle or “crank” can have either one or two knobs, both work equally well at reducing line friction as you retrieve it, with little or no snarling. This type of reel is mounted on the underside of the rod.
There are few drawbacks to the spinning reel. It is only limited by the size of your fishing line, when compared to the baitcast reel it holds less line. This means you will need to use a thinner, lighter line to guarantee you have enough line to get to the position you want. The lighter the line the smaller fish you can catch. The spinning reel is also not as accurate at casting as the baitcast reel
A good example of this type of reel is the Daiwa Opus Spinning Reels. Priced at under $38 it is an affordable choice for general-duty fishing, well-equipped and geared for extra power.
The next review in our series will feature the baitcast reel, a serious reel for master anglers.
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Tags: buying fresh water fishing tackle, fishing in north texas, fishing reels, fresh water fishing tackle, freshwater fishing gear, spinning fishing reel, spinning reel
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Beginners Guide to Freshwater Fishing Tackle “Spincast Reel”
Written by billbam on July 5, 2009 – 12:36 pm -Our adventure into Freshwater Fishing will begin with the selection of a fishing reel.
There are four basic reel designs; spincast, spinning, baitcast and fly. The spincast reel is affordable, easy to use and relatively maintenance free. Spincast reels are best for beginners, children and anglers who just want to get a line in the water and sit back with their favorite beverage of choice.
The spincast fishing reel works best for light-weight “throw it and wait” type of fishing in ponds, creeks and other locations that do not require long or accurate casts. Due to the light lines used the preferred fish are bluegill, sun fish, small pond catfish and small trout.
The spincast reel has a totally covered line spool and is designed to counter the main problems of the other reel uncovered spool type reels, namely line twisting, snares and backlash (the loosening of the line around the reel.)
The spincast reel has a button at the back that you press and release as you cast your line, click the button again to set your line in place, then turn the handle on the side to retrieve your line (hopefully with a fish at the end.)
The main disadvantage of the spincast reel is shorter casting distances caused by drag on the line as it rubs against the side of the reel as it leaves the reel. Also due to the limited capacity of the reels you are limited to lighter lines, this limits the size of your hook and bait setup and ultimately the size of fish that can be successfully landed.
My next post in our “Buying Freshwater Fishing Tackle” series will feature the spinner reel, the most commonly used reel in freshwater fishing.
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Tags: buying fresh water fishing tackle, fishing reels, fresh water fishing tackle, freshwater fishing gear, spincast fishing reel, spincast reel
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