Considerations When Choosing a Fishing Rod

Kate Sharp Birmingham
3 min readJan 8, 2024

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Kate Sharp Birmingham, AL
Kate Sharp — Birmingham, AL

A fishing rod has a line and hook attached and is used to lure and catch fish. With a broad range of fishing poles on offer, choosing the right fishing rods can be challenging. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a beginner or an experienced angler because the same questions must be answered to make the right choice. These questions include where the fishing will take place, what kind of fish is targeted, and the type of bait or lure used.

When choosing a fishing rod, the first point to remember is that each is a balance of strength and flexibility. While stronger rods can help cast heavier fish bait and lures, they might not be as flexible or sensitive to gentle fish strikes.

Also, strong rods may not work well with lightweight lines as they are less flexible. On the other hand, lighter rods might be very sensitive to strikes but lack the strength to hold and fight bigger fish.

Fishing rods are available in several lengths to serve different needs. Shorter rods are more suitable when fighting bigger fish as they provide more power and stability. They are commonly used when big game fishing or trolling.

Longer fishing rods, on the other hand, can cast farther. Some varieties can reach up to 14 feet. For more accessible storage and easier transporting, these longer rods can be disassembled into several parts.

An important consideration is the rod action as it impacts performance. Action is the point where a fishing rod bends. It’s a measurement that can range from heavy to ultra-light. Heavy means the rod bends closer to the tip. A lighter action means it bends closer to the rod butt.

In addition, action controls how fast the rod goes back to its original position from being “loaded .”With a heavier action, the rod has a stiffer backbone. Heavier action is recommended for bass and large fish species. For smaller fish, lighter action will suffice.

The material used when making a fishing rod is another consideration, as it impacts performance. Common materials to make fishing rods are fiberglass, graphite, or composite. The latter is a mixture of fiberglass and graphite.

Rods made of fiberglass are strong and durable. Because they are easy to make, they are also relatively affordable, which makes them an ideal option for newbie anglers. Fiberglass is a good choice for fishermen looking for sturdier material, but the added strength comes with more weight. Still, the material is a popular option when fishing for larger, more aggressive species such as pike and muskellunge.

Because they are lighter, casting and overall handling of graphite rods is a real joy. However, they are more brittle because they are stiffer. In addition, their price is often higher than fiberglass rods of the same class.

A fishing rod made with a mixture of fiberglass and graphite offers the flexibility needed without sacrificing sensitivity or adding too much weight. The versatility of composite rods makes them a great choice for anglers who fish under different water conditions. Composite fishing rods are the most expensive among the available varieties.

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Kate Sharp Birmingham
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Katherine “Kate” Sharp of Birmingham, AL, spent six years as the vice president of Ackerman and Co. in Atlanta, Georgia from 2006 to 2012.