How Do I Know What Fishing Rod I Need?

How Do I Know What Fishing Rod I Need?

Being a beginner is hard regardless of what it is you are setting out to do. With fishing, it can seem even harder; something that sounds so simple in principle has a myriad of things to consider before you even get to the point of trying to catch a fish. Deciding what type of fishing rod you need when there are so many to choose from is tough. Here is a guide to help you recognize what type of fishing rod you need.

Pick A Fish

Before you start thinking about what type of rod to buy, you need to think about what type of fish you are aiming to catch. Some people like to catch as many different types of fish as possible, and others prefer to stick to one species. This will have a bearing on what type of rod you buy. For example, catfish require a specialized rod such as this 2 Piece Cat Spin Okuma Battle Catfish Rod.

Where Will You Fish?

Your location is also an important consideration. There is a difference between a freshwater and a sea rod, and corrosion can be an expensive mistake to make.

Types of Fishing Rod

Spin Casting Rod

This is a great rod for a beginner or if you are teaching a child to fish. It is simple to use but sacrifices a lot of distance and accuracy, making it a good practice rod.

Bait casting Rod

This is for more advanced anglers as its reel is quite complex. It has a strong butt, which makes it popular.

Spinning Rod

This is a thin, light rod. It is usually between 5 and 9 feet in length. It has a large guide ring, which reduces the friction on the line as you cast. These rods, like this 7ft Flying Fisherman Passport Spinning Rod, is easy to use and good to learn with, which makes it a great rod for beginners.

Fly Rod

This comes in a lot of different shapes and sizes and is a good rod for the more experienced angler as you need to have the correct wrist action to use it to its best advantage, and this does take some practice. It doesn’t have a butt section, which makes it great for whipping to achieve an accurate cast.

Ocean Rod

This is a rod designed to use in the ocean. It is either long for fishing from the shore or short for fishing from a boat. It is a heavy-duty rod with a strong butt section and a large guide ring, which makes it magnificent for handling strong ocean fish.

Surf Rod

This rod is made for fishing from the beach. It is long to allow you to cast your bait a long way from the shore, and the length will also help with the two-handed casting technique that makes shore fishing more effective.

Trolling Rod

A trolling rod is designed to drag a fishing lure behind a moving boat. They are long and heavy and are great if you are boat fishing and trying to catch tuna.

Ice Fishing Rod

An ice fishing rod is quite short, usually between 24 and 36 inches. They are made for ice where there isn’t a lot of space available and built short. They use a hook attached to a rod rather than a reel, and you wind it in by hand. They're great for fishing in ice but not as good for fishing elsewhere due to their length.

Telescopic Rod

This is a very compact rod, and it was designed to be this way. It has a great design as it extends out from the handle to about 20 feet in length for use and then folds into itself for storage. This makes it a fantastic rod to use if you have limited storage space or a small car as the closed length is only one to two feet long. They have fewer guide rings than a spinning rod, and some of them don’t have any guide rings at all.

Pen Rod

This rod is even more compact than the telescopic rod. It can be folded up to the size of a pen and carried in a backpack. It is very lightweight and quite short. It is fun to use, but its length makes it a little impractical for a serious angler.

Hopefully, this guide will give you an idea of what fishing rod you want to buy. If you are purchasing from a store, the clerk or store owner could be a useful source of information, so don’t forget to ask any questions you have before you buy. Happy fishing!