Fishing rods these days are made from a variety of new materials and with many new designs. Some looking very colourful and fancy but this is not what we want. Stroll through a tackle shop and you would see many rods of different length and sizes with each to target a specific kind of fishing. So it would make sense that you only choose from those that is in your range of fishing but remember that there is no single rod that performs equally well in all conditions. These are few points you need to look into before choosing the correct rod:-

1)   Line Poundage

Basically, this mean the stiffness of the rod which is usually measured in accordance with the line poundage. This is normally printed on the rod itself and would look something like this  " (6-15 lb) " which means that a minimum of 6 pounds is required to bend the rod and with 15lb force, it would bend to a 90 degrees angle. So if you are going to use a line poundage of 20 lb , then you should choose a rod in the range of  " (15-25 lb) ". If you are going to use a rod that has a specification much higher than your line poundage, you would possible break your line. The bend of the rod actually acts as a suspension system between you and the fish, to keep minimal stress on the line. This is to avoid the line snapping in case of a sudden pull by the fish. If the rod is too soft, you would loose control of the fight and would have difficulty getting a good hookup when you strike as most of the distance of your strike will be absorb by you rod.

2)   Casting Weight

The specification printed on the rod for casting weight is similar to the line poundage, which looks like this " ( 10 - 50 gm ) ". This is sometimes not printed as this is much associated with the line poundage but what it actually means is that the minimum and maximum total weight of your swivel, snap clip, bait or lure. This is to define the weight for a maximum casting distance.

3)   Length  

The length of the rod lies mostly the preference of the angler and the condition of the fishing spot. If there will be lots of short trees around the area you are fishing, then it would only be practical to use a short rod. Using a longer rod has an advantage of a further cast but if you are fighting with a large fish, you would require more physical effort. The rods displayed in tackle shop here are normally range from 5 feet to 8 feet unless those meant for surf-casting that can sometime reach the length of about 16 feet. These surf-casting rods are used on a beach, to cast sometimes up to 200 feet out to deeper water but are rarely found in our local stores. If you are unsure or new and going for the kind of fishing other than surf-casting, try starting with one that is 6 1/2 feet long.   

4)   Type Of Action 

The type of action means the way the rod flexes, which mostly depends on the material used. There are three category of rod action which are the tip action, mid action and the parabolic action. Tip action rods bends from the tip are highly sensitive but stiff on the other areas which gives you better power during a strike. Mid action types begin the bend from the middle section of the rod and are less sensitive and has less power during a strike but put less stress on the line. The third is the Parabolic type which the whole rod gradually bends. Good for large fishes or the kind of fish snatches your bait and rush off as these kind of rods keeps the line in minimal stress but requires more physical strength. Again, try out the mid action first if you are unsure.

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This guide is brought to you by Leeonn and is based on his recommendations or suggestions only. The author of this page shall not be responsible for any misinformation.. If you have any comments , suggestion , contribution or complaints please,  contact the author at :- leeonn25@hotmail.com