Guide to Choosing the Right Fishing Rod

If you like fishing and you are ready to get serious enough to buy your own equipment you are probably wondering how to buy the right fishing rod for your needs. There are many different rods to choose from, so it's not always as simple as knowing you'll be going surf fishing in a week and then go to the store and get a rod. There are many different things to consider and the more time you put into finding the right rod right away, the better off you will be later on down the road because the rod will continue to serve you well as long as you need it.

When you want to buy a rod you will need to consider three big components: the action, the power and the length that is ride for you. Knowing what these terms refer to and how they will work for you will help you choose the right rod for your needs. Of course, before you learn these things, you need to know what type of fishing you will be partaking as well as what techniques and bait you will plan to use because this will affect your rod choice.

The term action is referring to the movement of the rod as to how and where the rod flexes and how long it will take to return to the natural position. You'll often see that a rod will be extra fast, fast, medium and slow depending on how long it will be returning to the straight position after it has been cast. The extra fast rods are very sensitive and has the ability to allow you to feel these vibrations in your hand so you know when a fish is nibbling on your bate.

A fast action rod gives you the same sensitivity of the extra fast rod, but it is going to provide you with more flexibility. This will help you fight fish better as the rod and the rod tip can both absorb a bit more shock and will provide better line tension when you do have a fish on the line.

A moderate to slow rod is a great choice when you will be using multi hook lures such as jerk baits. These baits are going to have you focusing on hooking the fish so you don't need near the amount of sensitivity in the rod itself. If you like to cast long, you'll find that this is a great option. The slow action rod is going to return to its original position much more slowly, which means that you'll have great line tension. This will allow you to fight the fish better, which is essential in some types of fish.

The term power needs to be considered when you will be buying a new rod. Power is all about the resistance to the flexion action. There are different power ratings such as ultra light, light, heavy and extra heavy. These different power ratings will affect the thickness of the rod, as well.

You'll need to consider the length of the rod when you are buying a new rod, as well. The longer the rod the further you will be able to cost with it and the better the hookset will be. On the other hand, the shorter the rod is the more accurate the casting will be.