Choosing the Correct Fishing Rod

When it comes to fishing rods, what the heck does it all mean? There are all kinds of things written on the fishing rod itself, and all of them have a different "feel". I'm going to attempt to clear up some of the confusion for you, although at the end of the day it comes down to personal preference. I've seen a lot of anglers that have one fishing rod that they use for all of their fishing. This is a mistake and a sure fire sign that said angler doesn't catch many fish. I'm not suggesting that you should have a locker full of 50 different rods, but you should have two or three available for different situations.

Fishing rods come is the basic actions listed below. This information is printed (in very small lettering) on the rod itself, directly above the handle, along with suggestions as to lure and line sizes. My suggestion is that you have at least three rods to choose from for ant given fishing situation.

Ultra light Action - these rods are used for fishing very small lures. Ultra light rods are perfect for small stream and river fishing, such as when you're wading. The heavier the current, the longer rod you will want. Ultra light rods are a great choice for trout and pan fish.

Light Action - Light action rods are used for the same situations as ultra light action rods. If you're just starting out, start with a light action rod and work your way to ultra light. Again, these rods are perfect for trout and pan fish fishing.

Medium Action - Medium action rods are right in the middle of the scale (imagine that). Medium action rods are to be used when wading larger rivers for larger fish. I personally use medium action rods for my walleye and smallmouth bass fishing in Canada. Medium action is also a good size for trolling smaller lures.

Medium Heavy Action - This size rod is great for trolling most lures. Medium heavy rods are also great for most salmon and steelhead fishing. As the name suggests, these rods are to be used in situations where you're after bigger fish (10 to 20 pounds as a general example), although it's also a favorite size for large mouth bass anglers.

Heavy Action - Obviously, these are your big boys. Largemouth bass fishermen will use rods this size to fish heavy cover and the like. Also, when you're fishing for big pike and muskie, heavy action rods are a must. These rods are used for really big fish (over 20 pounds as a general example). This action rod is also used for heavy trolling, such as that done with downriggers.

After this brief overview, you should have a better understanding of what the different actions of fishing rods mean to you as an angler. As mentioned earlier, you will probably want at least three different fishing rods for different fishing situations. That way you can pick and choose as the situation changes. As an example, I use my four foot ultra light rod for most of my small river and stream fishing, but in the springtime, when the water is really high, I switch to my five foot six inch ultra light rod. The longer rod makes it easier to feel bites in heavy current.