How To Choose The Right Fishing Products
There are plenty of fishes in the sea. It seems, however, that for every fish in the sea there are four different lures and two different kinds of reels. Picking through all these pieces of gear can be a daunting task for a beginner or intermediate fisher.
The first thing that most people run into is questions. What kind of line works well with what kind of fish? Does it even make a difference? Should you use a casting or spinning rod? Is fishing even worth it at this point?
Let me start off by answering that last one. Yes, fishing is still very worth it. Don’t let the vast amount of variations and options intimidate you. There are countless resources out there that can help you find what you need. If there’s a sportsman’s club in your area, try asking around there. More likely than not, there are fishers who have been casting for years and can tell you what you should go with.
If there isn’t a sportsman’s club in your area or you can’t get there for whatever reason, then your next best bet would be the internet. Take to forums or message boards dedicated to the outdoors or fishing. These websites are a dime a dozen, so you may have some trouble finding one that works for you, but there’s definitely one out there that has what you’re looking for.
For those of you who don’t want to wait and search for their info (that kind of mindset usually doesn’t go well with this kind of activity) or for people who want to learn for themselves, I can offer you a sort of general rundown on what sort of rod to start with. You can experiment with your own lures and lines to see what works best for you.
Now, chances are, you won’t just have one rod unless you stick to a specific kind of fishing. It’s best to start off with a rod suited to the kind of fish you plan on reeling in before you sink loads of money into a bunch of different rods.
For the casual fishing trip out on the pond or the lake, a lightweight rod is one of the better ones. This kind of rod is great for catching the most common panfish and will serve you nicely as long as you aren’t going for anything much bigger.
Once you start moving up to largemouth bass and catfish, which are bigger, heavier and tend to fight harder than your average sunfish or bluegill, you’re going to want to get a medium weight fishing rod. This can handle the strains that will be placed on it while trying to reel in these larger fish. Sticking with the lightweight for these kinds of fish puts you in danger of destroying the rod and injuring yourself (or worse, losing the fish) and nobody wants that.
Now we’re getting into the rougher water, literally and figuratively. The big boys. The ones that they make TV shows about catching! Tuna, sturgeon, saltwater fish; These guys will fight you every inch of the way and if you don’t have a good, strong, sturdy rod (please don’t turn this into a phallic joke) then you are going to lose the fish, snap the rod, lose some money, and likely get injured. Hopefully, your rod will be made out of carbon for this. That’s the only way you can get a reliably durable and sturdy rod that won’t shatter and whip backward.
All in all, picking out your rod and gear is a crucial part of fishing, and it can make the difference between the one you put up on the wall and the one that got away. Making the right decision can be hard, though, so I hope that this section has (at least) given you a good place to start.
The first thing that most people run into is questions. What kind of line works well with what kind of fish? Does it even make a difference? Should you use a casting or spinning rod? Is fishing even worth it at this point?
Let me start off by answering that last one. Yes, fishing is still very worth it. Don’t let the vast amount of variations and options intimidate you. There are countless resources out there that can help you find what you need. If there’s a sportsman’s club in your area, try asking around there. More likely than not, there are fishers who have been casting for years and can tell you what you should go with.
If there isn’t a sportsman’s club in your area or you can’t get there for whatever reason, then your next best bet would be the internet. Take to forums or message boards dedicated to the outdoors or fishing. These websites are a dime a dozen, so you may have some trouble finding one that works for you, but there’s definitely one out there that has what you’re looking for.
For those of you who don’t want to wait and search for their info (that kind of mindset usually doesn’t go well with this kind of activity) or for people who want to learn for themselves, I can offer you a sort of general rundown on what sort of rod to start with. You can experiment with your own lures and lines to see what works best for you.
Now, chances are, you won’t just have one rod unless you stick to a specific kind of fishing. It’s best to start off with a rod suited to the kind of fish you plan on reeling in before you sink loads of money into a bunch of different rods.
For the casual fishing trip out on the pond or the lake, a lightweight rod is one of the better ones. This kind of rod is great for catching the most common panfish and will serve you nicely as long as you aren’t going for anything much bigger.
Once you start moving up to largemouth bass and catfish, which are bigger, heavier and tend to fight harder than your average sunfish or bluegill, you’re going to want to get a medium weight fishing rod. This can handle the strains that will be placed on it while trying to reel in these larger fish. Sticking with the lightweight for these kinds of fish puts you in danger of destroying the rod and injuring yourself (or worse, losing the fish) and nobody wants that.
Now we’re getting into the rougher water, literally and figuratively. The big boys. The ones that they make TV shows about catching! Tuna, sturgeon, saltwater fish; These guys will fight you every inch of the way and if you don’t have a good, strong, sturdy rod (please don’t turn this into a phallic joke) then you are going to lose the fish, snap the rod, lose some money, and likely get injured. Hopefully, your rod will be made out of carbon for this. That’s the only way you can get a reliably durable and sturdy rod that won’t shatter and whip backward.
All in all, picking out your rod and gear is a crucial part of fishing, and it can make the difference between the one you put up on the wall and the one that got away. Making the right decision can be hard, though, so I hope that this section has (at least) given you a good place to start.