Selecting the Rod You Want On A Budget

[Bob La Londe]

After much study I have a basic grasp of the concept of rod action. I break it down to power and speed. <br /><br />Power is how much force it takes to bend the backbone or main body of the rod.<br /><br />Speed is how far back the tip of the rod bends before the backbone of the rod statrts to take up the force. <br /><br />There are a lot more factors in rod choice than just power and speed, but for basic selection these are the first places to look. Of course style, length, and guide placement can also be major factors in how a rod fishes. For more information on rod action check out this article in the ROFB FAQ (the whole faq is a good read) by David Norton and Craig Baugher. <br /><br />ROFB FAQ ON ROD ACTION<br /><br />TO THE MEAT OF THE MATTER <br /><br />Most folks can't afford to spend a couple hundred dollars or more for a single fishing pole much less a dozen of them for different situations. For most of my life a rod marked $39.95 on sale at the local discount store was very expensive for me. On top of that the selections quite often don't include the exact action or style rod a person is looking for. This often leaves a person going mail order or on-line to find exactly the rod they are looking for. <br />...<br /><br />CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Selecting the Rod You Want On A Budget

Hi Bob, Great artical.<br /><br />I rarly if ever other than one time 25 years ago when Browning came out with there Boron rods have I ever spent more than about $20- 40 dollars for a Bass rod. I have had all the cheeper rods, from eagle claw to shakespear and they have all lasted well and given me years of troublefree use, I still have many of them. I spent $100.00 for that Boron rod just so I could say I had the first one in the Bass Club. Anyone else ever done that and are willing to admit it???<br /><br />I have never had a rod break, and the only repairs I have had to make were glueing tips back on, not a big deal.<br /><br />The first thing I do when looking at a rod is to check the basic quality, guides, balance etc. Then the action from the tip, I want to know where the power is, and it depends on how far the rod bends when grabbed at the handle. and the tip and you put an arch in it.<br /><br />You can in fact get quality rods without paying three times the price. I take very good care of my equipment, so they last a lifetime.

 

[FlyBoyMark]

Re: Selecting the Rod You Want On A Budget

WallyMart has a line of graphite rods for $12.99. I have many "high end" rods but these little cheapies are jus as good as the expensive ones. They come with cork handles, POLISHED stainless line guides, very light weight and assortment of actions and types(5'6" med. act. thru 6'6" hvy. act.). They are real graphite not some cheap glass rod and I would not hesitate to use them in tourney's<br />Shakespear "Excursion" Graphite

 

[LadyFish]

Re: Selecting the Rod You Want On A Budget

I just got a Falcon last weekend. Its a light action 68"er which runs just under $100. I look forward to trying it out to see if there really is a difference between it and other med-lights I have.

 

[Bob La Londe]

Re: Selecting the Rod You Want On A Budget

Originally posted by LadyFish:<br /> I just got a Falcon last weekend. Its a light action 68"er which runs just under $100. I look forward to trying it out to see if there really is a difference between it and other med-lights I have.

I have looked at Falcon rods, but They are like a lot of other manufacturers. I don't know what their pwoer and action labeling means. They have an axcelletn reputation, and they make a series of rods that particularly interests me. They have a bunch of rods that telescope like a flipping stick. It would sure be nice to collapse all my spare rods so they would fit int he floor locker without bending them to get them through the door.

 

[LadyFish]

Re: Selecting the Rod You Want On A Budget

Well Bob, if this new rod can make a 4 pound fish feel like a 10 pound fish then they have a customer for life.