Walking into the fishing section at a sporting goods store can be overwhelming with the variety of bait, reels, rods and accessories. But to successfully catch fish, the most important piece of equipment is the fishing pole. And each pole has features that make it suited for a specific fishing technique.
Types
Fishing poles come in many different types, including freshwater, saltwater, ice fishing or fly fishing models. Common freshwater poles include bait casting and spinning rods. Bait casting poles are designed to match with a bait casting reel, and will have the guides on the top of the rod. Spinning rods are designed for bass, trout, pike and walleye, and feature the guides on the bottom of the rod. Saltwater poles include sea rods, surf rods and trolling rods. Each saltwater pole is built to withstand the corrosive saltwater elements. Ice fishing rods are designed specifically for ice fishing, while fly fishing poles are flexible and designed to cast a lightweight fly.
Size
The size of fishing poles can vary from 1 foot to greater than 15 feet. Ice fishing poles are the shortest because you don't need to cast a bait. They typically measure about 24 inches to 36 inches. Spinning and bait casting poles measure between 4 feet and 8 feet, depending on the intended fish species. Saltwater poles are longer than freshwater poles because of the increased size of the fish. Most saltwater poles will measure between 10 feet and to 14 feet. At times, you may need to use a telescopic pole that extends to hard-to-reach areas. Telescopic poles can extend to between 15 feet and 30 feet.
Materials
Common materials for fishing poles include graphite, fiberglass or composite materials. The materials affect the strength, durability, weight and price of the pole. Grips on the poles are made from cork or ethylene vinyl acetate foam, known as EVA foam. Cork is light, durable and transfers vibrations to your hand when a fish is on the line. EVA foam provides a soft, comfortable grip, but also retains water.
Features
Each fishing pole has features that make it unique, such as power, action, number of pieces and intended line weight. Power refers to the rod weight, which could be ultra-light, light, medium-light, medium, medium-heavy, heavy or ultra-heavy. As the size of fish increases, choose a pole with a higher power rating. Action refers to where and how much the pole bends. Slow action rods, for example, will bend evenly throughout the rod while fast action rods will bend mostly by the tip.
Considerations
Before selecting a fishing pole, consider the fishing conditions that you'll encounter. check with fishing buddies for their experiences with different poles. See how different poles in your hand, and test their flexibility.
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