My OperaYour First Fishing Rod and Reel – What Should You Buy
Thursday, July 9, 2009 3:50:01 AM
You have caught the fishing bug and you intend to buy fishing tackle that caters to your needs and type of fishing. The correct gear depends largely upon the type of fishing you do. Equipment for fishing Cichlids like Tilapias wont be adequate for fishing Billfishes. If you know exactly the kind of fishing you want to do, then getting the right gear is a relatively simple matter:
• Find a local tackle shop you like.
• Go in and tell them what you want to fish and where.
• Consider and buy their recommendation.
As an alternative, you can ask your experienced fishing buddies what they would recommend. Or a visit to a trusted tackle shop in your should give you an idea of what you should buy.
What if you don’t know exactly what kind fish you will go after?
If you are just a newbie and you just want to start fishing; and you want some good gear that will handle almost any freshwater situation; what do you get then?
What you need is a good all-around outfit to get you started. This outfit should be fun to catch small fish with, yet have enough backbone to reel in the bigger ones as well. It won’t be perfect, but it will be pretty close.
Your First Fishing outfit
• 6-foot to 7-foot, medium to medium-light action, 2-piece graphite rod.
• Medium to medium-light spinning reel filled with 8 lbs to 15lbs quality monofilament line
• Quality hooks in assorted sizes.
• Assorted ball-bearing swivels & snaps.
• Split Shot and a couple of sinkers
• Floats in assorted sizes.
If you’ve never put line on a reel before, ask the tackle shop do it for you. If your reel comes with a spare spool; trust mewhen I say it is an added advantage. Sometimes, you’ll want to change out your line while on the water, and that spare spool makes it easy.
A two piece rod will be more convenient to handle and transport than a one piece.
The Importance of A Balanced Outfit
It is very important that your outfit be balanced (the rod and reel are “matched” to hold the same size line.) A balanced outfit will allow all the individual parts to work to the maximum of their effectiveness and efficiency.
How will you know if you are a buying a balanced outfit?
If you buy a “combo” (rod and reel sold together as a package deal) from a reputable local tackle shop, you can be reasonably assured that the outfit is balanced. Combos are a good way to get a better price, compared to purchasing the rod and reel individually. But, if you buy your rod and reel separately you will need to read the specifications yourself to ensure that they are matched well.
How to Read Your Rod & Reel Specs
If you look at the butt end of the rod, just before the handle, you will see some specifications printed on the rod. These printed specifications usually tell you the length of the rod, the rod’s action, and the range of line and lure size they are designed to cast.
You would see for example that the rod is 6 feet long, medium action, and rated for 6-12lb test. Some rods have more or less information.
Look for the specifications on the reel, as well. They will be printed on the box and sometimes on the reel. Just as in the rod for example, you can see the reel holds 200 yards of 6lb test, 140 yards of 8lb test, and 120 yards of 10lb test. This is a great match to the rods shown above.
With an outfit like this, you should be able to handle a wide range of freshwater fishing situations, and a wide variety of fish.
Congratulations on your new fishing outfit!
• Find a local tackle shop you like.
• Go in and tell them what you want to fish and where.
• Consider and buy their recommendation.
As an alternative, you can ask your experienced fishing buddies what they would recommend. Or a visit to a trusted tackle shop in your should give you an idea of what you should buy.
What if you don’t know exactly what kind fish you will go after?
If you are just a newbie and you just want to start fishing; and you want some good gear that will handle almost any freshwater situation; what do you get then?
What you need is a good all-around outfit to get you started. This outfit should be fun to catch small fish with, yet have enough backbone to reel in the bigger ones as well. It won’t be perfect, but it will be pretty close.
Your First Fishing outfit
• 6-foot to 7-foot, medium to medium-light action, 2-piece graphite rod.
• Medium to medium-light spinning reel filled with 8 lbs to 15lbs quality monofilament line
• Quality hooks in assorted sizes.
• Assorted ball-bearing swivels & snaps.
• Split Shot and a couple of sinkers
• Floats in assorted sizes.
If you’ve never put line on a reel before, ask the tackle shop do it for you. If your reel comes with a spare spool; trust mewhen I say it is an added advantage. Sometimes, you’ll want to change out your line while on the water, and that spare spool makes it easy.
A two piece rod will be more convenient to handle and transport than a one piece.
The Importance of A Balanced Outfit
It is very important that your outfit be balanced (the rod and reel are “matched” to hold the same size line.) A balanced outfit will allow all the individual parts to work to the maximum of their effectiveness and efficiency.
How will you know if you are a buying a balanced outfit?
If you buy a “combo” (rod and reel sold together as a package deal) from a reputable local tackle shop, you can be reasonably assured that the outfit is balanced. Combos are a good way to get a better price, compared to purchasing the rod and reel individually. But, if you buy your rod and reel separately you will need to read the specifications yourself to ensure that they are matched well.
How to Read Your Rod & Reel Specs
If you look at the butt end of the rod, just before the handle, you will see some specifications printed on the rod. These printed specifications usually tell you the length of the rod, the rod’s action, and the range of line and lure size they are designed to cast.
You would see for example that the rod is 6 feet long, medium action, and rated for 6-12lb test. Some rods have more or less information.
Look for the specifications on the reel, as well. They will be printed on the box and sometimes on the reel. Just as in the rod for example, you can see the reel holds 200 yards of 6lb test, 140 yards of 8lb test, and 120 yards of 10lb test. This is a great match to the rods shown above.
With an outfit like this, you should be able to handle a wide range of freshwater fishing situations, and a wide variety of fish.
Congratulations on your new fishing outfit!
