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The fishing rod has several materials that it can be
manufactured from, each having different benefits to the angler. Entry
level fishing rods are
normally constructed from glass fibre blanks (the bit everything else is
attached to) which has been used for years. Glass fibre performs well
for it's price and can provide many years of service if looked after,
however it is fair to say that if abused it can be snapped fairly
easily. The next stage is composite materials, a mixture of glass fibre
and low density carbon. Stronger and lighter than glass fibre, most rods
below £35 are made of a composite mix. You then have a low density
carbon fibre which is lighter again and stronger than composite mix
followed by the Rolls Royce of blanks which is high density carbon
fibre. As usual your budget will dictate which material you receive in
your blank, however every rod sold by Just Tackle offers value for money so if you are on a fixed budget, a
well cared for glass fibre or composite blank will serve the weekend
angler well. Click
here for more information on rod types.
If your fishing will be off a boat then
there are a few considerations before making your purchase such as:
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Will you be in-shore fishing or
wreck fishing
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What fish are you likely to
catch
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How big will they be or how
hard will they fight
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How often will you fish
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Below are a few hints from our experiences
that may help
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Inshore
Fishing |
Go for a
lighter action rod of around 12 or 15 pounds. Most fish caught
will be smaller than this size and the mighty fight of the small
mackerel will be more fun with a lighter action rod. Dog fish,
Pollack even Bass if caught can easily be handled on these rods
and the lighter action provides better shock absorbency for
those keen to get the fish onboard where a stiffer action may
just snap the line. |
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Wreck
Fishing |
With
wreck fishing I would look to a stiffer action rod such as 20 or
30 pounds. There are rods with a dual action that work well,
they provide a bend at a different section under more pressure
providing more shock absorbency when required. The fish on wreck
fishing tend to be larger and more aggressive such as Cod,
Pollack or Conger which may over stretch a 12 or 15 pound rod. |
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A Bit of
Both |
If you
are looking for a multi-purpose boat rod to cope with both then
the option should be for a dual action rod. The one I use is
rated 15 to 30 pound and copes admirably with both. |
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Uptiding |
Not
something I have done much of but my eldest son has an uptider.
These are generally longer to allow for the rig to be cast up
tide away from the boat and also to allow a better strike than a
6 or 7 foot rod as the line bows out quite a lot when using this
method. Really you need a 15lb action rod of at least 9ft to get
you going with uptiding. |
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Spinning |
If you
want to spin off a boat then your 6ft 15lb boat rod is no good,
a bit too short and a bit too stiff. You really need a 7 or 8
foot rod (7 if fishing of a dinghy) designed for spinning. The
softer more through action of the spinning rod is designed to
cast your spinner or lure a greater distance than a short stiff
rod. |
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How Often |
If you
will be fishing as much as possible from your newly made boat
investment then it makes sense to choose a rod that will stand
up to heavy punishment and a decent carbon rod with quality ring
guides is what we suggest. However if you will be fishing a
couple of times a month when the weather is fine then value for
money dictates a carbon composite rod or glass fibre
construction. As you will have guessed carbon rods can be
expensive but they will last a long time and their light weight
and positive action have brought more fishing pleasure to many
anglers. |
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