Hi guys,
pretty new to the fishing scene, and i would like to know how to tell a good rod from a bad rod, What are the feature i should look out for while buying a fishing rod? One that can withstand the test of time with proper maintenance.
Quote from: Reel Beaker on January 18, 2018, 10:47:15 AM
Hi guys,
pretty new to the fishing scene, and i would like to know how to tell a good rod from a bad rod, What are the feature i should look out for while buying a fishing rod? One that can withstand the test of time with proper maintenance.
Guide quality is generally a good measure, highly unlikely that you will find poor quality guides on a good rod and same with reel seat. If both are no name brand it is probably not the best rod. Take into consideration though that if it is a cheap solid fiber glass rod that the blank will possibly last a lifetime unless you smash it very hard in a car door. I personally don't like them but some people do. If you are looking at a carbon fiber rod, check the guides and reel seat, if it is a quality brand like fuji then it should be decent and last a long time. Poor quality guides and reel seats fail sooner rather than later and are costly to replace, it can easily cost more than you bought the rod for.
Quote from: CapeFish on January 18, 2018, 11:07:33 AM
Quote from: Reel Beaker on January 18, 2018, 10:47:15 AM
Hi guys,
pretty new to the fishing scene, and i would like to know how to tell a good rod from a bad rod, What are the feature i should look out for while buying a fishing rod? One that can withstand the test of time with proper maintenance.
Guide quality is generally a good measure, highly unlikely that you will find poor quality guides on a good rod and same with reel seat. If both are no name brand it is probably not the best rod. Take into consideration though that if it is a cheap solid fiber glass rod that the blank will possibly last a lifetime unless you smash it very hard in a car door. I personally don't like them but some people do. If you are looking at a carbon fiber rod, check the guides and reel seat, if it is a quality brand like fuji then it should be decent and last a long time. Poor quality guides and reel seats fail sooner rather than later and are costly to replace, it can easily cost more than you bought the rod for.
How do i tell if the guides on the rod are good quality? Rod guides look all the same to me.
Check the brand stamped on them, if it says Fuji it is pretty decent, Pac Bay not bad. Same with reel seats. This is a bit of a rough rule of thumb though, what type of fishing do you do or plan to do? If you know then it will be much easier to give advise on good rods. Also brand name of the rod, most of the top brands make pretty decent stuff although on their budget models they will probably have no name brand eyes.
I'd also check the windings on the guides. Most cheaply made rods will have painted trim bands on them. To me that tells me there wasn't a lot of time putting the rod together. I'd also check the spine of the rod. I'm sure there is plenty of info here on checking it out. If you are shopping at a store check all they have and pick out the best. I'd also check the windings on the guides. Most cheaply made rods will have painted trim bands on them. To me that tells me there wasn't a lot of time putting the rod together. Hope this helps.
Dave
Look at shakespeare ugly stiks.They make boat , casting,jigging,surf rods.Personally i like the ones with lined rings.They have decent fuji reel seats and are as tough as old boots.50 to 70 bucks never broken one which i cant say about some rods at five times the price! Have a whole bunch ,caught everything from marlin to bait.The tiger light jig stiks are superb value.Fish em for a while gain experience and then you might have a better idea of what you personal preference is.My two pennies worth.
Quote from: richard on January 18, 2018, 02:50:57 PM
Look at shakespeare ugly stiks.
A low end but well built rod. A lot of my friends use them for Pacific halibut.
Where are you located? That will help identify what rods are available your region.
What are you fishing for? Knowing this will help identify the type of rod available in your region. Also, there are some rod manufactures that build a great ultra-light rod, but their heavier classed rods are not as desirable.
Where will you be fishing from? Boat, shore, beach, cliff,...? Same rationale as what are you fishing for.
Quote from: droppedit on January 18, 2018, 02:10:32 PM
I'd also check the windings on the guides. Most cheaply made rods will have painted trim bands on them. To me that tells me there wasn't a lot of time putting the rod together. I'd also check the spine of the rod. I'm sure there is plenty of info here on checking it out. If you are shopping at a store check all they have and pick out the best. I'd also check the windings on the guides. Most cheaply made rods will have painted trim bands on them. To me that tells me there wasn't a lot of time putting the rod together. Hope this helps.
Dave
Isnt having exposed windings a bad thing?You might nick the windingd and your guides may fall off.
Quote from: Bryan Young on January 18, 2018, 03:45:52 PM
Where are you located? That will help identify what rods are available your region.
What are you fishing for? Knowing this will help identify the type of rod available in your region. Also, there are some rod manufactures that build a great ultra-light rod, but their heavier classed rods are not as desirable.
Where will you be fishing from? Boat, shore, beach, cliff,...? Same rationale as what are you fishing for.
I am currently fishing from a jetty. The basic SOP there seem to be fishing for bait fish for other larger fish. Currently, i am using a telescopic rod to fish for these bait fishes, but these rods have their problems, mainly filmsy and sections sliding over one another. These rods also do not have many rod guides. I was thinking of getting an ultralight rod to fish for bait fish. Problem is i cant decide on the action rating. I am also hoping that the rod can handle a 4-5 pound queenfish with ease. Currently, living in southeast asia. The tackle business in the region seem rather bad here. Hardly, see any Penn, Abu Garcia and Shakespear rods here. Brands here lean more to Daiwa, Shimano, Zerek, Surecatch and Seahawk. Pretty sure you guys would only recognize the first 2 brands but not the others. Surecatch reels and rods are the worst i have ever seen.
Any fishing clubs in your area? Most fisherman are usually a friendly bunch might be worth looking into.
Quote from: Reel Beaker on January 19, 2018, 12:54:54 AMI am currently fishing from a jetty. The basic SOP there seem to be fishing for bait fish for other larger fish. Currently, i am using a telescopic rod to fish for these bait fishes, but these rods have their problems, mainly filmsy and sections sliding over one another. These rods also do not have many rod guides. I was thinking of getting an ultralight rod to fish for bait fish. Problem is i cant decide on the action rating. I am also hoping that the rod can handle a 4-5 pound queenfish with ease. Currently, living in southeast asia. The tackle business in the region seem rather bad here. Hardly, see any Penn, Abu Garcia and Shakespear rods here. Brands here lean more to Daiwa, Shimano, Zerek, Surecatch and Seahawk. Pretty sure you guys would only recognize the first 2 brands but not the others. Surecatch reels and rods are the worst i have ever seen.
Hi,
For your "large" jetty rod, I suggest a 9ft long Shakespeare USBWSF1530S902 rod
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Ugly-Stik-Bigwater-Spinning-Rod/272373530820 (https://www.ebay.com/itm/Ugly-Stik-Bigwater-Spinning-Rod/272373530820)For the reel, I suggest a DAIWA BG4500 reel
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Daiwa-BG-Saltwater-Spinning-Reels-BG4500/332416000633 (https://www.ebay.com/itm/Daiwa-BG-Saltwater-Spinning-Reels-BG4500/332416000633), filled with 20lb-test ( 9kg ) monofilament line.
For your ultralight "bait" rod, I would suggest a DAIWA BG2500 reel , filled with 6lb - 8lb ( 2.7kg - 3.6kg ) monofilament line.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Daiwa-BG-Saltwater-Spinning-Reel-BG2500-Medium-Light-Heavy/182741945090 (https://www.ebay.com/itm/Daiwa-BG-Saltwater-Spinning-Reel-BG2500-Medium-Light-Heavy/182741945090)For the rod, I suggest getting a "graphite composite" rod ( The "Brand Name" is up to you ) in the 6ft - 7ft range ( 1.83m - 2.13m ), rated for the line strength and casting weight range you need.
Tight Lines !
what's your budget? Daiwa has some affordable LONG UL rods that would be a BLAST!!! for baitfish (yet, could handle 10lb+ by a competent angler): http://www.daiwa.com/us/products/rod/ultralight_sp/index.html (http://www.daiwa.com/us/products/rod/ultralight_sp/index.html)
...but, that's more of a F/W rod with 2-6# line rating
look for something similar with 2-10# line rating -- that would indicate a bit more backbone, but still a light tip
If you are in SE Asia, then I think you need to choose a rod that is locally available if you are looking at cost factors. You are correct in saying that I am not familiar with the last 3 brands you listed but Shimano and Daiwa are pretty decent and you probably can't go wrong with either. Now choosing the appropriate rod suitable for your type of fishing out of what is readily available to you is a different story.
http://anglersresource.net/WhattoLookforinaTopShelfSpinningRod.aspx (http://anglersresource.net/WhattoLookforinaTopShelfSpinningRod.aspx)
good general info., esp. for matching rod to reel -- even a good rod isn't good, if you put the wrong reel on it!!!
if possible, bring the reel(s) you plan to use, when you go rod shopping!!!
For better-than-average quality on spinning rods, I always take into account the number of guides; rule of thumb (not inviolate) is one guide per foot of rod length, not counting the tiptop; I can even live with one less than this. Fewer guides not only saves on the cost of material, but the installation cost too. Newer spinning rods using the NGC technique to place guides will have even more guides. A 6'6" spinning rod with 4-5 guides is the sign of a less expensive rod. If you like cork handles, I read an article not too long ago where the writer swore by looking at the quality of the cork as a sign of quality.
Frank
Quote from: philaroman on January 19, 2018, 07:37:35 PM
http://anglersresource.net/WhattoLookforinaTopShelfSpinningRod.aspx (http://anglersresource.net/WhattoLookforinaTopShelfSpinningRod.aspx)
good general info., esp. for matching rod to reel -- even a good rod isn't good, if you put the wrong reel on it!!!
if possible, bring the reel(s) you plan to use, when you go rod shopping!!!
Isn't it a bit impractical to try to match a rod and reel this way? I dont think many rod will have guides that can align with the reel shaft of the reel perfectly. Borrowing their counter and swapping out reels just to get a perfect match might frustrate the shop staff there.
Quote from: happyhooker on January 20, 2018, 04:02:51 AM
For better-than-average quality on spinning rods, I always take into account the number of guides; rule of thumb (not inviolate) is one guide per foot of rod length, not counting the tiptop; I can even live with one less than this. Fewer guides not only saves on the cost of material, but the installation cost too. Newer spinning rods using the NGC technique to place guides will have even more guides. A 6'6" spinning rod with 4-5 guides is the sign of a less expensive rod. If you like cork handles, I read an article not too long ago where the writer swore by looking at the quality of the cork as a sign of quality.
Frank
Wait .. the top guide is not considered? That means for a 8-feet long rod we should expect 9 guides, inclusive of the top guide? What about rods with not so nice length like 5'6"? We should have 6 guides, inclusive of the top guide?
Quote from: Reel Beaker on January 20, 2018, 10:53:04 AM
Isn't it a bit impractical to try to match a rod and reel this way? I dont think many rod will have guides that can align with the reel shaft of the reel perfectly. Borrowing their counter and swapping out reels just to get a perfect match might frustrate the shop staff there.
well, NO!!!
1. it's impractical to do it the other way around -- i.e., bring your rod to shop for reels
2. it's impractical to buy a quality rod, then get limited performance by choosing the wrong reel
3. it's impractical to worry about what "might frustrate the shop staff", if you're merely a prudent consumer -- not rude or unpleasant or unreasonably demanding... obviously, if the shop is busy/crowded, ask for good time to come back -- if it's a REAL tackle shop, they should be ;D HAPPY ;D to divert you to when the shop is slow/empty
It will be a little difficult to apply American Standars to Southeast Asia type of fishing. I've been fishing jetty's and cliff fishing in Taiwan and Japan and the rods are are very different as is the fishing styles. Not to mention the transportation and storage issues one has to deal with.
In Asia, there are a lot of good quality rods as well as custom rod wrappers. But the prices can get out of hand. For an off the shelf rod, I think Daiwa has some of the best rods anailable but you have to pick the higher end models, like the Ballistics. Some are interline while others are sectional (not telescoping) into 2-3 pieces. The benefit of these rods are it's length for jetty fishing. It's hard to find a 3 meter or longer rod here in the USA but are readily available in Asia. No have a few 5 meter rods that I use for jetty, surf and cliff fishing in Hawaii.
When I go to a fishing shop in Asia, I always ask them questions. What type of fishing is the rod intended for, line weight, lure weight,... I have also asked them to take the rod out of its case and bag to look at the bend, feel the strength,... not always easy when in Asia and many fisherman don't speak English. But I do look interested and will purchase if I can find something within my specifications so the have helped. I also frequent the same shops so the are willing to help me if I purchased something from them before.
The mounting of your own reels are a little bit harder because they don't want their rod's to get scratched. But if the think you will buy a rod and reel, they are willing to take a new reel off the shelf and mount it. This way you can also see the reel size the recommend for that rod.
I hope this helps.
Is there a local fishing club in your area or someone that can mentor you? What country are you in? Bangkok has a lot of places for you to go to ask questions.
Yeah, you are asking the wrong group here. Go out to the jetty with whatever tackle you might have and see what others are using. After spending some time just hanging around and fishing you will get to know the local fishermen and they will be happy to guide you. Information you pick up here at AT may not be relevant, but it will enable you to ask engaging questions and that is often enough to strike up a conversation. Every situation is different and the locals probably went through an evolution of sorts to find equipment suitable for the task at hand..
I love jetties but they are hard on fishing equipment. You can't set something down with dinging it. Accepting that your new equipment is going to soon get scuffs and scrapes will make you more comfortable and productive using it, and will probably influence your buying decisions.
-steve
Quote from: Reel Beaker on January 20, 2018, 10:57:11 AM
Wait .. the top guide is not considered? That means for a 8-feet long rod we should expect 9 guides, inclusive of the top guide? What about rods with not so nice length like 5'6"? We should have 6 guides, inclusive of the top guide?
An 8 ft. rod spinning rod -- a good one -- will have 8 guides PLUS the tiptop. Round up on odd sized rods; the 6'6" spinning rod should have 7 guides plus the tip top. Only a rule of thumb. One guide less on a long rod probably wouldn't be so bad; but on a 5-footer, I think I'd like to have all 5 guides plus the tiptop. Besides affecting performance, skimping on guides is a sign in my mind of a builder trying to save a few $$.
I agree that a quality handle is a good sign too. Look at the wraps (the threads that hold the guides on) and the coating over them; are the threads nice and even, without gaps, with a nice smooth coating of epoxy, varnish, etc., over the threads, or does the epoxy/varnish look bubbly, uneven or have "gobs" of it hanging off the threads?
Frank
I pier fished when I was teaching in Japan with 3-5M telescopic rods as mentioned by Bryan. The guides were not a problem but in-line rods were better as the line didnot "catch the wind" while casting. They were more expensive. The rods had power ratings(PE rating) with the higher numbers denoting stronger rods. A tackle store could help you choose the right rod. Good luck! They also use telescopic nets so that they didn't need to land the fish with the rod alone, decreasing the chance of breaking the rod lifting a heavy fish.
If you have reels and want to match a spinning rod to them, always account for the fact that some rod reel seats won't accommodate the size of the foot of every reel. I got a new rod (don't buy them often) last year & when I went to attach my then favorite Shimano ultralight reel to it, the foot on the reel was too small & I ended up shimming the foot with some thin cardboard just so I could fish that day. So, I don't know about taking your reel along when rod shopping, but you might want to have some measurements handy if nothing else.
Another thing about a quality rod: look at the ferrules, if there are any. Are they well wrapped? Do they fit snugly, but not so tight you gotta strain to separate the sections?
Frank
Hi guys,
I was browsing around for a rod when i noticed that there are many type of Fuji guides floating around, mainly alconite, SiC and aluminium oxide guides. My question is which is the preferred guide.
Another question to ask is the insert in these different kind of guides, are they all made of ceramic? So the difference in these guides are the material used in the eyelets of the guide, with a common insert, which is ceramic?
I also have some rods with a chipped insert. I dont know how it got chipped, but i dont think i was very rough with the rod. The common thing about the place where the inserts get chipped, is at the back of the guide, so i was very puzzled on why all my inserts are breaking at the same place. Does performing overhead casts with a large sinker damage the back of your guide inserts?
Quote from: Reel Beaker on February 04, 2018, 12:53:19 PM
Hi guys,
I was browsing around for a rod when i noticed that there are many type of Fuji guides floating around, mainly alconite, SiC and aluminium oxide guides. My question is which is the preferred guide.
Another question to ask is the insert in these different kind of guides, are they all made of ceramic? So the difference in these guides are the material used in the eyelets of the guide, with a common insert, which is ceramic?
I also have some rods with a chipped insert. I dont know how it got chipped, but i dont think i was very rough with the rod. The common thing about the place where the inserts get chipped, is at the back of the guide, so i was very puzzled on why all my inserts are breaking at the same place. Does performing overhead casts with a large sinker damage the back of your guide inserts?
SiC is a very expensive guide . . . Alconite is excellent, very lightweight and reasonably-priced . . . Aluminum Oxide guides are lower in quality, heavier, and very inexpensive. There are a few other ring materials, too.
As for the chipped guides, can you please post some clear, close-up photo's of them ?
Tight Lines !
Ceramic guide inserts are brittle and chip or crack but you'd have to hit something to do it, casting shouldn't be a problem unless something hard is going thru them like a swivel. They work well because the material is so smooth. Seems most rod guides these days are ceramic of some kind.
Not a bad idea to check for cracked inserts periodically, the rough edge will fray your line. It's difficult to see a crack so use a cotton swab and run it around the insert. If you see any cotton stuck on the ring time to replace the guide, you can't really replace the ring. If you have one broken guide time to check them all.
Like most things you get what you pay for, but I don't know that SIC is that much better than alconite to justify the extra cost. With fuji I think the gun smoke finish on the frame adds to the cost of the SIC guides too. That finish seems to hold up better than the black or chrome ones. I use all 3,just depends on the aplication
Post a few pictures when you get a minute
Fuji has a lot of different shapes too. I finally found one that keeps braid from tangling around the small running guides on ultra light casting rods. KWAG as I recall, but I'd have to look it up.
-steve
https://imgur.com/a/gkJng (https://imgur.com/a/gkJng)
Hi, as requested this is a url link to a close up of the chipped guide insert
It would need some kind of impact to chip like that, It would be a good idea to replace it before it cracks. Murphy's law clearly states that it will crack when you have a big fish on.
forget "big fish on" -- if you use it "as is", you'll quickly waste the cost of a new guide by replacing damaged line... and that's w/ mono -- w/ braid, one cast may cost you $10!!!
Quote from: philaroman on February 05, 2018, 03:48:54 PM
forget "big fish on" -- if you use it "as is", you'll quickly waste the cost of a new guide by replacing damaged line... and that's w/ mono -- w/ braid, one cast may cost you $10!!!
ehh what do u mean?
Damaged or bad guides tear up braid.
Guys, remember when i said i was looking out for a rod to fish some bait, mainly sardines...
An Abu Garcia Super Ascalon advanced stage II rod in a local tackle shop caught my eye. I went home and googled the rod, and to my dismal, came up with nothing except results in malay(Ascalon rod and w/o the super). Does anyone has such a rod or know where i can find relevant information about the rod? Surely, an Abu Garcia rod deserve more publicity than this? I also saw some Shakespear Ugly Stiks and Daiwa Crossfire. However, the Ugly stiks were too short and the crossfire were casting rods(never used a baitcaster reel in all my life).
What surprised me, was that Daiwa S.E Crossfire rods seem different from their American counterparts. Why is this so? This also seem to apply to Daiwa and Shimano reels. Should i be worried about the differences?
people in different parts of the World need/want/appreciate different things & manufacturers try to accomodate
Quote from: philaroman on February 08, 2018, 07:37:09 PM
people in different parts of the World need/want/appreciate different things & manufacturers try to accomodate
yip we have shore rods here in South Africa from all the big brands like Penn, Shimano, Daiwa, Okuma that you will hardly ever find on the main websites and they will probably not even be available outside of the country, maybe some of the blanks are used, but most likely none will be sold elsewhere with a reel seat at the bottom configuration. The same probably holds true for many other countries.