Hey, I'd like to buy my first fishing rod, but I don't want to spend more than $100.
Right on!
Hey, aren't you Charles Fort from BoatUS Magazine?
I am!
What an amazing coincidence!
Lenny Rudow, BoatUS Magazine's fishing editor, is also in the store today.
No way!
Hey, Lenny!
Lenny!
Charles!
(Both) What an amazing coincidence!
Well let's come down here and look at some different rods, Charles.
I guess the first thing I would ask you is, what do you plan on fishing for?
Well, my boat's on the Chesapeake Bay, so whatever's biting there.
I assume stripers, bluefish, croakers.
So really you want a sort of a one-size-fits-all rod, which is no surprise because most people
who are just getting into fishing don't want to buy 10 different rods and 10 different
reels for each specific situation.
So I guess the next question would be, should we look at spinning rods or casting rods?
Are you familiar with casting gear like this?
No.
No, I'm not familiar with that.
OK.
Well, it's a little more complex to learn how to use than spinning gear, so we should
probably start off by looking at spinning gear, right?
OK.
Well, the first thing to consider is a rod's construction.
It's obviously an important feature of a rod.
You have your rods like this, which are mostly fiberglass, and these are pretty darn rugged.
But they're not the best when it comes to sensitivity.
Your graphite rods like these are much more sensitive.
Go ahead and grab that, and you can feel.
Feel how sensitive that is?
Yeah, I can feel it.
So when a fish bites your hook, you can feel it really, really easily.
The downside being the graphite does snap easier if you get into a situation where your
rod might break.
One other thing you might want to look at when it comes to construction is the grip.
These neoprene grips are pretty much indestructible.
But a lot of people like the feeling of cork.
It's really a matter of personal choice.
Next, let's look at the guides.
These liners, these ceramic liners, reduce line wear, but the downside is they can pop
out and become damaged.
Meanwhile, you have stainless steel guides like this that are not as good at reducing
line wear, but are pretty much indestructible.
Great.
Next, consider one-piece or two-piece.
Two-piece rods like that are much easier to stow, but a one-piece rod has better sensitivity.
Now let's talk action.
This is an important variable.
Could you hand me that rod right there, Charles?
Now if you hold out your hand, this is a relatively slow-action rod, and you can see it bends
all the way back here in the middle towards the back of the rod.
That's what you call a slow-action.
Now, can we grab this one here?
This is a fast-action rod, and you'll see that the bulk of the bend takes place up here
in the first part of the rod.
And it returns to shape very quickly.
That's a fast-action rod.
You know, that one looks awful long.
It is, and that's a very good point.
This is a 7-foot rod.
If you're going to do fishing from a boat or from a bank with overhanging trees, you
know you might end up whacking stuff with your rod.
You could end up hitting your buddy behind you.
Oftentimes, if you're in tight quarters, a shorter rod is a better bet, like this 6'6".
The 6-foot rod is the other end of the extreme.
The problem there is you get down to 6 feet, you start to lose casting distance.
Hmmm, OK.
One final thing to consider, Charles, it's important to know that your rod is built along
its spine.
Every rod has a spine.
It's the strongest part.
But not all are built right along it.
You want those eyes and the reel seat lined up on that spine.
So to find out if they are, you just put the tip down on the carpet and roll it, and you
can kind of feel where the strongest part of the rod is.
And as long as those guides and the reel seat line up along it, the rod's been properly
built.
So considering all those details, you should be able to find a fishing rod that fits your
needs for $100 or less.
That's great, Lenny.
Thanks.
So how do I pick a reel for this now?
Ah!
That's coming in the next video, Charles.
Stay tuned!
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