Selecting a fishing rod is like choosing a fishing buddy: You'll be spending precious time on the water together, so factors such as dependability, flexibility and compatibility affect your decision. It's a choice we each must make for ourselves because personal taste and individual characteristics ultimately determine the success or failure of the relationship.
Heavy-duty spinning reels have established themselves as viable big-fish-catching tools, whether bottom bumping for grouper, casting large jigs to cobia or free-lining livies for sailfish. Rod manufacturers have also followed this trend, allowing you to select a stick that's up to snuff for whipping that fish of a lifetime.
The line rating, listed in pounds, indicates which line strengths (in pound-test) work best with a particular rod. "When using a line within a rod's rating, the line should break before the rod," explains Drew Thompson, a Juno Beach, Florida, angler and rod builder (Custom Rods by Dru). Common ratings for factory-made heavy spinning rods include 15 to 30 and 20 to 30 pounds, with some rods rated as high as 50. But a wide range of recommended line strengths does not necessarily mean more for your money because "it doesn't really provide an accurate indication of the rod's potential. A narrower, more precise range is better," says Ken Carman of Biscayne Rod in Hialeah, Florida.
Carman also advises anglers to know their line's true breaking strength. "Many manufacturers underrate lines. Some 20-pound-test monofilaments may actually break at 25 pounds or much more. If you put that line on a 20-pound rod, you could be jeopardizing one of the most expensive items used during a day's fishing: the rod."
The terms fast, medium and slow describe a rod's action - the way it bends when fighting a fish. Older fiberglass rods had a slow action, bending almost uniformly from tip to butt. Most of today's heavy spinning rods have a fast action, meaning they flex at the tip and remain straight from midsection to butt. The use of graphite composites (mixing graphite and fiberglass) allows manufacturers to produce fast-action rod blanks with more "backbone" for whipping fish instead of excessive rod flex, which means wasted energy.
Graphite rods offer two advantages over pure fiberglass: lightness and sensitivity. "The increased sensitivity is a big plus for detecting bites when snapper fishing," says Rob Crowder of Crowder Custom Rods in Stuart, Florida. "But spin-trolling for dolphin and sailfish is basically sight fishing, so rod sensitivity isn't a factor. In this case, using a light yet powerful graphite rod makes the fishing more enjoyable." Fishermen who spend long days casting to mangrove-lurking snook or cruising cobia also appreciate the lightness of a graphite rod.
"Fiberglass rods are still the best choice for anglers who know they'll be putting sustained heavy pressure on big fish, like grouper," says Crowder. "Graphite rods may heat up and break when put under extreme strain for long periods. It's not common, but it happens," he adds.
A Guiding Hand
Line guides are the most important element affecting a spinning rod's performance - specifically their number, placement, size and composition. Though no hard-and-fast formula exists, all three experts agree that a 7-foot, 20-pound spinning rod should have six or seven line guides, plus the tip. But how do you know if a rod has a sufficient number of guides and they're properly placed? Thompson suggests tying the line to a fixed object and pulling back to put a bend in the rod. "There are too few guides if the line forms a sharp angle, like a 'V,' where it contacts them," he says. "The line should follow the rod's curve fairly smoothly. That's why guides are closer together near the rod tip, where the curve is more pronounced." On the other hand, having too many guides creates excessive friction on, and constriction of, the line when casting and battling fish.
Anglers take great care to keep their line from scraping transoms, pilings and other objects while fighting fish, but few consider the fact that it constantly rubs on the rod's guides. Abrasion and friction-generated heat can damage line as it flows through guides when fish make long, powerful runs. Manufacturers employ a variety of materials in making guide inserts (the inner rings that contact the line), with the more popular being ceramic, aluminum oxide, hardaloy and silicon carbide.
Each material has unique characteristics. "Aluminum oxide inserts' days are numbered," predicts Carman. "A shock ring between the insert and frame allows heat buildup to weaken the line." Hardaloy inserts provide a slick surface that generates little friction while dissipating heat well. These inserts are fine for monofilament, but not for super-braid lines - braids will eventually chew through them. Both Carman and Crowder recommend silicon carbide (SiC) inserts as the best investment. SiC costs a bit more than hardaloy but withstands the abrasion of super-braids and dissipates heat much more effectively.
Get a Grip
Rods are fighting tools, and comfortable grips can help you win more battles against stubborn fish. Standard on typical spinning rods are 6- to 8-inch foregrips and 12-inch butts. Rods for fighting sailfish, dolphin, kingfish and large bottomfish require longer foregrips of about 12 inches. The two most common grip materials, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) and Hypalon, were originally developed for insulating air-conditioning ducts. EVA foam grips offer lightness, but long rides in rod holders may leave them looking like they've been chewed by a grizzly. One solution to this problem is the "slick butt," which consists of an EVA foam core covered by hard rubber. Some anglers prefer the heavier, more durable and "squishier" Hypalon grips over EVA.
