FIshing
Troop 721 Milford, CT - Fishing
Fishing Rods for Different Types of Fishing
Make the statement "all fishing rods are the same" and you are bound to get some laughter and
more than a few lectures from experienced fishermen. There are almost as many types of fishing
rods are there are types of game fish. There is simply no way that you could have a "one-size-
fits-all" fishing rod. Below is a list of some of the different types of fishing rods, and explanations
as to why they work well for the type of game fish that they were made for.
Basic Fresh Water Rod Types
Bass fishing rod
The bass, both the freshwater and saltwater variety, is one of the most popular game fish. Bass
tournaments are held in lakes and rivers each year, and the lucky fisherman who can land the
biggest bass in one of these tournaments gets to take home not only a prize, but a great story as
well. One of the reasons that bass are so popular with fishermen is that they can be crafty
opponents, and fierce fighters. The type of fishing rod that is good for bass fishing is one that
can take a lot of punishment. Landing a bass can take some time, and before you pull one into
your boat or on shore, it is going to take your line for a ride, and bend your fishing pole every
which way. Bass come in varying sizes, so of course bass fishing rods will come in different
sizes, but they all need to be strong and extremely flexible. Bass fishing rods tend to be made
from fiberglass more than anything else; though not as strong as graphite, it can take more
extreme bending.
Trout fishing rod
Trout fishing rods do not generally need to be as flexible as bass fishing rods. Yes, there are
some big trout out there – some as big as salmon – but generally they tend to be lighter than
bass, with a little less fight in them. This doesn’t mean that trout aren’t fun to catch...the number
of fishermen each year that go trout fishing in lake, rivers, and streams will attest to the fact that
trout fishing is a wonderful way to spend the day. Trout poles usually run anywhere from seven
feet to ten feet, with a nine foot pole being a good size for going from stream fishing on the
shore to lake fishing in a boat. Trout fishing rods can be made from graphite; although graphite
is not as flexible as fiberglass, with trout it is flexible enough. Of course, there are also fly fishing
rods for trout, but these are in a whole different category than "regular" fishing rods.
Crappie fishing rods
The lengths of crappie fishing rods vary according to individual preference, but one thing about
crappie fishing rods that needs to remain constant is that they must be light. Crappie fishing
usually involves "jigging", or snapping the rod up and down continually to lure the fish toward the
bait, and if your fishing rod isn’t light, it’s going to tire your arm and wrist out rather quickly.
Crappies are fairly small fish, so a light fishing rod and light line are fine to use. Due to the type
of fishing it is, comfort should be the main concern when it comes to a crappie fishing rod.