Which rods for bass fishing

The spline is like a seam in the rod blank which makes one side of the rod stiffer then the other. If the manufacturer did not use a spline to line up the guides, each rod would have a different action even though they were the same part numbers.

Assuming the manufacturer used the spline to line up the guides you have to then look at the guides themselves. Guides are designed to handle specific line sizes. Guides should be compatible to the line size rating for the rod. Each length rod should have a specific number of guides. For example, a 7-foot rod should have nine guides, including the top.

Guides come in two styles, single foot and double foot. The feet are what attaches to the rod. Double foot guides are stronger but they are slightly heavier and you loose a small amount of flex in the rod. Single foot guides are lighter but are not as strong as the double footguides.

Even though single foot guides are not as strong, they will work fine for most bass fishing rods. Many new fishing rods have a combination of both guide types, using double foot guides near the handle and single foot guides near the tip where the rod flexes the most.

Sensitivity is one of the most important factors when choosing a rod. With a sensitive rod you will, with time, be able to decipher what is happening with your bait. How many times has something happened to your bait and you couldn't tell if it was a bite or not? Graphite fishing rods are generally more sensitive than fiberglass rods but there have been advancements in technology that have made some fiberglass rods as sensitive as many graphite rods.

With buzzbaits and spinnerbaits, you will be casting continuously, so a lightweight rod is important. Sensitivity is also essential because many times the fish will bump the blades prior to striking. A 6-foot rod will give a little more casting accuracy, but a 7-foot rod will give you more hooksetting power, leverage and casting distance.

A fiberglass rod will give the fish time to inhale the bait before you set the hook. These baits use a single hook, allowing you to put more pressure on the fish during the fight so a medium-action rod would allow enough power to land the fish.

The tip needs be flexible enough to cast the lure accurately. As spinnerbaits, crankbaits and topwater lures require continuous casting, so weight is an important factor. Sensitivity is also important, not so much for topwater but for cranking. After you get accustomed to the bait you're using, a sensitive rod will help you determine what type of structure the bait is contacting.

If the fish are on a hard clay bottom and you know your bait is digging into the mud then you know you are in the wrong location. A 7-foot rod is good for distance and for casting larger baits. Crankbait and topwater rods should be made of fiberglass, which allows the fish time to inhale the bait before you set the hook.

The treble hooks on crankbaits and topwater lures can dislodge if you apply too much pressure. The added flex of a fiberglass rod will keep the hooks from coming unbuttoned. A medium action rod is usually fine so long as the rod has enough backbone to get a good hookset and flexible enough to cast the lure you are using.

Best rod: A lightweight, sensitive, 6- to 7-foot fiberglass rod with a medium action tip or a light action tip, depending on the weight of the lure. As worm fishing varies from east to west, this example will be for fishing small worms 4 to 6 inches, and smaller finesse jigs in water from 5 to 60 feet deep. When fishing deep water, the two most important factors are sensitivity and weight. But you can get away with having fewer rods and still have the ability to fish a variety of techniques.

Here are the three rods to keep in your arsenal. They will allow you be more flexible and catch fish in more locations. Arguably the most versatile rod in existence is the 70 MHF spinning rod. The 7-foot medium-heavy, fast rod is manageable, and its action allows anglers to cast a variety of baits accurately in both close quarters and at longer distances.

It is most commonly used as a standard jig and worm rod but can also be used for moving baits such as the spinner bait and chatter bait. Weightless plastics, shaky, and wobble head jigs can also be added to the list, as well as topwaters such as buzz baits or larger prop baits. Lastly, though not ideal in all situations, anglers can also use this rod as a frog rod. If an angler is consistently fishing for big fish around heavy cover or slop, it would be advised to consider a longer, heavier rod.

The fishing rod, or fishing pole as same may refer to it, serves many functions. So one of the primary functions of a rod is to catapult your bait farther to tempt the bass without spooking them by being too close. The other functions a rod serves include hooking a bass when it bites a bait, transmitting that bite to your hand so you can feel when a fish is on your hook and helping you play down the bass and tire him out so you can land him without running the risk of breaking your line or burning your hands trying to hold the line during the fight.

Essentially a rod consists of a hollow core of graphite, glass or other composite material called a blank. Metallic guides with usually ceramic or titanium inserts are wound onto the rod blanks at specific intervals to not only send the line orderly from from the reel into the water but also handle the line as you retrieve and fight fish along the rod blank.

Every rod will have a handle usually made out of EVA foam or cork. It will also have a reel seat that allows you to attach a reel by inserting the reel foot into the reel seat grove and then screwing down a foregrip to lock the reel into place.

We created a simple guide to understanding a fishing rod that explains the differences in the terms of a rod including taper, length, action and power.