Rods

I've been selling lure rods since 2010 when we opened our first little shop in St Merryn. Since decades before that, I was always in love with using and trying different fishing rods across all different types of fishing that I do.

Lure rods have developed and advanced so much over that time.

From when a spinning rod was simply a spinning rod to now where we have different lengths actions powers and so many other variations between the styles of lure rod that we might use for different applications. Understanding what you need in each situation as well as trying to pick through the minefield of rod types and styles can be really difficult. But whether you are a bass angler, or a freshwater predator fan or in love with LRF, I've rods here. That will suit all types of lure fishing. And don't forget, if you need any help at all, please feel free to pop your details into the Rod Finder form, and I will send you over some personal recommendations.

Length

Length is one of the first things I would look at, but it is never quite as simple as saying longer is better or shorter is better. Going longer buys you more tip speed when casting, which can mean more distance as long as the rod is recovering quickly enough. A short rod with very fast recovery can still outcast a longer rod with a much softer, sloppier feel.

Shorter rods mean more direct control of the lure. There is less carbon and material between your hand and the rod tip, so vibration can travel through the line, guides and blank more easily.

Going longer or shorter is always a compromise. A longer rod can buy distance and reach. A shorter rod buys control. The important bit is understanding what you are gaining, what you are giving up, and which part matters most for your fishing.

Casting weights

Casting weight ratings are useful, but they are not an exact science. It is impossible to say that every rod will feel best at the middle of its stated rating. That depends on the actual rod, not a made-up number.

For mainstream bass fishing, rods around 20g to 50g cover a lot of situations, with occasional uses above or below that. Ratings can vary hugely though, especially once rods get longer, so a 9 foot plus rod is not automatically a heavy-metal rod.

If a rod is too soft for the lure or you put too much power into the cast, it can start to feel a bit spongy. Distance drops off again and things just are not working right. Going heavier than recommended also puts too much strain on the blank and risks breakages. That has nothing to do with line diameter.

The opposite can happen with a very stiff rod and a light lure. A rod needs to bend during the cast to help propel the lure seawards. If there is not enough weight on the end to compress it, you are not getting the benefit of the rod recovering through the cast.

A 10 foot rod rated around 2 to 3oz can cover both lure and bait fishing if that is what you want to do. For a complete beginner wanting to catch mackerel one minute and throw a metal lure the next, it is fine I suppose. You do need to understand that it will always be quite limiting from a lure fishing perspective though.

Action and power

For most lure fishing in the UK, I would say a regular fast or fast action is the more versatile option. Fast rods bend mostly through the upper tip section, which gives more sensitivity through the lure and generally helps with bite registration and hook setting.

Medium and slow actions bend through more of the blank. A slower action can be kinder on a hook hold, as it is less likely to pull a hook free, but it will usually lose some lure vibration and bite feel. It will not set a hook quite as positively as a faster rod either.

Power is simply how much weight it takes to bend the rod. A heavier-power rod needs more weight to reach the same bend as a lighter one. Action and power work together, so two rods with the same casting rating can still feel completely different in use.

Weight and balance

A bass rod around 100g to 160g can be about right, depending on the style and length of rod. The number written on the blank matters less than how the rod balances with the reel you are actually going to use.

Without a reel fitted, no lure rod is going to balance close to the reel seat. Once the reel is on, the balance point comes back towards it, but it is still normally somewhere in the first 10cm in front of the reel. A heavy reel on a very light rod can bring it very close. A light reel on a heavier rod will leave it further forward.

I would not set expectations too high about getting the balance point exactly on the reel seat, as it is almost impossible in reality. You naturally need the same amount of weight in front of the reel seat as behind it, and most lure rods are not designed like that.

It is possible to add balancing weights in the butt. They can make a rod feel lighter because it is better balanced, but I would not necessarily do it with a lure rod. I have found that it can deaden the feel through the blank a little as well.

Braid, leaders and knots

Braid casts further than mono and shows bites more clearly, which is why it makes so much sense for most lure fishing. A fluorocarbon leader can give a better presentation in clear water, and in very calm conditions it is possible to lengthen it for even more separation.

The FG knot is very strong for joining braid to fluorocarbon, but it is a pain for most people to tie and needs plenty of practice to become properly confident with it, especially out on the rocks. A double uni or an Albright will do the same job in most situations.

A grinner knot is also called a Uni knot. Fluorocarbon mainline can remove the need for a leader knot altogether for lighter fishing, and I do now use it for close-range estuary work at times.

Shore, boat and close-range fishing

For bass fishing, 8'6" to 9 foot is probably the most versatile length for covering different lure weights and conditions. That is bass specific though. Saltwater lure rods can run from 7 foot to 10 foot, and the right length depends much more on where and how you fish than on a simple category.

Longer rods are useful for heavy metals. They can also give you more control if you are fishing from height above the water, or need to reach around bankside foliage or structure.

Open coast, deep water, surf beaches and places where distance matters can point you towards a longer rod. It is never black and white though. The rod still needs to suit the lures you use, the way you like to fish and how much control you need once the lure is in the water.

Anywhere that bottom contact or precise lure movement is essential, I would generally be looking shorter. Bass anglers can go down to 7 foot when fishing close range and wanting maximum feel.

Close-range bass fishing in an estuary or around a shallow reef is where shorter rods can really come into their own. A longer rod may still be useful from height, but shorter is usually the direction I would be looking when feel is the priority.

For boat lure fishing, a shorter rod around 7 foot to 8 foot is generally ideal. The line does not necessarily need to be heavier than it would be from the shore though. More often than not, the same sort of line will do the job.

LRF rods

Most LRF rods used these days run from 6 foot to around 7'6". Eight foot rods are useful, but more rarely used by most people. For fishing from harbour walls or anywhere above the water, I strongly believe a rod of 7 foot or longer makes a lot of sense.

The longer rod lets you keep the tip closer to the water and more line out of the wind. With light lures, that can be essential. When a fish is hooked close to the wall, it also gives you more chance of pulling it outward and away from cover. Blennies and wrasse are obvious examples, but any fish wants to dive for cover when it is hooked.

Short rods are great fun. Every movement of the lure feels like it is directly in your hand and you have ultimate control. They do have limitations though, especially from high above the water. If you can fish from water level, the argument for a shorter rod becomes much stronger.

A rod around 7 foot can be the most versatile place to start if you do not know exactly what you will be doing. LRF rods cast up to around 10g, and getting a reel that balances properly with one is important.

Different jobs

There are probably 100 rods for 100 different jobs these days. A rod for very light LRF fishing is a completely different thing to a heavier pike rod, and both can be brilliant for what they are designed to do.

It is easy to look for one rod that will cover absolutely everything. I must admit, that is rarely going to be the answer. It is never going to be 10 out of 10 at every job.

If most of your fishing is one particular type, I would normally lean towards something that suits that properly. It might not be the rod you would choose for every other situation, but that is fine.

If you fish a mixture of things, a more versatile rod might make the most sense. Think about the job it will do most often, rather than the one occasion where you might need it to do something completely different.

Choosing properly

I've seen a lot of rods come and go over the years, and helped lots of anglers choose one. If you are not quite sure, ask me before you buy. It is much easier to get you into something that will suit your fishing properly in the first place.