Fishing Rod Review

Fishing Rod Review

There are several hundred fishing rods on the market, which makes it difficult for the recreational fisherman to choose the right one. For general fishing, spinning rods are probably the best for beginners. A light to medium rod should be versatile to handle many freshwater and saltwater fish.
Beginners can learn to cast using these fishing rods in less than one hour. Anglers can use spinning fishing rods for trolling and deep sea fishing. They also work well for surf fishing.

St.Croix rods are highly rated quality rods. They have easy to use cork handles and the shafts are lightweight but with good strength. The price range is about $150-300.

A lower priced popular rod is the Shakespeare Ugly Stik. It is sturdy, lightweight and provides good performance. The Ugly Stik is available for several types of fishing and is usually priced around $35-50.

When selecting fishing gear do consider the following points when looking for new fishing rods:
1. It should be about 5.5 – 6.5 feet long and capable of casting 1/4 ounce to 1/2 ounce lures.
2. Graphite models are usually lighter and stronger than fiberglass models.
3. Cork handles seem to be more sensitive for detecting soft biting fish such as trout fishing.
4. Guides through which the fishing line runs should be stainless steel to prevent rusting.
This fishing rods review looks mostly at spinning rods. Spinning Tackles are easy to use and many consider these rods best for general fishing. Spinning is easy to learn. It should take less than a 1/2 hour of practice to get good distance and accuracy.

St.Croix offers fishing rods and reels for spinning, casting, fly fishing, saltwater and ice fishing. The rods are lightweight, durable and easy to handle.

The least expensive models are the Triumph series rods, which cost about $50-100. The Elite spinning rods cost about $260-320, while the Elite casting rods cost about $300 plus.

Shakespeare has been marketing the Ugly Stik for over 29 years. It is the best selling moderately priced rod in the U.S. The spinning rod costs about $40 without the reel. The Ugly Stik Tiger Saltwater spinning rod costs about $58-73 without the reel also excellent for surf fishing.

Berkley offers several models for freshwater fishing. The Berkley Air casting and spinning rods cost about $90-100. The Berkley Cherrywood spinning and casting rods cost about $25-38. Berkley fly fishing rods are lightweight rods with cork grips and cost about $35.

Fenwick spinning rods come in several models. The Fenwick Eagle is an entry level rod that costs about $55. The two piece spinning rods cost about $55-120, while the four piece spinning rods cost about $110-220.
There are other good rods available that are not included in this fishing rods review Shimano, Penn, Daiwa and Cabela all have good fishing rods as well. Shimano being top end quality, followed closely by Cabela and Daiwa.