Tackle Frenzy - Coarse Fishing Rods

The fishing rod has several materials that it can be manufactured from, each having different benefits to the angler. Entry level fishing rods are normally constructed from glass fibre blanks (the bit everything else is attached to) which has been used for years. Glass fibre performs well for it's price and can provide many years of service if looked after, however it is fair to say that if abused it can be snapped fairly easily. The next stage is composite materials, a mixture of glass fibre and low density carbon. Stronger and lighter than glass fibre, most rods below £35 are made of a composite mix. You then have a low density carbon fibre which is lighter again and stronger than composite mix followed by the Rolls Royce of blanks which is high density carbon fibre. As usual your budget will dictate which material you receive in your blank, however every rod sold by Tackle Frenzy offers value for money so if you are on a fixed budget, a well cared for glass fibre or composite blank will serve the weekend angler well.

There a basically three types of popular coarse fishing; Float / Match Fishing, Feeder / Ledger Fishing and Carp / Specialist Fishing. There are a few considerations to take in before making your purchase such as:

Are you a general angler - any fish will do?
Do you prefer to cast regularly or sit and read?
Do you want the big one, Carp, Barbell or Catfish?
How often will you fish

Below are a few hints from our experiences that may help

Float / Match Fishing	This is the most popular method of course fishing and requires the least amount of specialist knowledge though there is still much to learn. For general float fishing you will need a 12ft or 13ft rod match rod with 5g to 25g casting weight and a through action. For Match fishing (lots of small fish) they prefer a tip action to the rod to allow light tackle to cast out quickly. For wide river fishing or large lake fishing a longer rod is more beneficial for line control and distance casting. For canal, small river and lake fishing a shorter rod is preferred as space on the bank may be an issue and distance casting is not required.
Feeder Fishing	Feeder or ledger fishing is ideal for the lazy angler. Floats move with currents whether fishing a fast river or lake there are still currents and require attention to the line and re-casting when the float has moved out of the swim. Ledgering places the bait and hook on the bottom and stays in one place. Bites are detected via a number of methods, swing tips, quiver tips, electronic alarms, or line bobbins. When the fish takes the bait and retreats to eat the indicator shows this and you strike. The only time that the hook needs attention is to ensure that you still have bait attached. The standard for this is a 10ft feeder rod with a slightly stiffer action than a float rod and as the angler normally uses heavier rigs than a float and the attention to the line is not as great a shorter stiffer rod is more beneficial.
Carp / Specialist Angling	Specialist angling such as Carp Fishing requires skill, patience and time. The specialist angler needs to know the species inside out in order to become successful and local knowledge of the water is essential. In general the specialist angler is looking for larger fish and uses mainly ledgering as a way to catch them (though carp can be caught floating bread on the surface). With this in mind stronger rods and heavier capacity reels are used in pursuit of the price specimen. similar rules apply to length of rod, for longer casts and fast moving water a longer rod is better of 12ft whereby still or slow water then we suggest an 11ft rod.
Spinning	Spinning in fresh water is a method of attracting predators such as Pike, Perch and to a degree Chub. Pike and perch are most likely to go for a spinner or plug bait or even the new latex lures such as shads. If the lure is retrieved erratically then the predator believes that the fish may be injured and attack your lure resulting in a catch. Smaller rods are used for spinning for better control and heavier lines with a wire trace.
How Often	With coarse fishing the how often rule isn't so important as in sea fishing. The fish are generally smaller and do not fight as hard and the environment that you are fishing in is softer and not as harsh. Any rod is looked after will last a long time and as for the action of the rod your choice will develop as you fish. Start off with reasonably priced tackle and look after it. When you have a preference for the type of fishing that you wish to pursue you will know which type of action you require on a rod as well as length, composite etc.