In fishing, the fishing reel, rod and line need to work as a
coordinated unit, with one part not overshadowing the others by being
too heavy or too light. There needs to be balance within the components
themselves and balance in the relationship of the components.
Fishing tackle unlimited
also needs to be matched to the size and species being fished for.
There’s an old expression, “Fish don’t break tackle, fishermen break
tackle.” A lot of breakage can be avoided through proper fishing gear
selection.
The Reel
As pointed out, enough available drag power, along with appropriate
line capacity is the starting point for selecting a reel. Keep in mind,
excessive line capacity adds weight to the reel since a bigger spool is
needed to handle the longer line, and is not necessary. Most fish will
not run that far. That, combined with how far you can cast, will
determine how much line you will need. Offshore or bottom fishing
requires more line. For Inshore saltwater and most pond and lake
situations 100 to 150 yards is often more than enough. Big game and surf
casting calls for more capacity.
Fishing Reels
are rated in sizes from 500 (ultra light), and up. 1,000, 2,000, 3,000
and all the way up to massive heavy service 10,000 size reels. These
numbers are good for comparing reels between manufacturers. Although
features such as the number of bearings and the weight of the reel based
on the materials it is made from (graphite is lighter than metal, for
example) may vary between makers in the same class size – the size and
capacity will be similar. In other words, a 2,000 size reel from
manufacturer A will be close in size to manufacturer B, but may have
other, different features that do not affect its size.
It goes
back to balance. A 1,000 size reel on an eleven-foot surf rod is just as
out of balance as a 9,000 series reel on a seven foot, medium-light
power rod. These are extremes and exaggerations, but you get the
picture. A 9,000 series reel on an eleven-foot surf casting rod may be
perfectly fine and the 1,000 may balance the seven-footer perfectly.
The Line
The thicker the diameter, the less distance you will be able to cast.
Braided line offers an advantage here. Ten-pound braided line has the
approximate thickness of three-pound monofilament, yet retains the
ten-pound breaking strength. It also allows you to wind more line on the
spool.
Heavier lines are for bigger fish and bigger fish means
bigger baits. Again – the right size tool for the job. A heavy weight 40
pound test monofilament line is not going to allow you to cast light
weight lures effectively, and will more than likely result in a nonstop
series of birds nests and tangles if you choose to do so. Heavy line
needs a heavier projectile to pull it off the reel and overcome wind
resistance. It’s a matching game of the size of the fish you are
targeting, to the size of the bait, to the size of the line to cast and
work the bait properly, (presentation) and the rod and reel needed to
handle it.
You may wish to opt-up slightly in line strength for
insurance. Don’t overdo it. Keep everything relative. With heavier
lines a two to five pound difference may be negligible while lighter
lines may only allow you a one to two test pound difference. Keep in
mind thinner line and heavier lures cast farther. Again, see what the
rod maker has listed on the side of your rod for the correct size line.
There’s a reason for these limits. If you vary from them, do so at your
own peril. The good fishing line, goture recommend you the
http://www.goture.com/6-color-super-strength-durability-spider-wire-4-braided-pe-fishing-line-1000m.html.
The Rod (improtant) 
Fishing rod, Goture recommend you the pruduct,
http://www.goture.com/3-6-6-3m-red-wolf-superhard-carbon-fiber-rock-fishing-rod.html.
Select
your rod for the line size (lbs. test) and lure size (ounces) for the
size and species of fish targeted. Go back and read that sentence again.
The relationship, the balance, has to be shared among all of the
components. Using too heavy of a line could lead to snapped off rod
guides or at the least, it will cut down on casting distance. Too light
of a line on too heavy of a rod will lead to snapped lines. Using a
heavier line beyond a given point, is not necessary if the drag on your
reel (more about that later) is set properly. Many falsely believe that a
heavier line will prevent bite offs, and break- offs by a big fish. If
you are going after toothy game fish, or fishing a rocky area, use a
heavy monofilament or fluorocarbon leader connected to a proper main
line size that is matched to the rod, reel, and drag. Or, use a wire
leader for the more vicious, bigger fish.
Some anglers are dazzled
by high drag settings available on some (usually more expensive) reels.
Here’s the problem. The drag setting, the amount of force in pounds of
pulling force, should be no more than one third of the line’s test
strength. If you are spooled up with 30 pound test line, big enough to
handle very large fish, the drag would be set at ten pounds of pulling
force before the drag slips. Okay – knowing this, why would you want a
reel that can develop 55 pounds of drag? In theory, that’s enough drag
for 165 lbs. test line (55 is one third of 165). That’s enough force for
massive deep water game fish. And, enough force to rip the guides out
of a rod not built to handle it.
Another misnomer is that some
fishermen think ten-pound test line is necessary to handle fish weighing
up to ten pounds( or 30 pound line for a 30 pound fish, etc.). That’s
far from true. Let’s take some of the aforementioned info and apply it
here.
Scenario: you’ve spooled up with ten-pound test line, tied
30 inches of 30 pound test fluorocarbon line on as a leader because you
are concerned about your thinner main line chaffing on rocks, carefully
tied knots, (knots reduce line strength) and using a pull type fishing
scale, properly set your reel’s drag to three pounds of drag before
slipping occurs.
Your reel is well-maintained; the drag washers
were recently serviced and capable of generating fourteen pounds of
maximum drag. It’s mounted on a quality seven-foot spinning rod.
Medium-Heavy power, 10-20 Lbs. line, 1/2 – 1 1/4 ounce lures, the
manufacturer has listed on the side of the rod. You’re casting one-ounce
lures. Perfect.
You head out to fish. You hook what you almost
find out later to be a fifteen-pound fish. How’s that possible? The line
test strength is only ten pounds, the drag is set at three pounds, and
okay, there’s a 30 pound leader… but that’s not the weak link.
The
fish, after being hooked, starts to pull out line and your drag sings
like crazy. Dzzzz, zzz, zzzz! The fish beings to tire a little –
remember he’s swimming and dragging around the equivalent of three
pounds of weight – about 20 percent of its body weight. With each surge
the drag resists against the pull. The drag is doing its job. The
slippage is preventing the line from breaking (because that would take
ten pounds of force to happen). After a good battle of you cranking in
between the drag doing it’s job of slipping, you get the fish to the
shore. You are delighted. Nice fish! you say to yourself. Bigger than
you were hoping for, but within the limits of your gear. Holding your
rod with your right hand, you reach out and grasp the line with your
left. Snap. The fish lands back in the water and swims off.
What
happened? In your excitement you grabbed the ten pound test main line;
not the much heavier leader. The fish weighing fifteen pounds, and no
longer buoyed by the water, and with the reel’s drag no longer in play
to allow slippage since you grabbed the line between the dead weight of
the fish and the reel, exceeded the breaking strength of the line. Large
fish are taken on line with breaking limits far below the fish’s weight
all the time when the proper fishing practices are used.
The size
of the lure weight listed on the rod manufacture has a lot to do with
castability. A medium power rod rated for lures between ? and ? ounce
will not fare well trying to launch 1/8 ounce lures. Too heavy of a lure
will likely snap the line. You not only lose your lure, but face
potential danger as the hooks go hurtling through the air at you or an
innocent bystander.
A balanced fishing rod and reel combo keeps
your hands relaxed allowing you more sensitivity to detect tiny changes
in line tension (bites and nibbles). A balanced setup reduces fatigue
in your hand, wrist and forearm since your muscles won’t have to make
micro-adjustments while casting.
Let’s look at rod balance.
Whether you’re using a baitcaster or spinning rod, it’s easy to check
its balance. With your reel loaded on the rod and spooled with line, on a
bait caster put your index finger under the rod just in front of the
reel. This will create a balance point for the rod to rest on. If it’s
well balanced, there will be equal weight distribution on either side of
your finger. If the tip tilts down, the rod is too heavy for the reel.
If the handle tips downward, select a lighter weight reel for optimum
balance.
For a spinning rod, place your finger at the point where
the reel is seated on the rod. The same rules of balance apply to the
spinning rod.
Think about what technique you’ll be using most
often before you get too concerned about rod balance. A balanced rig
comes into play more with still-presentation lures (baits typically
fished with the rod tip at the 10 o’clock position)– worms, jigs, and
the like or fishing lightweight lures with the rod tip elevated need
correct balance. It’s less of an issue with lures that are fished fast
or retrieved with special action.
The key is to find a combination
that doesn’t quickly tip in one direction or the other when you’re
balancing it on your finger…or fishing. Some rod – reel combinations
may be slightly out of balance. Depending on your techniques, it may not
matter as much. Moving-bait presentations don’t need to be (as)
balanced because they are fished holding the tip down.
Many tackle
set-ups do not have perfect balance. If you already have a rod and reel
and they’re out of balance, all is not lost. If you are tip end heavy,
you can put a weighted cap on the rod handle’s butt end. Ask your local
hardware store about crutch butt caps (a rubber stopper- like non-slip
piece that goes on the end of a walking cane). They may have one in the
size you need. That may be all it takes. If a little more weight is
needed, place some washers under the cap to micro-tune the balance.
Don’t epoxy the cap on; use something like silicone glue so you can
change the cap if you change reels. There are manufactures that sell
butt-cap kits. If the rod is too tail heavy, you may want to opt for a
lighter reel.
Although, a perfectly balanced rod improves
sensitivity and reduces arm fatigue during long casting sessions, you
can cast heavier baits farther with a bottom- end heavy rod. You could
consider having two set-ups for different conditions. One balanced to
reduce fatigue and increase rod sensitivity, the other for heavier,
fast-moving baits.
There are exceptions to every rule. Some angler
using frog baits in heavy cover – lily pads, grass and the like, will
use a very heavy braided line (50 – 60 lb.) solely for the purpose of
cutting through the vegetation and horsing a fish out. Again, an
exception to another rule is tightening the drag down in excess of the
recommended 30% of line strength to pull a fish through the cover. Since
frog lures typically weigh less than a half ounce and the targeted
fish’s weights are not likely to exceed the load capacity of the line or
rod; there is not typically a danger of snapping either with this
technique.
Fishing should be about having fun and relaxing.
Keeping things in balance will go a long way in starting, and ending,
every fishing adventure the right way. Selecting the right tackle the
first time will save you money.
