I will initially focus on bass fishing gear and spinning equipment in particular and in later posts I will move on to the intricacies and the art of fly fishing.
In the previous post for the lure fishing beginner I suggested starting out by visiting a local sport or fishing shop in order to browse what type of rod and reel combos they had in stock. Although most will stock a wide range of combinations, when starting out you don’t have to worry about the upper end of the range.
These cheaper models are just as good for a newcomer to bass fishing as the more expensive versions; indeed a beginner fisherman will usually not even be able to tell the difference between the top end and middle of the range. Generally the ones that the store has available are the most popular and are for general use in many different conditions. Sometimes you can get discount fishing tackle; I paid half price for one of my fishing rods, just because of a few scratches in the paint.
The disadvantage with these all purpose spinning rods is in the strength and durability of the rod. This can be overcome by being particularly careful with where you are casting, what might get snagged and how tight the drag is set on your reel. There is nothing worse when you hook into that elusive largemouth bass and your rod snaps as you try and set the hook!
Make sure you keep your reel clean and well oiled. Test it before fishing to make sure that it is spinning easily. Lessening the drag on your spinning reel will allow the fish to take the hook and swim the line off the reel. You can slowly apply more drag. Alternatively you can attach your reel to the rod, feed the line through all the eyes, take the line in your fingers and gently pull the line down, bending the rod. Set the drag to give just before your rod bends to the right angle mark. This is generally the best position for the fish to set the hook by itself as it takes the lure and doesn’t require you to strike aggressively.
Of course, if you can afford more expensive rods and reels, by all means buy the brand that you want. The more expensive rods will give you a better strength to weight ratio and should last longer in general. The weight of the rod is especially important when buying a fly fishing rod.
Always make sure to check and clean your equipment according to the manuals that come along with the items.
A good idea is to buy some sort of rod bag, or hard cover for your rod. This will protect it when it is packed amongst all the other stuff in your car or truck, or if you inadvertently dump your tog bag on top of the rod. The rod eyes are very easily crushed and although they can be replaced, it is a pain to do. If your rod snaps though, it is a different story. Prevention is better than cure.
The purpose of this post has been to help you with the basic care of your bass fishing equipment and hopefully you can keep these points in mind when you are packing for and going on your fishing trip.
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