Rod & Reel

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Putting Monofilament Line on Your Fishing Reel

Most tackle stores are happy to spool up your reel, particularly those who have a line winding machine. If you have the time, and they have the quality line you want, let them do it.

When you're spooling up a bait casting reel, or any conventional reel, put a rod, or even a pencil, through the center of the line spool. Tie the line to the reel with a (Uni-knot or Arbor knot) clipping off the tag end. Snug the knot to the reel spool. One person should reel while another holds both ends of the rod, applying pressure as the line is reeled onto the spool. Fill to about an 1/8 inch from the spool's outer rim. Keep the line away from anything that could cause abrasion.

Use the same procedure with a spinning reel, but reel line so that it comes off the end of the spool. After 15 or 20 turns, if a twist occurs, turn the spool over and continue to fill the reel.

Monofilament will twist. If it happens while fishing from a boat, play the line out with nothing on the end, trolling behind the boat for about five minutes. It is also important to always use a ball-bearing swivel, which will reduce or eliminate line twist. Certain lures or bait tied directly to the line will invite twist. To compensate for this, try lighter line. Just for your own education and enjoyment, go down in line test. You will be surprised that you can catch big fish on line much lighter than you are presently using. It may take more patience and even a little more skill, but you will enjoy it. If fish stop biting, go to a lighter test. The thinner line may get them eating again. The thinner the line, the less likely a fish sees it.

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Care of Rod Guides and Fishing Line

Rod Guides - The guides on your rods must be checked and kept free of any abrasive areas. Pull a strip of pantyhose through the rod guides to check for snags, or a cotton tipped swab. Inspect them before and after each trip. When trolling, make sure the line is not wrapped around a guide.

Fishing Line - Always check the line for nicks or frazzles or areas of abrasion that will cause a weakness. After every fishing trip, or after playing out a nice fish, cut off approximately ten feet of line and retie, if you have reason to believe it may have been frayed. This is very important.

When fighting a decent fish, in fresh or saltwater, three things can happen: (1) the fish goes deep, pulling the line across rocks, logs or other hard objects, (2) the fish is big and the line will rub across its body or tail, and (3) other things, such as the boat, a jetty, surface objects or dock, or even other fish inthe area, may bump into your line. All three factors will cause abrasion, eventually prompting the line to break. The easiest solution is to cut off the weak line and retie.

Quality monofilament that has not come in contact with the above items does not need to be totally replaced. (We have had saltwater charter boat captains catch over 20 Blue Marlin without respooling new Ande monofilament.) So, if you check your reel's drag system, your rod guides and cut away line that may be damaged, we guarantee you will catch more fish.

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Types of Rods and Reels
courtesy of the Washington Dept. Of Fish & Wildlife

Spinning: Spinning rods and reels are very popular because they’re easy to use, allow long casts with light lures, and can be quite inexpensive. The first two or three line guides on a spinning rod are large, because the line “billows” off the end of the reel spool during the cast. To cast with a spinning reel, you open the wire “bail” that wraps line around the spool, holding the line with your index finger. Release the line as you move the rod forward and with a little practice you’re casting like a champ. Nylon monofilament line of 6- to 12-pound test works best on most spinning reels.

Spin-casting: Like a spinning reel, the spin-casting reel has a stationary spool, with line leaving and returning at one end of that spool.

But the spool on the spin-casting reel is enclosed, so you can’t see it. The line is released by use of a thumb-button at the back of the reel.



Bait-casting: These reels differ greatly from both spinning and spin-cast reels because the spool sits perpendicular (cross-ways) to the rod rather than parallel to it. Because the spool moves during casting and retrieving, these reels are often called revolving-spool reels.

Bait-casting tackle requires more practice, patience and skill than both spinning and spin-casting tackle, but once mastered, allows for pin-point casting accuracy and excellent line control when fishing and playing fish.


Fly-casting: As mentioned earlier, artificial flies are very light, making them virtually impossible to cast with most rods and reels. So fly casters use a special kind of line and a certain kind of rod that allow even the smallest of flies to be cast long distances. The line itself provides the casting weight, and the rod’s size and flexibility are matched to the line’s weight for best casting results. Fly-fishing line is thicker and more visible than other types of fishing line, so fly anglers use several feet of monofilament or other low-visibility material as a “leader” between the fly and the fly line.

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Choosing the Right Fishing Rod
by Lee McClellan

You have a friend who caught his first largemouth bass last month He hasn't quit talking about it since - and he's bugged you to death until you agreed to take him fishing. Although you offer to let him borrow one of your good bass sticks, he insists on bringing his own rod and reel.
He shows up with a cheap discount store combo. It has a tiny, plastic ultra-light reel mounted on a rod that resembles a willow switch with guides on it. The rod and reel would struggle to land the minnows you planned to use for bait.

His fishing experience would have been much better had he known what to look for in a rod and reel before buying an outfit.

Beginning (and sometimes experienced) anglers often don't know how to select a rod appropriate for the type of fishing they plan to do. A rod designed for panfish won't work for hauling in big bass.

Before deciding which rod is best, anglers should know the power and action of a rod. These two components often get intertwined and confused, even by experienced anglers.

Rod Action

The action refers to how much a rod bends when you're casting or have a fish at the end of the line. An extra fast action rod bends just at the tip. A fast action bends in the last quarter of the rod. A moderate-fast action rod bends over the last third. A moderate action rod bends over the last half. A slow action rod bends all the way into the handle. Fast action rods put more force into your throw and give you longer casts. Softer action rods are more forgiving and have less tendency to throw live bait from your hook.

Rod Power

The lure weights and line sizes that a rod can handle determine its power. Ultra-light rods are designed for 2-6 pound line and lures weighing from 1/32-ounce to 1/4-ounce. Rods can handle progressively heavier lures and line as their power increases from light to heavy.

All Around Rod Choice

A great choice for all-around fishing in Kentucky is a medium-light power, fast action rod for use with a spinning reel. These reels have an open spool in the front and mount on the bottom of the rod. They are the best choice for fishing situations where the line being used is 10 pounds or less in strength.

This kind of rod is supple enough to enjoy catching small farm pond bass and panfish, while beefy enough to land a large channel catfish or a four-pound bass. Spinning gear is easy to use and allows you to cast light lures a long way. Spinning rods help protect light lines, allowing beginners to make mistakes while landing a decent sized fish without breaking off.

The fast action gives the rod enough heft to set the hook when fishing a plastic worm or jig for bass, or setting the hook on a catfish.

Light Power, Fast Action

For bluegill, crappie and small trout, a light power, fast action spinning rod is a good choice. A quality ultra-light rod also works for these fish, but many ultra-lights are too short and too wimpy. A 4½-foot ultra-light rod with the backbone of a boiled noodle isn't worth the packaging it came in for any species.

Medium Power, Medium Action

For larger black bass, walleye and channel catfish, a medium power, moderate fast or fast action baitcasting rod works well. Baitcasting reels have an enclosed spool and mount on top of the rod. They are the best choice for lines of 10 pound test or higher. They require much greater practice than spinning gear to use effectively.

Moderate Fast Action

Choose the moderate fast action if you plan to fish leeches or minnows for walleye, or chicken livers for channel cats. The slightly softer action usually helps prevent you from throwing off the bait while casting. If you plan to jig and worm fish for largemouth bass and occasionally fish for the other species, choose a fast action, medium power rod.

Heavy Action

Get a medium heavy or heavy power baitcasting rod with a fast action for striped bass, muskellunge, flathead catfish and blue catfish. This set-up is also good for flipping or pitching jigs for largemouth bass. Choose a moderate or slow action rod with a medium-heavy or heavy power rating if you plan to use live bait. Again, the softer action protects against throwing the bait off the hook on the cast. These rods possess enough strength to land these fish, but they can also handle the heavy lures and strong line needed.

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