Welcome to How to Buy the RIGHT Fishing Rod and Reel Combo by FishingMad. Fishing rods and reels come in so many different, sizes, lengths weight classes and that’s because all fishing rods have an intended purpose. This can be very overwhelming for those looking to buy a new rod combo, but this article will guide you through important considerations to ensure you’re making the right choice.
4 simple concepts that will make the decision easy for you. We’re going to deep dive into all those things to make it easy for you.
- What is your target species?
- Where are you fishing?
- How are you fishing?
- What is your available budget?
“Please note we have detailed “Gear Guides” in the FishingMad Members area that make this easy for you. We have tested a massive volume of rods and reels on the market and matched them to all local species sorted at different price points to make it easy for you. We also have a 40-minute workshop on this exact topic, so, make sure you become a member to unlock access to both those awesome resources”
What is your target species ??
This is so important and will significantly narrow your search. Fishing rods come in light finesse rods through to heavy game rods. Let me give you some examples of how this works.
Light finesse rods are great when targeting smaller fish species like bream. Light/Med rods are perfect for inshore waters targeting species like snapper and finally, you have heavy rods and game rods built for targeting big powerful species like tuna, kingfish, sailfish sharks and much more. These rods are built to withstand rigours, and weight and in many cases, their length, kilo capacity and make-up are fine-tuned to an intended target species.
As a rough example,
- Finesse 1-3 kg – Bream, Garfish, Mullet,
- Light 2-4 kg – Trout, Bass, Flathead, Whiting, Pinkies, Redfin, Salmon, Golden Perch
- Med 4-8 kg – Snapper, Mulloway, Gummy Sharks
- Heavy 5-15kg – Gummy sharks, Kingfish
- Game 15-24kg – Tuna, Sailfish, Sharks
You will also find that some species like squid will often have their own range of rods as the rods are fine-tuned for that target species. In the case of squid, it’s a longer length for extra casting distance and slow action so you don’t pull squid spikes when striking.
Where will you fish ??
This too is critically important as rods excel in different situations, the make-up of a surf rod will be significantly different to a rod used in skinny shallow streams. So before buying a rod and reel combo ask yourself are you most likely to use this combo at a lake, estuary, bay, offshore, surf, skinny waters? Also are there any other factors such as extra deep waters, rough terrain etc? Again, a fishing rod’s size and makeup are built known anglers will be fishing in different environments that require tuning.
As a rough example,
- General purpose – 7 feet in length
- Surf – Longer length for extra casting and durable against sand intrusion
- Skinny shallow streams – Short length as these are generally very restrictive and lightweight and sensitive with the ability to cast lightly weighted lures with precision.
How will you fish ??
There are so many factors to this simple question. But I would break these down into the platform you’re fishing from and what application you’re targeting the fish with.
- Platform – land-based, boat, kayak, jet ski, kayak
- Application – lures, soft plastics and bait, different actions ( casting, trolling )
These options above are really important and you need to match the rod and reel to the platform you’re fishing from and the application you want to catch fish with. Bait fishing rods are significantly different to lures and soft plastics rods. Also, different situations require different length rods as you may benefit from having longer rods for better casting distance when land-based fishing as opposed to having a shorter rod when fishing in skinny waters or from a kayak or jet ski. Fishing rods have different built-in actions and tapers. This allows you to really fine-tune the rod to match the platform and application. Casting distance is also greatly impacted by having the right rod and reel that matches the lure, plastic or bait you are using. That all must sound a bit confusing so let’s break that down even further to help you understand.
Bait Fishing – These rods generally have flexible rod tips made from glass or graphite, they have full-length handles as they spend most of the time in the rods holder waiting for a bite. These rods are often quite heavy, with larger guides because you’re not casting them all day like you would if you were flicking soft plastics and lures.
Soft Plastics – These are lightweight rods with small guides so you can cast all day, generally split but handles for comfort and fast action ( quite stiff rod ) because you are casting jig heads with single hooks and want to be able to strike when you feel a nibble and set the hook. There will be some species that do better with slow action and more flexible rods with soft plastics like King George Whiting as they have very small mouths and your more likely to drop fish with a fast action rod.
Lures – These are lightweight rods with small guides so you can cast all day, generally split but handles for comfort and slow to medium action ( flexible ) because you are casting lures with small trebles and don’t want to pull the lure and drop the fish when striking. Also because most lures have a bib ( plastic at the front to get the lure to dive and wobble ) a softer rod allows you to feel the lure as it swims in the water.
It’s also very important to know the weight of the lure and soft plastic that you are casting and ensure it matches the rod. All rods will have an advertised lure weight so make sure you check that otherwise, you risk breaking your rod tip by casting something heavier than your rod tip was built to handle.
Reel types and sizes will also make a massive difference. They need to match the rod that you’re using and they need to have enough line capacity for what you’re targeting and where you’re fishing. In most cases, this will be like the following. Reels come in spin ( most commonly used, baitcast and game and rods are built specifically to match those types of reels.
Here is a basic sizing guide as a rough example
- Finesse – Spin reel in 1000, 2000 size
- Light – Spin reel in 2500, 3000 size
- Med – Spin reel in 4000, 5000, 6000 size
- Heavy – Spin reel in 8000, 10000 size
- Game – Game reel 25, 30, 50 size
- Baitcast Light|Med – 150, 200 ( for targeting species like Bass and Perch )
- Baitcast Heavy – 300 ( for targeting species like large Murray Cod )
What is your budget ??
Regardless of all the important factors we have already covered your available budget will likely be your most important deciding factor How to Buy the RIGHT Fishing Rod and Reel Combo. It’s nice to have all the bells and whistles but they do come at a cost. It’s important to buy rods and reels with a realistic price point and to try and stick to that. We are often asked why prices vary so much between different rods and reels, and the simple answer is the components used. Generally, rods and reels that cost more have better components, will last longer, are lighter, more sensitive, comfier and have some advantages. We have broken down many of those advantages in the list below.
Why do some rods and reels cost more
- Better Materials
- More durable
- More bearings in the reel
- extra comfort
- extra sensitivity
- smaller guides
- More finesse
- Longer shelf life
Thanks for reading The How to Buy the RIGHT Fishing Rod and Reel Combo if you have any suggestions don’t hesitate to let us know at enquiries@fishingmad.com.au we hope this article helps you with your bream fishing. Feel free to visit the FishingMad YouTube channel which has countess videos of us catching bream with these lures. Or the FishingMad how-to fishing guides for more help.
