The Essence of Fishing

Many articles about surf casting techniques are usually focused on how to efficiently swing the rod in order to gain maximum casting distance with as less effort as possible. However, knowing and practicing the swing operation is only one part of the casting technique. The second part, and as equally important, is how to hold the line with your finer against the rod and, much more critical for your casting distance, when to release it. Many experienced surf anglers can tell you, and even show you, how many times they have their finger almost cut-off, literally.

The problem is quite simple. Lets say you are using 4.5 meter surf rod and you are trying to cast 100g weight. I am not going to describe any math calculations however,  it is easy to understand that the stress power on your holding finger while casting is so enormous that you have no choice but to release the line early otherwise your finger will be cut-off. Premature line releasing will cause the weight to fly high but with short distance.

So, how to do it right? Quite simple actually. First, close the reel clutch tightly. This will prevent the line from sliding under your finger when holding it and while casting. Second, use finger glove. this is special glove for the line holding finger made of leather and you may find it on many fishing tackle stores. This will give you the sensitivity required and the protection needed.

Should you have any comments or questions please feel free to comment.

Introduction 
Not long ago I have posted two parts article about surf casting techniques in which described the Pendulum surf casting technique. So, it felt like a good karma when a friend brought me one of the new Hookset Global surf rods series called Pendulum Surf for a brief testing.

The one I got to test was a telescopic rod, 4.5 meters length with 4 sub-parts with quite impressive casting weight, 100g - 250g. There are 6 high quality guides which two of them float on the last part and one, rather uniquely, on the third part. This rod, I have to admit, is beautiful, with very thin body and you can notice the quality carbon patterns all over.

Real world test 
I paired the rod with my Tica Spinfocus 4500 reel. Although functions to my satisfaction, it felt a bit small and under qualify for this rod. A perfect match would be a long casting reels such as Okuma Axeon or Shimano Ultegra. These kind of reels would definitely help you reach 200 meters casting distance. The rig included 120g weight with a single size 4 hook attached under it. The bait was strips of fresh calamari which leveled up my expectation for serious fish fights.

Casting
Casting with the this rod is easy and rather enjoyable. Actually, as far as my experience go, this is the best rod to practice surf casting techniques and especially the Pendulum surf casting. Although far from being expert, I was able to reach 100 meters casting distance quite easy. The length of the rod together with its low weight help significantly doing the job both for distance casting and accurate targeting. Expert surf anglers can, without much effort, cast beyond 200 meters distance.
One thing though, should you consider to hook the rod with heavy long distance reel and along with 150g weight, expect to have your arms and shoulders to work quite a bit. So practice your Pendulum surf casting technique to reduce unnecessary stress.

Sensitivity
This rod was not designed for small fish. During the 2 hours test the wind was strong with aggressive currents so I reeled my rig back often to check whether the bait is still on. However, while doing so, I have managed to land 3 nice size Sea-Bream and it felt like I am pooling back nothing but the weight with only slight vibration on the rod tip. The fish were released back to gain some weight until the next time, hopefully to put better fight to this rod.

Summary
Many people believe top surf rods should have 2 or 3 pieces however, the Pendulum Tele-Surf proves this theory wrong. This rod offers both the advantages of telescopic rods (easy transportation, low weight and sensitivity) and ”pieces” rods (powerful and high casting weights). Hookset Global has aimed quite high with this rod and I believe this series will deliver its promise.
So, if you are a surf fishing freak and fighting big fish is what makes your adrenaline rush, this rod is for you. You can find Hookset Global tackle products at www.thebesttackle.com .

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Making your bass fishing trip a successful one begins with taking the right bass tackle with you. However, for beginners, choosing the right bass rod is not a simple task as it might look. The are dozens of manufacturers offering hundreds, and I dare say even thousands, bass rods models and each and every one of them looks delicious and overloaded with characteristics and buzzwords. So, what is the right bass rod? In this installment I will try to unveil the mystery.

Every expert bass angler will tell you that in bass fishing each type of lure requires different type of rod. Bass rods have few main parameters:  

• Sensitivity - helps you to sense and, with time, to know what is going on with bait.
• Tip Action - The tip softness help you controlling the casting accuracy. However, too soft will makes it difficult working with some lures.
• Power - heavy, medium or light. Depends on the size of the fish you are after. Big fish requires heavy rods with the right lures and the right technique to go with it.
• Length- between 6′ and 8′ and usually derived from the fishing technique which, in turn, depends on the type of lure you are using.

Bass lures are fascinating world and sometimes I cant even believe how much technology and innovation companies put into it. Most of the lures falls into very few categories and I will elaborate on what type of bass rod  required of each.

Worms
With worms you will need a rod with excellent sensitivity, soft tip for casting accuracy and medium-heavy power for hook-setting. The rod should have trigger handle with length between 6′8″ and 7′. The reel that come with it is a casting type reel. If you choose to go with the 7′ rod you may also use it for Flipping and Pitching techniques.

Spinnerbaits and Topwaters
Working with spinnerbaits requires continuously casting. So first, look for lightweight rod from IM6 or IM7 materials. The length should range between 6′ and 6′6″ with medium-soft tip and medium power. Remember, with the range, shorter rods will give you better casting accuracy whereas with longer rods you will have better casting distance. Pair this rod with at least 6 gear ration casting reel.

Crankbaits
Again, with these kind of lures continuously casting is needed. So lightweight rod is an important element. Sensitivity is important as well. Sensitive rod will help you feel what is going on with your lure while it swims. The length of the rod depends on the type of the crankbait. Consider a 6′6″ rod for deep-diving crankbait along with low gear ration reel. For lipless cracks use 7′ rod with high speed reel. Both rods should have light-medium power and medium tip.

What to buy
As a fan of Hookset Global tackle I would recommend you to look for their staff in online stores. They have quality bass tackle, especially bass rods, for most of the bass fishing type. Consider their MightyBass series which has the best value for money I know.
I will cover Hookset Global bass rods more closely with the next weeks. Until then, may you basket smell from fish.