Three necessities for sport fishing are a reel, a line, and a rod. For anglers fishing with conventional reels the reel is probably the most important of the three - what with backlashes and over-runs. For anglers with spinning rods the rod is probably the most important of the three. There's not much difference between one stationary spool and the next, except diameter. For fly fishers, the line is the most important of the three, since the fly reel does not participate in the cast and the fly line, not the fly rod, does the casting. Don't believe it? Put a couple guides and a tip-top on a dowel rod and tape on a reel filled with fly line. A double-haul fly caster will easily cast it 75 feet or more. There are those who can cast a full fly line with no rod at all, just their hand, and those who can't cast a $1,200 fly rod thirty feet!

Phil Ewanicki Wrote:
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> Three necessities for sport fishing are a reel, a
> line, and a rod.

take a read from wikipedia on history of sport fishing:

[en.wikipedia.org]

Recreational fishing, also called sport fishing, is fishing for pleasure or competition. It can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is fishing for profit, or subsistence fishing, which is fishing for survival.

The most common form of recreational fishing is done with a rod, reel, line, hooks and any one of a wide range of baits.

Most recreational fishers use a fishing rod with a fishing line and a hook at the end of the line. The rod may be equipped with a reel so the line can be reeled in, and some form of bait or a lure attached to the hook.

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"the rod MAY be equipped with a reel" and maybe not.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 08/04/2021 09:45PM by Kent Griffith.

I think that sometimes we get ahead of ourselves and away from the basics. For the last 9 or 10 years I've helped out with a kid's fishing program for kids 4-17 at a State Fish Hatchery here in Southern Michigan. Catch and Release for bluegill and largemouth bass. We run over 2,000 kids through the program on the weekends between Memorial Day and Labor Day and furnish everything: bait, and rods with spincast reels because most of the kids can't get their heads around using a spinning reel. That makes my life easier too, because I clean and repair all the reels (80+) and I can get through the spincast reels a lot faster. Last week the fish weren't especially cooperative, so I went back to my truck where I had a 9' telescoping fiberglas "cane pole", put a worm on it, and started to catch fish hand over fist. The kids were flabbergasted. "Where is the reel? How do you fish with that? Can I try?" I told their parents that it was basically Tenkara before Tenkara was cool. Even most of the parents couldn't recall using a cane pole. I've got 6 more of them and a feeling that they are going to be in great demand this weekend. Funny.

Message deleted.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/04/2021 12:33PM by John DeMartini.

Don't stop with a rod MAY be equipped with a reel. If tautologies are the issue then "noodling" fish with bare hands - no rod, or reel, or line - MAY be considered sport fishing. [I'm not sure whether to classify spearing, rotenone, dynamite or gill-netting as sport fishing.] I'll stand by my original point: the three Main Types of Sport Fishing are: bait-casting, spin-casting, and fly-casting. Retailers will support my claim. If you spread the news that fishing without a reel is sport fishing you will provoke the wrath of thousands of American importers of Asian-made fishing reels and fishing lines!

Phil Ewanicki Wrote:
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> If
> you spread the news that fishing without a reel is
> sport fishing you will provoke the wrath of
> thousands of American importers of Asian-made
> fishing reels and fishing lines!

Possibly!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/04/2021 09:44PM by Kent Griffith.

Phil

I agree.

If I make a statement that when someone goes fishing they need a rod, reel, line, hook and bait. There is always some one that will challenge me with "you don't need a rod or reel" to catch fish. I instantly agree and I issue a challenge, lets ask 100 people "what do you need to go fishing?" For every one who omits the rod or reel I will give you $1 for everyone who mentions rod or reel you give me $1, It is amazing how few folks will now challenge me.

The rod, reel, line, hook and bait are pretty much a given.

For example if you said John I like hiking, I hike regularly, I would think that you would be wearing good quality hiking boots or shoes, it would never enter my mind that there is some guy in the Himalayas that hikes bare foot and I was wrong in my thinking..

Have fun

I find fishing to be more successful with a decent rod and line. A $50 baitcaster is not a problem for me. I love my DC Shimanos and my Lews Tournaments but I can find success with a cheapo in the right ratio much better than I can a Metanium on an ugly stick.

Message deleted.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/04/2021 08:18PM by John DeMartini.

Earlier this year I discovered fixed-line fishing, which entails using a telescoping rod with line fixed to its tip. This can take the form of tenkara for fly fishing, or keiryu for those who use bait. I love it. So simple! And so much more efficient for close-range fishing for small to modest-sized fish!

I have not gotten rid of all of my rod building equipment yet, but might give up on that endeavor by this time next year if I do not feel a draw back to rod and reel fishing. I sold my only fishing rod that accepts a reel earlier this year. Like someone above already said, I think people make fishing more complicated than it needs to be.

Eric: Not only "more complicated" but more expensive! Some people buying fishing tackle (or women's hats) like to flash the price tag.