How long have species-specific rods been in existence, and what distinguishes, say, a "bass rod" from a "trout rod"? Are there species-specific components or does the construction of rods vary from species to species, and if so, how?

"Morgan (McCain) is the founder of All Star Graphite Rods and the originator of technique specific actions."

No such thing as species specific. Technique specific is more relevant to me.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/09/2022 01:18PM by Kent Griffith.

I don't think we are going far enough back if we think it happens rece tly, reading Zane Grey's works we can see species, technique, specific bamboo rods back in the early 20th Century and I bet it happened far earlier. Their were salmon, trout and course rods made from wood long before.

Where can I find an accepted list of the unique characteristics found in a species specific rod, like maybe in a Redfish rod? In the past I have tried to build rods specific to the fishing technique they will be used for: casting, trolling, jigging, worming, etc. - but I have no idea where to start in building a pike rod, or a perch rod, or a catfish rod, or . . .?

Species specific rods grew from regional fisheries. It would have been (still is) unusual for a 5-1/2 foot pistol grip bass casting rod to show up on a mountain trout stream. The powerful surf casting drum rods that came off the VA and NC Outer Banks would never have been developed on the flats in Bahama. Nobody in California would have had the need to develop the ice rod. Species and Task Specific rods have always been the answer to specific regions and fisheries.

.................

Tom,
I take exception to your comment “Nobody in California would have had the need to develop the ice rod.” The nightime temps have PLUMMETED into the 40s here in SoCal and we have ice too; I just need to drive 4 hours north to the Eastern Sierra.

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

OK, Suppose a northern-pike angler asked me to build a northern pike rod for him. How would I modify an ordinary, medium-heavy bait-casting rod to make it into a pike rod? I could build him a bait rod or a trolling rod or a jerk-bait rod or a jigging rod but I have not a clue about how to make a species-specific rod for ANY particular species of fish, let alone a pike rod.

Phil E,
Species specific is too broad. You need to add techniques and presentations to that. All "medium heavy" rods are not the same or equal. Actions often are more indicative of performance as to what lure they can effectively cast/work in a freshwater application. To make a species specific rod that is also technique specific you must answer many questions. The main questions are as follows:

What species?

What lures?

Where?

How are the lures presented?

Physical limitations? (i.e. boat or bank? Arm length? Angler height?)

There are many more factors if we really drilled down to the core. But you basically match your rod to your specific needs. There is no simple box to check. A t-rigged worm on a gravel bed or around docks with limited cover is enhanced by using a different rod than one fishing the same bait amongst wood, grass, or weeds. That same rod won't throw or work a jerkbait too well.

A.P.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/07/2022 04:50PM by Aaron Petersen.

And just think, people used to fish for just about any species of fish with a cane pole.

Lance.

Still do!!


Tight Wraps & Tighter Lines.

Bob,

New Bern, NC.

Lance,
Maybe I’ll start.

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

2 liter bottle, line, lure. All you need to have fun. Not going to maximize performance though.

Honestly try it for fun. Wrap line around the bittle while you hold it from the cap. Tie on a worm. Fling it out and it unwraps like a spinning spool. To reel simply rotate the bottle.

The whole species specific thing is just based on what kind of fish you will be fishing for with the rod. If you are going to fish for bass, you're going to call it a bass rod. Take your bass rod and go pike fishing with it, now it's a pike rod. Etc ...

I think Aaron hit it on the head when he said, what, where, and how. What bait are you fishing? Where are you fishing it? How are you fishing it? While you can certainly use the same heavy power rod you'd use for flipping and pitching to heavy cover, for fishing a weightless Senko around docks and scattered light cover, it may not be the best choice. The same crankbait rod you'd use to fish a lipless crankbait over open flats with scattered cover isn't going to be the best choice for ripping that same lipless bait off of heavy weeds. And a jerkbait rod ........ well that is a whole different animal altogether.

The bait you're fishing, How you're fishing it, and where you're fishing it. Those are what I consider when I am picking a blank to use. Not what kind of fish I'll be fishing for.

David Baylor Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The whole species specific thing is just based on
> what kind of fish you will be fishing for with the
> rod. If you are going to fish for bass, you're
> going to call it a bass rod. Take your bass rod
> and go pike fishing with it, now it's a pike rod.
> Etc ...
>
> I think Aaron hit it on the head when he said,
> what, where, and how. What bait are you fishing?
> Where are you fishing it? How are you fishing it?
> While you can certainly use the same heavy power
> rod you'd use for flipping and pitching to heavy
> cover, for fishing a weightless Senko around docks
> and scattered light cover, it may not be the best
> choice. The same crankbait rod you'd use to fish a
> lipless crankbait over open flats with scattered
> cover isn't going to be the best choice for
> ripping that same lipless bait off of heavy weeds.
> And a jerkbait rod ........ well that is a whole
> different animal altogether.
>
> The bait you're fishing, How you're fishing it,
> and where you're fishing it. Those are what I
> consider when I am picking a blank to use. Not
> what kind of fish I'll be fishing for.

So if you asked me those three questions and I answered a jig vertically in a reservoir, what would you build me? Wouldn't it simplify your three questions if I first told you i'm targeting Crappie?

That is why my first question is, "What species."

Saltwater candlestick jig, crappie jig, flippin jig, casting jig, finesse jig, swim jig... All jigs but completely different lures.

Terry, your answers to my questions would be far too generic. I would need more information. Just as I would need more information if I knew nothing about crappie, or knew nothing about the size of fish they were after.

Someone could ask me to build them a bass rod, but without knowing how big the bass they will be catching are, could I really build them an appropriate rod? A rod for heavy cover and the size bass we have here in northeast Ohio, may get laughed at if I were to take it down to Florida?

Or even more to my point. A trout rod. There are all kinds and sizes of trout. Could you build me a trout rod if I said build me a trout rod for throwing in line spinners in a small river, without knowing how big the trout I am after, are? The size of the fish matters more than the species.

I suspect Madison Avenue advertising experts are behind the idea of species-specific rods. Rod builders, prepare yourselves for species-specific reel seats, grips, guides, tip-tops, ferrules, and paint jobs.
Soon we will have over-the shoulder rod bags carrying an assortment of different, species-specific rods. It's about marketing and money, not fishing.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/09/2022 08:12AM by Phil Ewanicki.

Phil,
That is like saying advertising is behind specific race cars and that credit goes to Madison Avenue for delineating between NASCAR and F1. In the same way a race car is circuit specific, rods are TASK specific. Perhaps Madison Ave is to blame for the different weight fly rods too? Do you only own one rod? Would that one rod work in a mountain stream in the Olympic Peninsula for rainbow trout as well as it would for wahoo in the Gulf? NO!

Your over-generalization is absurd and does not pass the sniff test. Everything you don't like is not the fault of marketing. The fact is yes rods are TASK specific and part of the task is defined by target species.

A.P.

Phil ..... you of all people should know that what Aaron said about rods being task specific, is absolutely true. You build fly rods. You can't get much more task specific than that, now can you?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/09/2022 04:47PM by David Baylor.

Simply put - a fishing rod is used to catch fish.

Little rods are designed to catch little fish.

Big rods are designed to catch big fish.

That is the only real measure of a specific fishing rods. Everything else is just a blur of advertising.

Essentially, you can use any rod to catch any fish. However, if you use a big rod to catch little fish and a little rod to catch big fish - the success rate for either venture tends to be pretty low.

Use your head. Think about your needs and make your purchases on common sense and the needs of reality and you will be in good shape.

Forget about semantics. Just think about requirements and make your choices according to those requirements.

Best wishes all.