60-million modulus (i.e.: IM6 has 33,000,000 and
IM7 has 42,000,000).
then the other. If the manufacturer did not use a
spline to line up the guides, each rod would have
same part numbers.
Plexiglas and glass. All rod blanks are not created
equal. A quality blank will be lightweight and Assuming the manufacturer used the spline to
line up the guides you have to then look at the
guides themselves. Guides are designed to
handle specific line sizes. Guides should be
The rod components are equally as
important as the rod blank itself. The rod
handle can be made of many different
types of materials such as wood, cork or
foam. The handle should fit your hand
comfortably and still be firm enough to
carry sensitivity. The reel seat should be
made of a sturdy composite material and
fit all major brands of reels firmly. A reel
seat with a cut out that allows the rod
blank to be felt by the hand will provide
the angler greater sensitivity. Each length rod should have a specific number of
guides.
For example, a 7-foot rod should have nine
guides, including the top. Guides come in two
styles, single foot and double foot. The feet are
stronger but they are slightly heavier and you
loose a small amount of flex in the rod. Single
foot guides are lighter but are not as strong as
the double footguides. Even though single foot
guides are not as strong, they will work fine for
most bass rods.
The guides are one of the most important
elements of the rod - and can be the costliest. A
low-quality guide will ruin even the best blank. A
high-quality, low-profile, lightweight guide, will
Many new fishing rods have a
combination of both guide types, using
double foot guides near the handle and
single foot guides near the tip where the
rod flexes the most.
looking at a guide, make sure the ceramic ring is
rounded where the line travels through. Also,
the ceramic should be bonded to the stainless
steel guide frame. A rod with Fuji guides, using
Fuji's new guide concept, would be a good
concept can be found at www.fujitackle.com. something happened to your bait and you
couldn't tell if it was a bite or not? Graphite rods
components, there is another important factor
to consider that is not visible by looking. You
need to know if the rod builder uses a spline to
line up the guides. The spline is like a seam in the but there have been advancements in
technology that have made some fibreglass rods
Angling Times Weekly SA
29
www.anglingtimes.co.za