Rods. It doesn't matter.

[RossW]

I know people love new kit, but having spent a year getting into coarse and fly fishing after 25 years of solely sea fishing, I reckon the obsession with rods in angling is nonsense. Expensive rods make no difference to catches and make virtually no difference to casting and even playing fish. The most basic kit is not great, but mid-range stuff is excellent. Particularly with sea fishing, expensive gear is a total waste of money. Experience, bait and watercraft are what matters. A decent reel is far far more important than an expensive rod....

[ships cat]

They look nice tho

[codseeker]

tackletarts

[lumpsucker]

I've been coarse fishing since I was six years old. Started with crap gear n progressed to better for a few reasons.

You can feel the fish better with carbon rods. That makes a huge difference when fishing 1.5lb hook lengths.

Crap reels don't last

Composite landing handles snap easily

Rubbish luggage falls apart. Sometimes on the first use.

You pay for what you get. Yes you can catch fish with crap gear but it's not going to last 20 years like some of the better stuff you can buy. Look at the sea fishing rods that get rebuilt

[d-a]

rods

what a load of tosh people in life want the best and pose, how many on here would wear aldi trainers ,how many on here would wear 60s flairs they all do the same job as top of the range modern gear, well its the same as fishing tackle up to a point dearer gear is stronger and casts better but how many serious anglers would use a aldi rod on a rock edge for cod if its your hobby people like the best

[RossW]

Didn't realise Aldi sold trainers. I'll be straight down there! Beyond mid-range I don't think it matters, such is the quality of modern gear.

[dale19]

only get what you pay for I tend to buy penn or diawa ,you can also get some good used reels & rods on nesa, as lads change rods and reels to update there tackle from time to time

[Pighunter]

Never read so much poo in my life a rod makes no difference to your fishing? The reel is more important? Are you on drugs? In sea fishing your rod takes the brunt of the abuse, casting 150g leads plus baits is about the lightest people go in winter other lads like myself use 200g leads plus bait. Middle of the road rods are sonik, rt axe, Leeda? Would you agree? 70% of the average fisherman could not use a rt axe as it's to stiff and lacks bite detection , also it's s pure rough ground rod, Leeda rods are a decent blank but the quality of the accessories is , well cheap. And sonik having snapped 2 myself and know I miles more it's sort of self explanatory. So in theory for middle of the range money you can buy a poker to only use in heavy ground or rod that will need rebuilding after a year or a rod that snaps in a stiff breeze. Peeple buy the gear they can warrent and afford, personally I am a tackle tart I like new gear but my gear is not to be looked at it's to be used, but I have learnt over the years buy cheap buy twice. Will you see any rt axes or sonik rods or Leeda around in 10 years plus? I don't think so.

[fishingmark]

The fish don't care which rod you use. Right place, right time, right bait much more important. I like shiny new gear myself, it's my hobby and I can afford the stuff so I buy it if I like it. Wouldn't skint myself for latest models though.

[g.ordon]

wouldn't feel very confident giving a sonik or similar the same grief as what my century gets like (excluding landing fish). As far as I'm concerned I go fishing regularly as it's my hobby and I want something that will be reliable, last and do the job well so I pay the extra dosh and like pighunter says buy cheap buy twice

[dale19]

as I just got back into sea fishing last year my first buys had to be used tackle as I could not afford new gear as on the pension now. got an rt and a slosh20 of my m8 to get me going that got the interest going again in sea fishing.
started to save up sold my bike got a little job few hrs week started to get some new gear got a penn fathom and a penn mag 525 2 leeda m sport power and used zipplex sst.
sea fishing can be very testing on any tackle I agree with pighunter on his thread and views.
all my sea tackle was purchased after talking to lads that recommended them.
yes I would love be to able to go out and buy new rods and reels but you can only afford what you can when no longer have an income.

[Juliogeordio]

Buy the best you can afford... Decent kit is a must or it will cost you fish and i have personally lost decent fish with inferior kit. I wouldn't personally buy the top top end but that's just as I have a few hobbies and need to spread my money a bit thinner than some other lads. For me, mark knowledge, good bait etc are probably the most important so long as you have decent kit to get you too the fish and allow you too apply your knowledge.

[codcatcher3000]

its a question of what you are willing to spend , how often you are going to fish with it , the conditions and marks you regularly fish and how much power u can extract from a rod . a rather complicated formula but workable . judging by the amount ive shore fished the last three months the shakespeare in2 combo would have been expensive....

[cod magnet]

I know people love new kit, but having spent a year getting into coarse and fly fishing after 25 years of solely sea fishing, I reckon the obsession with rods in angling is nonsense. Expensive rods make no difference to catches and make virtually no difference to casting and even playing fish. The most basic kit is not great, but mid-range stuff is excellent. Particularly with sea fishing, expensive gear is a total waste of money. Experience, bait and watercraft are what matters. A decent reel is far far more important than an expensive rod....

what about if your fishing at long range or want to lift a big fish chances are the cheap rod would snap i have had it happen to myself several times you pay for what you get, the only rod i trust is zziplex

[RossW]

Fair enough. Horses for courses. Now, back to the drugs