[caption id="attachment_5978" align="alignleft" width="225"] Cousins Jig Rod loaded with a Mexican Yellowtail doing work with a FURY 600N picking up the line.[/caption] The Power of a rod especially during a battle with a gamefish is the single most important factor to landing the fish. Without the pressure resulting from the parabolic bend of the rod its a hand line game which turns out to be a hand to hand combat with no leverage, end result is lots of pain and most likely a lost fish. "Without the rod there is no pressure on the fish." The fishing rod is a very unique piece of equipment once you start to better understand its function as part of your fishing outfit(Rod, Reel, Line) it will help you catch more fish. When people look at fishing rods it is extremely important to understand the function in which you will be using the rod. There are a variety of gamefish people are targeting and the first thing is to identify what your target species is going to be. The variety of rods that exists is mind boggling especially since they are now making rods species specific which includes the likes of Bass, Trout, Bluegill, Calico Bass, Yellowtail, as well as Inshore, Offshore, Rail rods, Jig rods, Jigging rods, and the list goes on. Important thing to understand is the rod when not bent is what they refer to as potential energy which is very similar to a rubber band before it is stretched. Once the rod is bent the energy aka power is put into motion which gives you the lifting power and constant resistance to slow down and initially stop a gamefish so you can begin to slowly keep him coming your way. Without the rods ability to put continuous pressure on the fish it would be extremely difficult to slow down your opponent and keep him headed in your direction. The desired action of a rod is developed through diameter of blank, Thickness of the blank wall, and length of the blank. When looking to develop more parabolic rods less material is put into the wall of the blank up towards the tip then methodically put back into the wall to stiffen the blank towards the butt. The parabolic action of the rod once loaded applies the pressure on the fish. It is key to always keep the rod bent applying constant pressure while wind ing the fish up. If you keep his head up coming your way you will land him. Actions of rods are often designated by XF(Xtra Fast), F(fast), M(Medium), and S(Slow). This is how the rod shuts down form the tip with XF being quickly and S taking more time to reach the loaded state. The other important factor in a rod's successful design is the power of a rod. Rods come in what they call powers and actions. A power of a rod is the built in strength of the rod. This relates to how much power it takes to load the rod and bend it into loaded action. They talk about a power of a rod being designated M, MH, H, XH, XXH, XXXH which also correlates with the size of the line you are fishing on the rod. This lettering is all dependent on what the rod is designed for i.e. Freshwater, Bass, Trout, saltwater, rail rods, troll rods, inshore, tuna, etc. The line rating will come into play once you have the specific rod you are looking to use for your fishing needs. An example of the way the power of a rod is shown on a specific stick comes into play with Stand up rod. They will look at a rod as a Heavy action for lines rated from 60 lb to 100 lb test line. [caption id="attachment_1196" align="alignleft" width="300"] Nice bend Drew[/caption] Two basic things to understand about rods and their function is the action gives you the ability to set the hook and keep the line tight while fighting a fish. The power of the rod gives you the lifting power or strength to continually keep the fish coming your way. The bigger the fish the heavier power rating you will want in the blank and most likely less action in the upper half of the rod. The same with smaller fish targeted there will be probably more action imparted in the blank and the lifting power will be on the back side of the action towards the handle of the rod. The variety of action and power combinations in todays blanks is mind blowing and can confuse the best of anglers. [caption id="attachment_7035" align="alignright" width="300"] Jay Krist putting the screws to a 358lb Bluefin tuna with a OSP 3X power Seeker rod.[/caption] Some basic things to keep in mind is the bigger the gamefish lets say tuna the more you want to have some parabolic action in the rod but power for big fish is important also for lifting the fish through the battle. What action in the tip does, it transfers power back from the angler to the fish. Years ago Mark Sosin a writer for Saltwater Sportsman discussed the Fulcrum and lever dynamics of the rod. As you find your comfort spot for your hand on the fore grip of the rod, or on the rail for a rail rod, this location becomes your fulcrum and the portion of the rod in front of your hand or the rail needs to have some action bending wise. The amount of action a rod has once loaded will take pressure off of you and transfer it to the fish. A rod with little or no action will keep all the pressure on you resulting in a beating and possibly a lost fish. The key to a functional rod is dependent on the action. If the rod has the right action coupled with a reel with decent line pick up the whole fishing experience is a lot more positive and the amount of energy put out to land the fish is considerably less. The action of a rod has to be just right. If its too limber the angler will not be able to lift the fish resulting in a prolonged battle, if the rod is too stiff its going to be very painful trying to hold the rod butt in your middle section and you will be fighting the tackle and not the fish. [caption id="attachment_7056" align="alignleft" width="300"] The Rail is your friend. Constant pressure brings them to the boat. Seeker 6463XXXH doing work.[/caption] There are a couple different thoughts to working a rod while catching gamefish. One is what they call the short pump where you wind down with the rod loaded while keeping enough drag on the spool till the rod is in a horizontal position then lift the rod to a 10 or 10:30 position while holding line. Key is to keep the rod loaded and bending all throughout the fight. Lots of guys like doing the short pump but those not doing it right and letting the rod go straight have chances of losing fish due to coming unbuttoned and having the fish getting its head down making the battle that much more difficult. The other thought is to use a rod with a little more parabolic action that will compensate for the no stretch braid. Once the rod is loaded find a comfortable spot either in a harness, with a your straight arm holding rod, or on the rail, then just wind through the rod action keeping it bent the entire time. If it comes up a couple inches wind back down until it is loaded. This technique is super basic, very easy to do and keeps the fish coming towards you the entire time. It works excellent for women and children but many of the guys not looking to get beat up adopt the technique and catch plenty of big fish doing it. [caption id="attachment_7057" align="alignright" width="225"] This 764 Irod getting it done on a healthy west coast bluefin. Notice how the rod is loaded creating constant pressure on the fish.[/caption] Constant pressure by the rod and using the drag to advantage cuts your time on the fish down as well as keeps you from exerting a bunch of energy during the fight. End result catch more fish with less physical effort and enjoy your fishing experience. Remember, key is finding the rod that is right for you with the right action and power. Plenty of information on the internet as well as rod manufacturers websites. Gather the information, review the data, and figure out what rod is best for your fishing needs. Rods are like golf clubs so you will need more than one so figure out what species you will be targeting and get the rod or rods that fit your technique and feel comfortable to use. We hope this article helps give you a basic outline of rods and their usage. Have fun and take your kids fishing when you can. Tight lines, Team Accurate

accuratefishing Archives | Page 2 of 5

22JanJanuary 22, 2018

Know your Knots: Key to catching fish

The right Knots help land fish of a lifetime. This 256 lb yellowfin is the perfect example for Team Accurate. The attention to detail in daily life helps all of us moving forward to succeed in obstacles we face everyday. The whole adventure of fishing is based on some details that once summed up can lead to successfully landing fish or losing a fish of a lifetime. One extremely important part of everyday fishing is being able to tie knots that will...

By Ben SecrestFishing#accuratefishingproducts, #catchmorefish, #knots, #Knotskeystosuccess, #madeinamerica, #Saltwaterfishing, #tiegoodknots, #twindragreels #usabuilt #smallreelsbigfish, Accurate, accuratefishing, fish, fishhard, fishingComments Off

16JanJanuary 16, 2018

WITH A VALIANT EFFORT COMES BIG TIME RESULTS by Gary Graham

Sometimes a little inside knowledge helps The largest tuna weighed 424.6 pounds, topping the current IGFA record of 385-pounds, 12 ounces by a click less than 40 pounds flanked by Tony Winkler and angler Jorge Lazo. When commercial fishermen on the Agua Verde lost a cow-sized tuna at Isla Santa Catalan near Loreto and spotted others crashing at dusk on Jan. 5, they shared the knowledge – resulting in a valiant angling effort and a pending IGFA record. Robert Ross, an American off-road...

By Ben SecrestFishing#accuratefishingproducts, #eastcapefishing, #eastcapemexico, #giantyellowfintuna, #loretofishing, #madeinamerica, #Saltwaterfishing, #seekerrods, #smallreelsbigfish, #twindragreels #usabuilt #smallreelsbigfish #fishdata #bdoutdoors #catchmorefish, #Valiant, #valiantBV2-800, Accurate, accuratefishing, fish, fishhard, fishing, saltwaterComments Off

22NovNovember 22, 2017

The Mechanics of a Good Drag

One of the most important features on a reel is the drag which gives you the ability to regulate the amount of line coming off the reel and at what speed. Being a reel manufacturer we have studied reel drags from the very beginning of our journey to build the revolutionary Accurate TwinDrag® reels . Hardy Bros LTD. Star drags In the beginning it was not so easy as there was basically one type of drag on the market in the early...

By Ben SecrestFishing#accuratefishingproducts, #madeinamerica, #Saltwaterfishing, #twindragreels #usabuilt #smallreelsbigfish, Accurate, accuratefishing, fish, fishhard, fishing, tuna, twindragreelsComments Off

22NovNovember 22, 2017

The New Accurate BV2-800/800N lever drag reels are here for Black Friday Release

Accurate Fishing has introduced new BV2-800 and BV2-800N two-speed lever drag reels to its popular Valiant series. Built for offshore trolling and live-bait fishing with 80-pound-test braid, both reels boast the rugged construction and raw power needed to take on tuna, striped marlin, sailfish and other hard-fighting pelagic predators. Like all Accurate Valiant reels, the new models incorporate design innovations that make them incredibly strong, rigid and durable, yet lighter and more compact than any other reels in their class. Both...

By Ben SecrestFishing#accuratefishingproducts, #madeinamerica, #nextgenerationofreels, #Saltwaterfishing, #twindragreels #usabuilt #smallreelsbigfish, #valiantBV2-800, Accurate, accuratefishing, fish, fishhard, fishing, saltwaterComments Off

17NovNovember 17, 2017

2017 Los Cabo Tuna Tournament: Came to Play

That smile tells it all. Nothing like getting the monkey off your back right out of the gates. It was the second and last day of the Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot. I had stopped Vaquera on the outer Gorda Bank to make our second drift chunking Humbolt squid. Making my way to the bow I pitched out a chunk Diego had pinned on for me. Away went the squid along with my 100 lb test Momoi Hi-Catch top shot into the...

By Ben SecrestFishing#accuratefishingproducts, #cabosanlucasmexico, #Cabotunatournament, #cowtuna, #eastcapefishing, #madeinamerica, #Saltwaterfishing, #smallreelsbigfish, #twindragreels #usabuilt #smallreelsbigfish, #yellowfintuna, Accurate, accuratefishing, fish, fishhard, fishing, reel, reels, saltwater, tunaComments Off

03NovNovember 3, 2017

The Power of a Rod

Cousins Jig Rod loaded with a Mexican Yellowtail doing work with a FURY 600N picking up the line. The Power of a rod especially during a battle with a gamefish is the single most important factor to landing the fish. Without the pressure resulting from the parabolic bend of the rod its a hand line game which turns out to be a hand to hand combat with no leverage, end result is lots of pain and most likely a lost fish....

By Ben SecrestFishing#accuratefishingproducts, #actionofarod, #fishingrod, #madeinamerica, #Powerofarod, #Saltwaterfishing, #smallreelsbigfish, #twindragreels #usabuilt #smallreelsbigfish, Accurate, accuratefishing, saltwaterComments Off

22OctOctober 22, 2017

Go Fly A Kite: Kite Fishing in Todays fisheries

Go Fly A kite? Todays fisheries see increased boat pressure, more anglers looking for the fish of a lifetime, and fisheries we have not seen exist in our lifetime reemerging, people are looking for ways to increase their percentage for bites. With all these factors staring us right in the eye the emergence of the kite has been accepted with open arms especially here on the West Coast for the big Bluefin that have shown up in the last 3...

By Ben SecrestFishing#Bluefintuna, #eastcoastfishing, #goggleeyes, #kitefishing, #madeinamerica, #sailfish, #Saltwaterfishing, #twindragreels #usabuilt #smallreelsbigfish, #USAbuilt, Accurate, accuratefishing, fish, fishhard, fishing, saltwater, socalfishingComments Off

30SepSeptember 30, 2017

A Visit to White Island, New Zealand with Team Accurate.

Ben with a Nice Kingie from White Island Jack Nilsen and myself just got back from visiting our friends at Decoro fishing Kane Tapper, Matt, and Trevor. The basis of the trip was also to spend some time out at White Island which is an active Volcano 30 miles off the coast on the north island off of Whakatane. Kane had been wanting us to come over for round two after the weather killed the last trip the previous year. We spent...

By Ben SecrestFishing#KINGFISH, #madeinamerica, #NEWZEALAND, #Saltwaterfishing, #smallreelsbigfish, #twindragreels #usabuilt #smallreelsbigfish, #twindragreels #usabuilt #smallreelsbigfish #fishdata #bdoutdoors #catchmorefish, #WHITEISLAND, Accurate, accuratefishing, yellowtailComments Off

23SepSeptember 23, 2017

East Cape: The Paradise below the border. By Mark Rayor

Reflecting back to 1991 when Jen and I pulled up stakes from Southern California and moved to Buena Vista. Compared to today that time was like the stone age. There was only one phone in our little town and communication was very limited. No internet, no cell phones and importantly during hurricane season no weather forecasting. In those days all the local resorts pulled their fishing boats and closed up shop for August, September and into October. I quickly found and...

By Ben SecrestFishing#eastcapefishing, #eastcapemexico, #madeinamerica, #Saltwaterfishing, #smallreelsbigfish, #twindragreels #usabuilt #smallreelsbigfish, #Valiant, Accurate, accuratefishing, BV-300, fishhard, fishing, marlin, reel, reels, wahoo, yellow finComments Off

14AugAugust 14, 2017

Destination Isla Cedros: Dave Marciano visits Bass Bonanza

A cedros Calico with the Hard Merchandise crew Friday morning came early after running around the previous day picking up the Hard Merchandise crew from LAX and getting them settled in San Clemente for a brief stay. Dave and Joe Marciano had made the trek to California to join myself, Sergio, and the rest of the Angler Chronicles crew to board a flight to Cedros Island. We had done this trip the year before with Team Accurate and had phenomenal Yellowtail...

By Ben SecrestFishing#accuratefishingproducts, #calicobass, #catchmorefish, #cedrosIslandadventures, #Saltwaterfishing, #smallreelsbigfish, #twindragreels #usabuilt #smallreelsbigfish, #twindragreels #usabuilt #smallreelsbigfish #fishdata #bdoutdoors #catchmorefish, Accurate, accuratefishing, fish, fishhard, saltwater, yellowtailComments Off