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Many guys are gearing up for cod, and once the weather breaks hopefully we will hear some good reports. In the meantime, what is a good rod and reel combo?
For rods I generally build 'medium taper' glass. They have proven over the past 45 years that I've been involved in the fishery to out perform graphite due to the 'softness' on the action. One never knows how well a fish is hooked, and while retrieving the fish from depths of 150-300' the glass rods offer a cushioning or 'shock' absorbing quality that helps to prevent a lip hooked fish from being dislodged, or line breakage when a fish surges away from the angler. This medium action allows for a comfortable rhythm' while jigging and gives a greater range of both jig and sinker weight values.
The length can be argued. The traditional lengths have been mostly 7 1/2'-8', though 7' is far from short. The longer rods allow one to raise and drop the tip of the rods while the boat is rocking, so that constant tension can be kept on the rod to feel bites. Upon feeling the bite you can lift, set the hook, and keep the tip up/crank against the tip and slowly drop to level while retrieving, keeping the fish away from the wreck or any sticky bottom. Rear grips are generally 14" so as to allow one to get the rod under their arm with rain gear and heavy clothing. The fore grip should measure between 12-14". The long grip allows the angler to shift his hands under stress and if you need to retrieve from great depths to check bait you can just lay it on the rail to conserve energy. Six brace guides are the best choice for durability, Beware! three brace guides just dont cut it. On their best day they are a headache waiting to happen. Most rods should carry a line rating between 30-60lb test. One advantage of the longer lengths is that they adapt to other fisheries. Most party boat captains and mates agree that the best Tuna jig sticks are at least 7' because they deliver more 'motion' to the jig. The long lengths prove to be excellent for Tile fishing as well.
Reels: There are obviously a lot of choices and budget may play a roll. A Penn 330, or Shimano TLD 15 both at about $100 are a good start, but if you want something beefier that can be adapted to Tuna and Tiles Penn 113H 4/0, and TLD 20,25's will come in at about $150. There are a lot of aluminum 'torque' style reels starting at about $200 on up. Keep one thing in mind about gear ratio. It is commonly believed that high speed 6/1 ratios are best. That is incorrect. The high speed reels can easily 'bump' fish if retrieved too fast. The best gear ratios are generally from, 2-4/1. This applies to almost all bottom species.
Presently I'm looking over the 'Squan river at snowfall, and like most of us cant wait for a break in the weather so that we can hear more "Cod stories".:thumbsup:
For rods I generally build 'medium taper' glass. They have proven over the past 45 years that I've been involved in the fishery to out perform graphite due to the 'softness' on the action. One never knows how well a fish is hooked, and while retrieving the fish from depths of 150-300' the glass rods offer a cushioning or 'shock' absorbing quality that helps to prevent a lip hooked fish from being dislodged, or line breakage when a fish surges away from the angler. This medium action allows for a comfortable rhythm' while jigging and gives a greater range of both jig and sinker weight values.
The length can be argued. The traditional lengths have been mostly 7 1/2'-8', though 7' is far from short. The longer rods allow one to raise and drop the tip of the rods while the boat is rocking, so that constant tension can be kept on the rod to feel bites. Upon feeling the bite you can lift, set the hook, and keep the tip up/crank against the tip and slowly drop to level while retrieving, keeping the fish away from the wreck or any sticky bottom. Rear grips are generally 14" so as to allow one to get the rod under their arm with rain gear and heavy clothing. The fore grip should measure between 12-14". The long grip allows the angler to shift his hands under stress and if you need to retrieve from great depths to check bait you can just lay it on the rail to conserve energy. Six brace guides are the best choice for durability, Beware! three brace guides just dont cut it. On their best day they are a headache waiting to happen. Most rods should carry a line rating between 30-60lb test. One advantage of the longer lengths is that they adapt to other fisheries. Most party boat captains and mates agree that the best Tuna jig sticks are at least 7' because they deliver more 'motion' to the jig. The long lengths prove to be excellent for Tile fishing as well.
Reels: There are obviously a lot of choices and budget may play a roll. A Penn 330, or Shimano TLD 15 both at about $100 are a good start, but if you want something beefier that can be adapted to Tuna and Tiles Penn 113H 4/0, and TLD 20,25's will come in at about $150. There are a lot of aluminum 'torque' style reels starting at about $200 on up. Keep one thing in mind about gear ratio. It is commonly believed that high speed 6/1 ratios are best. That is incorrect. The high speed reels can easily 'bump' fish if retrieved too fast. The best gear ratios are generally from, 2-4/1. This applies to almost all bottom species.
Presently I'm looking over the 'Squan river at snowfall, and like most of us cant wait for a break in the weather so that we can hear more "Cod stories".:thumbsup:
]people like certain features, no sense talking them out of it. As for replacing the handle, the drawback is that when you apply cork tape you need a 'smooth' surface. After removing an existing grip,cork,foam, the surface is generally rough and doesnt allow for good adhearance.
