Contents
- For ordinary competitive fishing enthusiasts, choosing a rod with the appropriate length, action, and sufficient strength is enough. If you have a better budget, selecting a lighter rod with adequate strength will, of course, enhance your experience.
- As for rod action, each type has its advantages. If you aim for a fast hook-set and larger fish, a stiff-action rod has an advantage; on the other hand, a softer-action rod is more suitable for smaller fish. In terms of pure fishing enjoyment, I believe softer rods are better. Even for handling big fish, slightly softer rods are often more effective. Soft rods make it less likely for fish to escape and reduce the chance of breaking the fishing line.
For ordinary competitive fishing enthusiasts, choosing a rod with the appropriate length, action, and sufficient strength is enough. If you have a better budget, selecting a lighter rod with adequate strength will, of course, enhance your experience.
Competitive fishing evolved from Taiwanese-style fishing, originally a term for pond fishing methods. Therefore, when choosing a fishing rod for competitive fishing, it mainly caters to pond fishing or similar fishing environments, meaning the rods are generally shorter. Currently, in competitive fishing, rod lengths are within 5.4 meters. The choice of rod for regular use depends on your fishing environment and competition rules.
As for rod action, each type has its advantages. If you aim for a fast hook-set and larger fish, a stiff-action rod has an advantage; on the other hand, a softer-action rod is more suitable for smaller fish. In terms of pure fishing enjoyment, I believe softer rods are better. Even for handling big fish, slightly softer rods are often more effective. Soft rods make it less likely for fish to escape and reduce the chance of breaking the fishing line.
Some say that soft-action rods are unsuitable for large fish, but this claim is debatable. I have used a soft-action rod with a 0.8mm mainline and a 0.8mm leader to land big fish, while others using a stiffer tilapia rod with a 1.5mm mainline and a 1.2mm leader in the same pond struggled. A stiff rod with a thick line can quickly subdue a big fish, but it can also cause the fish to escape just as fast. A stiff rod with a thick line is a double-edged sword—when used correctly, it quickly lands fish, but when misused, it can just as easily lose them.