Rod Tip Action

[Eddeh]

Just wondering if anyone can shed some light on what effect the action of the rod tip has?

Are softer tips better for certain types of fishing compared to stiffer tips? Which one works better for soft plastics?

also, fast tapering rods vs medium/slow taper rods? what difference does this make to your fishing and where would it be applicable?

look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Cheers,

Eddy

[daleyboy]

Just wondering if anyone can shed some light on what effect the action of the rod tip has?

Are softer tips better for certain types of fishing compared to stiffer tips? Which one works better for soft plastics?

also, fast tapering rods vs medium/slow taper rods? what difference does this make to your fishing and where would it be applicable?

look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Cheers,

Eddy

You generally want soft tips for the light stuff, say upto 5/8 ounce (lighter the softer) .. cant help you out with the tapering though .. i think it has to do with the whippiness or in your case how soft it is .. but cant say for sure as ive never looked into it

[leatherjacket]

Hi mate,

Soft tip rods evenly apply pressure when a fish pulls and helps set the hook if the drag is tight, where as with a heavy tapered rod the tips doesn't give as much and a small fish is more likely to drop the bait.

However, if you are targeting bigger fish they normally hit the bait harder and a stiffer rod will hurt the fish more and allow you more control over it. The only problem is if you rip the hooks out. Travelly have soft lips.

That's why you some fishermen pay $300+ for live fibre rods that have a soft tip but enough grunt at the base of the rod to ensure it doesn't break and you can muscle the big fish up knowing the chances of it being lost are the lowest.

I find the a 8-12kg rod will catch pritty much anything around Sydney, except off-shore game. I once caught a 25kg Gummy shark on 10 -15kg beach rod at Curl Curl once. So the actual kilogram rating of the rods don't match the fish weight unless your going to lifting that weight out of the water with your rod.

Hope this helps...

Cheers,

Andrew

[Josh88]

The taper of the rod is related to how the blank bends. A fast tapered rod bends mainly in the top section of the rod and is why most lighter rods are made of graphite to be used for lure fishing so that the rod is more responsive in the actions you put on it and you therefore have greater control over your lure.

A slow tapered rod tends to bend right through to the lower section of the rod. This is seen with rods that a made of fibreglass that can nearly be bent back over themselves. Examples are the Silstar Crystal Blue rods and Shakespeare Ugly Stiks in the lighter rods. These rods aren't as well suited to lure fishing because the tips wobble around and you have much less control over your lure but are better for bait fishing in that when a fish bites they will feel less resistance and are more inclined to bite again whereas a fast tapered graphite rod will not bend much and spring back up quickly when bitten.

There are a lot of newer rods being introduced that a mixture sort of medium tapered but some have a higher fast tendency whilst others are a bit slower. These rods are often made from a mixture of graphite and fibreglass so that you get the best of both worlds, you have a softish end section made of fibreglass but the graphite in the lower section of the rod keeps it stiff and makes the rods very versatile. Rods that are like this are the Daiwa Monster Mesh and not as much the Shimano T-Curve King Mack Spin, both great rods that i love using.

Cheers

Josh

[Babsie]

As a general rule slow-medium tapered glass rods make great bait fishing rods and high modulas fast tapered graphite rods are the go for plastics work. There will always be rods available that have a combination of both materials that offer both pro's and cons for either style of fishing but speak to your local tackle shop and they should be able to shed some light on what might best suit your style of fishing.