Tobin Strickland – CAM Special Correspondent
My old red reel and glass rod that I started out bass fishing with nearly 40 years ago were not exactly light, nor were they as sensitive as today’s precision-made reels and rods. I did catch a lot of bass with that rod fishing after school in nearby farm ponds. Fast-forward to present, and today there are stock rods available at your local independent tackle shop that weigh mere ounces in total compared to my first rig. But how important is shaving all that weight?
I can tell you that combining a high quality, super light, high modulus graphite rod with the right super light reel will increase not only your enjoyment on the water, but will also allow you to feel more strikes. Simplifying Newton’s Second Law of Motion, the less mass an object has, the less force will be needed (applied to it) to move it. Translated, with lighter equipment you can feel more subtle bites. If you can feel the bites, you’re going to catch more fish.
Also, something I’ve noticed is that if I make a mistake and twitch that lure when the fish has already eaten it, less energy will be imparted to the line and telegraphed to the fish, meaning that big fish can’t feel me quite as much, giving me the advantage and ability to set the hook before it spits the lure.
Tobin Strickland created TroutSupport.com – tech support for speckled trout and redfish fishermen and women. Up Your Game!
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