Tag Archives: Graphite Fishing Rods

Saltwater Travel Rods

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Fishing whilst travelling around Australia and the world.


Saltwater Travel RodsSaltwater Travel Fishing Rods For Sale

 An intro for the uninitiated. A travel fishing rod is simply a rod that breaks down into several pieces for easy, convenient and portable rod transport.

Many will be familiar with the classic telescopic rod but if you haven’t been keeping an eye on the market, you may be less familiar with the multi piece version that connects via multiple ferrule joints.

Whilst both types have been readily available for a long time, the telescopic in particular, it is only recently that the big brands (and others) have focused some serious technology on this niche. The results have been outstanding, and you can now choose from a selection of beautifully crafted saltwater travel rods, replete with the best of blanks, bling and butts technology can offer. They’re every bit the performance weapon, available to suit a broad range of fishing disciplines and, they’re as capable as the traditional one or two piece configuration.

A little history. While custom, hand crafted multi-piece rods have had a following over the decades, it is the telescopic model that has been the most readily available transportable rod. Stocked by many Australian fishing retailers, many of the rods available in the past were little more than gimmicks. Their quality left a lot to be desired. They were often as flexible as hardwood, as sensitive as a brick, with much of the hardware second rate and prone to the rapid onset of corrosion. The telescopic mechanism was also likely to jam in the shorter term.

I remember my friend and neighbour had quite a lengthy version of a telescopic when we were kids back in the early 80’s. It certainly looked impressive enough but it was quickly relegated to the shed rafters as no-one seemed keen to fish with it. It was just too awful to hold, let alone fish with. Casting was always a tricky affair at best, and creating a balanced set up, an exercise in frustration.

Interestingly, a recent stint living in Eastern Europe brought me in contact with the travel rod again (the telescopic and multi piece versions).  Fishing the Danube Delta for Carp (different to our regrettable Australian alien) and Stuka (Pike) brought me into contact with many a local angler, and many an angler used a travel rod. The reason was simple. They had to.

Transport to the Romania Ukraine border is either in a car the size of a matchbox (for many) of train and other forms of public transport. With the rod of choice usually in excess of 12 foot, collapsing for transport is essential. Clearly, the quality and efficacy of these rods was the reason for their popularity. Many were of outstanding quality and they were balanced outfits suitable for purpose, great to use, even while struggling to get my head around local techniques.

It was this experience abroad that set me off on a fact finding mission on line, to see what was being offered in the latest and greatest best travel rod ranges. Travel fishing rod reviews were most enlightening, particular the feedback from rank and file anglers. Indeed they became very handy, as I was soon to find there was a dazzling array of options from which to choose.

Choosing the best travel fishing rod ultimately becomes subjective. The first and primary considerations are how it will be transported and what you will fishing for.  From that point, brand, budget, cosmetics and type, i.e. spin, overhead or baitcaster, comes down to personal preferences. Nail this down, then hit the reviews to help the decision process. First however, read on for some great insights that might help you choose the perfect model.

Choosing the Best Saltwater Travel Rod Online
Fishingtackleshop.com.au has a great range of saltwater travel rods for sale to suit just about every application. Let’s have a closer look at them via a few hypothetical situations. The scenarios below provide some great examples and matching rods for different types of travel situations. See which one might be a compatible fit for you.

Best Travel Rod

Which are the best travel rods for sale?

Travelling for Work
There are many of us that travel frequently for work in a company vehicle. Blessed, as Australia is, with the mother-load of bountiful waterways begging to be fished, it is highly likely this work related travel will take us passed a hot saltwater fishing zone of one type or another. While said trips are frequently very busy, there is no reason we can’t squeeze in a few ours fishing on our down time.

Wisdom tells us it’s probably not a great idea to strap a set of racks to the company Commodore and load up with your favourite 12 footers and a heap of gear. A good travel rod however, collapsible to a very discrete length, safely stowed in a protective cover, will be perfect.  A small bag of tackle, a collapsible bucket, and you can fish everywhere with a kit that sits neatly on the passenger seat.

Depending on the style of fishing you are planning to do, there are a few really good options. The Shimano travel rods for one are excellent. The build quality is outstanding, depending on the saltwater travel rod you choose they can collapse into 3 pieces or so pieces and will see you casting from banks, jetties, wharves and the more. Make no mistake, shimano make performance rods for saltwater fishing.

For the best value for money travel rod it is very hard to look past the Shakespeare Slingshot Travel Fishing Rod. There are a few models from which to choose, two of them being baitcaster rods. These rods look fantastic, perform brilliantly and come with their own travel case. Follow the link and check the specs. There are options for fishing super light up to ten kilo. Depending on the model, lengths range from 5’6” to 7’, breaking down into 3 or 4 pieces, depending on the model. Highly recommended, particularly when the budget is tight.

Family Car Camping
Many a family has downsized the family vehicle for any number of reasons. This is often a deliberate choice driven by budget concerns or environmental reasons. They are unwilling however to give up the option to escape into the Aussie wilderness in there small 4 door, for some serious car camping. With mum, dad, two rug rats, tents and the camping kit expertly ensconced in the modestly sized Toyota, Dad needs to rationalise the fishing kit, at mum’s behest, of course.

With a simple and fun visit to the fishingtackleshop.com.au website, mum and dad can deck out the family with a fantastic arsenal of saltwater travel spinning rods that will cover all needs. For the kids a couple of cheapest  Travel Rods will be perfect general purpose weapons. Robust yet sensitive enough, they collapse to three or so neat pieces and will suit the novice status of the young ones. Mum will probably like the Shimano Raider Travel rod range and some like the snapper and SW spin models Will be ideal for the family fishing together, but strong enough to handle snapper, mulloway, trevally, salmon, tailor, and barramundi when some serious targets are sought there is also a range of lighter bream style shimano travel rods for sale. Dad will want a couple of rods. The Short Bite Special Daiwa Generation Black Travel Rod (3 Piece Spin), will be perfect for his solo finesse adventures, hunting Bream around the structures. The Shimano Raider Travel Inshore 593 Barra Baitcast – 3 Piece Fishing Rod, will satisfy his joy of casting hard bodies at Barra with his favourite baitcaster, and if the budget allows, he’ll love the Daiwa Saltiga Airportable Travel Rod (Heavy Spin/Popper), so he can use his own kit on a charter outside the heads hunting GT’s and big pelagic species. With this selection, the family are fully covered with only the slightest impact on available space in the modest family vehicle.

The Globe Trotter and Frequent Flier
If there is any place where space is at a premium it’s on a plane. Most travellers will be aware that after your ticket prices, excess luggage, like fishing kit, can be catastrophically expensive. Whatever reason you find yourself on a plane, be it for work or holiday, there is now no reason you can’t slip a saltwater travel rod into your checked luggage.

When we take a charter of the coat of Mexico, Hawaii, or Fiji, we want the picture of our exotic, and huge catch, to be taken with our own kit. While many charter operators pride themselves on using top shelf, well maintained, awesome kit, taking your own with you is an insurance of the quality you will use. Ultimately however, there is nothing like using tools with which you are familiar and intimately attached.

Check out the Daiwa Saltiga Airportable Travel Rods. The range is fantastic, and is possibly the best in class travel rod. The customer travel fishing rod reviews back up all the hype, and there is an excellent selection of spin and overhead models, for casting or jigging. They fit perfectly into your checked baggage and you can deploy them anywhere in the world know you can fish with confidence, as your kit is certified performance weaponry. If your budget is a little more modest but your demand for quality uncompromising check out the Shimano Revolution Travel Rods. Again, these are performance rods, with all the convenience of portability and check out the travel fishing rod reviews on these models at fishingtackleshop.com.au. One of the biggest sellers is the 763 Saltwater Revolution model built for heavy, tough fishing.

For those flying locally expecting a little inshore based action, and you’re only checking in a smaller style case, the options covered with Pflueger Trion Transcendent Travel Rods makes them very hard to beat. There is a baitcaster model and various spin models. All break down to 5 pieces, making them the perfect travel fishing rod. Ranging from 2kg up to 10kg, you can point these things at a massive range of targets. They are brilliantly appointed, crafted with Pflueger pride, and accessibly priced, considering their top shelf performance. It’s the Pflueger Trion travel rods that gets my tip for the best travel rod. You might not be so familiar with the brand but don’t let that get in the way of your decision process.

Australian Anglers, like everybody else in the world, are far more mobile than we once were just a few decades ago. We fly, we drive, we explore by rail. The fishing industry has responded as all industry does to changes in our habits, it has created product to suit. These days, Saltwater travel rods are every bit as good, every bit the performer as the traditional configurations. The gimmicky junk is still around, but we now have a superlative range of performance rods, as brilliant when deployed on the water as they are convenient in transport. Check out the rods mentioned above. We are certain you will find a travel rod that is perfect for your application.

While you’re checking our site deciding on the best travel rod for you, make sure you have a look at accessories that will go toward building an outstanding travel fishing kit. Items such as folding buckets are brilliant for the traveller. There are a number of lightweight tackle boxes and containers to choose from. Check the specs. While space is a premium, it also pays to ensure you are going as lightweight as possible. When you are flying, weight is the killer, keep the weight down and save a heap of cash. It’s a great idea to have a dedicated travel fishing kit. You know exactly what’s in it, how much space it takes up and how much it weighs.

It can be tough when you’re driving somewhere, pass a perfect fishing location, have some time on your hands, yet no kit to toss a lure at likely targets. If nothing else, check the range and make up an emergency fishing kit that never leaves the car. I did this, and some of the most memorable fishing experiences have been casual stopovers by a riverbank on route to somewhere. With a travel rod, and a travel kit permanently stashed in your car, stop, revive, survive, takes on a whole new dimension. Get shopping, buy yourself the perfect travel rod and travel fishing kit now.

SEE THE RANGE OF TRAVEL RODS FOR SALE

Saltwater Travel Fishing Rods For Sale

  • Special thanks to A. McEwen for providing this amazing personal review and article on Saltwater Travel Rods.

Graphite Fishing Rod Care – About Graphite rods and how to use them.

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Important Tips in Caring for Your Graphite Fishing Rods and how to use them.

Graphite Fishing rods are great alternative to fiberglass and composite rods. They are as tough, if not tougher, and can give you all the fish-fighting power needed to land your next big catch. Not only that. These rods are also lighter, and you can expect to go home less fatigued even after a whole day of fishing. Their superior design offers more sensitivity so you can easily feel the fishes nipping at the bait

Graphite rods can give you great fishing experience if used correctly; if not, they’ll snap on you and leave your hands and net empty. But don’t worry, just follow these easy steps and you’ll feel like a pro in no time

Spooling fishing line, braid onto a reel using a graphite rod

Traditionally with fibreglass fishing rods it has generally been safe to spool new line onto your reel running the line through all the runners. With today’s modern graphite fishing rods we highly discourage spooling new line onto your reel in the same manner as depending on how you are spooling line onto the reel particularly if you have another person holding the spool of line applying pressure to the spool of line by hand or similar it is possible you could hit a dead spot or apply too much pressure and accidentally break your rod.

One misconception  about spooling line onto a reel is that it is like fighting a fish. Spooling line onto a reel is definitely not like fighting a fish just one main reason being; fish will not automatically stop dead in its tracks and apply the same sort of force that would happen if you accidentally hit a dead spot whilst spooling your line along with applying too much force with a chance of also accidentally high sticking your rod whilst spooling up, It’s just a deadly combination that can have unwanted consequences.

We hear of too many people breaking graphite rods whilst spooling line onto a reel usually with the breakage occurring towards the top of the rod within vicinity of the first few rod guides. This is accidental breakage which is usually not a warranty issue. In general, rod breakage is very rarely a result of a manufacturing fault or flaw with probably less than 1% of rods being an actual fault. 99% of the time rod breakages occur due to angler misuse, abuse or accidental error.

Therefore to avoid breaking your graphite fishing rod we strongly recommend spooling your new line onto your fishing reel using only the bottom 1-2 guides only on the rod. Or if you have a 2 piece fishing rod, the guides on the bottom section of the rod.  Even better! Why use a graphite rod to spool your line on? If you have other rods in your collection such as fibreglass rods and you really want to insist on spooling the line on your reel using all the runners on the fishing rod, use a fibreglass fishing rod instead that can handle much more punishment then just take the reel off once finished and place it on your intended graphite rod.

No matter how long you have been fishing for, how many reels you have spooled up in your life time or how much of an expert you think you are accidents can happen especially with graphite fishing rods therefore we recommend spooling line onto your reel in the manners advised to avoid breakage of your graphite fishing rod.

 

When Fishing Using a Graphite Fishing Rod in these situations

A. Working aboard a Boat

The worst thing that could happen to you while fishing from a boat is breaking your fishing rods or damaging rod guides. Not that they break easily as they are tough as nails. But don’t tempt fate by being lazy in organizing your fishing rods. As the old trusted navy saying goes “A place for everything and everything in its place.” Keep your fishing gear tucked in a safe place when not in use to avoid people stepping on them or getting hammered with heavy objects. Bruising the rods will eventually lead to breakage.

B. Casting from the Bank

If you lay the rods around haphazardly, expect someone to step on them. So don’t. People will not be looking at the ground all the time while walking, so keep the rods away from where they can be stepped on. Keep them in places where they are seen easily, like leaning them on your tackle box.

Avoid hanging branches of trees or other overhead impediments when casting from the banks. Smashing your rod against tree branches or other hard objects is the surest way to bruise it, significantly weakening that part of the rod blank where it hit another object. Damage may look minimal initially; however it could result to breakage later. Take note that most fishes that got away during a fight are the results of broken rods that suffered bruises before.

 

C. Wading in the Waters

What you should avoid while fishing from the bank should be also observed while you are waist deep into the water. So keep your rod and reel safely tucked somewhere safe. Think its okay to lay them on the water? Think again!

You have a lot going on while fishing so you won’t know what’s happening to your fishing rods if they are laid flat on the water. The current may drag them away, or put undue strain on the rod tip. This is a bit worse if you are fishing in saltwater as saltwater or sand can get into the reel, through the reel seat or other tiny crevices. Saltwater is notorious for corroding fishing gear, and you don’t want it inside your reels.

 

The Fight

A. On board a Boat

No matter how desperate you are to land a fish, listen to the voice of veteran fishermen and never “high stick” your rod. The most angle that you should coax from your rod must not exceed 90° when trying to subdue a struggling fish. Most rods that break during a fight are the result of high sticking and carelessness on the part of the fisherman.

B. Wading in the waters

Users of fly rods must remember that, you will need extra preparation to bring in fish safely if you expect a good fight from your catch while wading waist deep in the waters. Allow a little more line to run from the rod tip, usually longer than the length of the rod itself so you can pull the fish closer to you. The extra line will help your rod bear the weight even if you pull rod high up into the air.

Next Step, Safely Landing or Boating Your Catch

A fish will weigh more in the water. Remember that and you’ll avoid breaking a lot of rods. A five pound fish weigh more while it is in the water. Many rods were broken because fishermen were tempted to hoist their catch instead of using a net. Avoid boating a fish this way unless your catch is less than two pounds.

Hoisting heavy fish puts a lot of load on the rod. This is made even more untenable when you “high stick” the rod and raise it more than 90° off the water.

Another bad habit is grabbing the rod above the fore grip. You don’t want to do this as you need the rod to be flexible by using the entire blank for support of the heavy load. The golden rule is to always use a net if allowable. This way, you won’t lose your fish and you won’t break your rod.


Setting the Hook

The right energy hook set used with your fishing rod can go a long way in preventing damage or breakage. It cannot be stressed more that “high sticking” your rod, or bringing it high straight above your head at more than 90° angle with water, puts a lot of strain to the rod’s tip.

Newer lines, like the Low Stretch lines that are popular with anglers today, are bringing new ways to avoid damage to the rod. These lines have low elongation factors, allowing you to use short swing and low energy hook sets, instead of the traditional high-energy long swing hook sets. The combination prevents the lure or bait from getting accidentally dislodged from the fish jaw.

 

The correct way to free snagged lures and Tackle

The trick in freeing a snagged lure without breaking your expensive fishing rod is to pull on the line while the rod is pointed directly to the position of the snag. Do this while your palm is firmly cupping the spinning reel spool or your thumb firmly planted on the bait casting spool. This takes away the strain from the rod. But you have to watch out for the lure or sinker coming at you like a bullet when it suddenly gets freed from the snag. Remember that a fully stretched fishing line will act like a spring when one end suddenly comes loose. Never pull back the rod at an upward or downward angle or in a jerking motion as this can cause a graphite fishing rod to snap. a

 

Proper Care for Reel Seat

Do not use any kind of tool when tightening your reel sets. The force from your fingers is enough to do the job.

 

Keeping your Rod’s Finish Shiny and New

 No matter how tired you are from a fishing trip, make sure that you clean your rod thoroughly before storing them. Heat, high humidity, sea water, and sediments can damage your rod’s shiny finish. Store them in a dry place when you’re done cleaning. An occasional paste wax treatment is good too

 

Transporting Fishing Rod

A. In an Airplane

You won’t be having trouble if you fly your own jet. But when flying commercial, make sure you pack the rods in tough PVC or ABS casement. The best practice is to pack the rods individually. If individual packaging is not possible then strap and tape them together, alternating tips and butts to prevent breakage due to abrasion. And most of all, avoid dropping the rod containers at all cost. Commercial airlines will not take responsibility if your fishing equipment ends up damaged, so take the necessary precaution.

B. Road Trip

Store the rods and other fishing gear at the back of the truck or wagon where there is ample space for them. Again, make sure that they are carefully packed or taped to avoid rod blanks getting damaged by heavy objects like tools or spare tire. If possible, separate these things from your fishing gear. Even slight abrasion or damage to the rod blanks can cause breakage when the rod is put under heavy stress during fishing.

 

Storing the Rods

A. Boat Storage

1. Having rod lockers in your boat is the easiest way to keep your fishing rods and other gears safe. Just take some precaution against the rods bouncing around and into each other as this can result to bruising of the rod blanks, especially in rough waters. Again, proper care is needed to separate the rods and tuck them in safely.

2. Gunwale mounted racks for rods gives your easy access to your fishing gears as they are mounted off the deck. Just take extra care to keep them out of oars and other heavy objects’ way.

3. Vertical rod racks is an alternative storage if you can keep them safe from getting hit when casting.

Garage storage

 1. Protect fishing rods with heavy tube or rod locker when storing it in a garage. This is to protect them from getting smashed or hit with heavy objects. Never allow the rods to sit in a corner unless you plan on buying new rods next fishing season.

2. Keep the fishing rods away from heat sources. These include water heater and other heavy appliances as heat from these things can damage the finishing and other materials that constitute the rods.

In the House

C. Store the fishing rods in a safe and dry place in your house. Keep them away from heavy objects like guns, other sporting gears, tools, and others. Keeping them in their own closet or enclosing them in heavy tubes is a good idea.

Summary

Follow these steps proudly provided to you by Ocean Storm Fishing Tackle and you will get a long life out of your Graphite Fishing Rods.