If your perfect day of fishing involves a lake, stream, or river, then you’re a freshwater fisherman through and through. Knowing that, you now need to figure out which type of fishing rod is best for you. There are three very popular options for freshwater fishing: fiberglass, spinning, and conventional rods.
A fiberglass fishing rod is often parabolic and has a softer feel than rods made of other materials. It also has a softer action (or backbone) than other varieties, especially saltwater varieties. This softer backbone helps the rod load evenly, allowing you to get that pendulum-like motion that helps you cast farther with a little practice. This combination makes fiberglass fishing rods perfect for freshwater circumstances, since one could probably not stand up to the beating a saltwater rod takes, but they’re perfect for the finesse of freshwater fishing.
One type of rod is called a spinning rod because the reel spins perpendicular to the rod (instead of spooling parallel to it). With this system, the guides increase in size the closer you get to the reel and are much larger than the guides on other types of rods. The guides and reel hang below the rod instead of sitting atop it while you fish. The handle on the reel should be ready for your off-hand (that is, if you’re right handed, the handle should be toward the left, but if you’re left-handed, it should be to the right).
The conventional rod has a spooling reel instead of a spinning one. Everything about this style of rod is traditional: the guides and reel are on top of the rod while you fish, and the guides are smaller than those of a spinning rod. The handle for the reel should be ready for your main hand (that is, if you’re right handed, it should be to the right, and if you’re left-handed, it should be to the left).
If you’re a freshwater fisherman, you probably want a fiberglass rod. Whether that rod is a spinning or conventional rod, however, depends greatly upon your own personal style.
