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[dennisK]

I was browsing thru rod's picture gallery and noticed the below picture:



my question is part practical and part philisophical - isn't there way too much bend in that rod for the fish? Generally speaking shouldn't you match the rod for the type of salmon you are going after...that said, would it not make more sense to get a more stiff rod. It looks to me totally underpowered for the fish in the photo.

Am I wrong or is it okay to use a light slow action rod for a huge coho?

[Sam Salmon]

It's one way to do things.
I understand what you mean in terms of C&R -a faster action/stiffer rod would enable a cleaner/faster release.

[dennisK]

I'm really not knocking anyone's technique but I was just curious if I had misconceptions about fishing rod actions...

ps...anyway hear or know of a technique called "shrink wrap" instead of cork on big gun rods like surf rods...apparently a bit of trend in the US and I was wondering what it was exactly? like is it just a thin wrap the same diameter as the blank or a couple of milimeters thicker..thanks

[ColinB]

Shrink wrap is plastic type tubing.  It needs to be slightly larger diametre than the blank.  Slide it into your chosen position and shrink it using a steaming kettle.  Keep your hands well away from the steam and/or use protective gloves and eyeware etc.

I have used leather strips intended for tennis raquet handles.  These you just secure with tape at each end.
Really comfortable!!

Better than that c**ppy foam stuff that's on most rods.

Long live cork!!

Colin

[Rodney]

The first photo was taken by itosh from a much higher ground, he was almost looking straight down. Because of the angle, the rod appeared to be bent to the max. I still have the entire fight of that fish on video, itosh can confirm that I wasted no time to haul it in on 12lb test Maxima Ultragreen. The rod is a Stryker 2106, moderate action, I love it for coho, but a little too soft for springs.

The second photo was taken by Luke YVR, that was a Stryker 3106 I am holding. It's a stronger rod. The bottome section of the rod is fast, fairly stiff, while the top section is moderate, providing good casting action for centerpin. The fish, was a chum salmon (come on guys, be on top of your fish id! ).

Like what Sam has brought up, it's personal preference. I feel that the 2106 is adequate enough for coho. So far I have been able to brought in all of the coho with ease, even the 16lber I landed on the Vedder last year. When I target coho on the Vedder, I really target coho, and minimize my change of getting into springs. If I am fishing for springs, I would use the 3106 instead.

[Floater]

Rodney was that first light coho in both the pics?

[blaydRnr]

depends on the type of fishing you're doing. i find the med light action rods are best for casting lures and the med or fast action rods are best for float fishing.

[Spudcote]

Hey Dennis, I've been looking for a rod with a similar action to that first picture, but don't want to gte a stryker because that would make it look likw I've turned to Rodney's "dark side"  I found one, so I bought it, fished it this week end, and it does indeed have a similar action, and I love it.

I find it depends mostly on personal preference, I like having a rod that can double over with a fish on, instead of having a rigid stick.

When assessing the rod's acion, there are other things to consider. The more the rod is "pointed at the fish", the more the backbone of the rod is being used, and less bend with be seen throughout the rod length, you gte more leverage, but less tip action and increase the strain on the line and reel. By doing what Rodney is doing in that picture, any further head shakes are absorbed by the rod, and not the line and reel. In the second picture, the rod is pointed up, and the tip is bent over, this puts a lot of strain on the tip, and doesn't really use the rod's backbone "pulling power," you're more likey to snap the tip of a rod doing this, but it also absorbs a lot of head shakes. A lot of this also depends on the action of the rod, that's why it's best to "test" the rod out on a smaller fish first, and get a feel for the action before going out and reefing into a big spring. You can do the same at home by putting a reel on the rod and tying the line around a chair leg or something, get a feel for the rod when it's under pressure.

Not sure if that makes sense to you all but I tried to gte my point accross...haha 

[newsman]

I would say it is a good way to test a rod makers warrenty.

[steelieman]

As long as you do not put your hand on the mid section of the rod, it should be fine. If you try to pull the fish in from the mid section of the rod, 9/10 times, it will break in half. Just saw a guy did that pulling in a humpy on Saturday and before long I heard a big crunch and his day was done!

[itosh]

Well the reason that the rod is bent to the max is simply because, as we all know, Rodney rarely actually catches real fish (other than pinks and various coarse fish).  So when he gets a fish on, he gets all giddy like a little school girl and pretty much horses the rare fish in!!  You should hear him shriek "Fish ON!!", you would think you were in the playground of an all girls elementary school during recess. 

However, in all fairness to Rodney, we must remember that although the bend is frozen in time forever, the time that the rod is actually bent that much is only a fraction of a second. And both pics are just before landing of the fish, where the fish is closest to the angler.   Not sure what the standard shutter speed on digicams are, but probably in the neighbourhood of 1/125 sec..  I have fished with him, and do not feel that his rod selection is too light for the quarry.  Also, one must take into account line selection as this is the weakest point between angler and fish.  If he was using 8# main with 4~6# leader then no matter what stiffness of rod he used, he would most likely be overplaying the fish.  I think that, as an angler becomes more experienced with playing fish, a softer rod does not necessarily affect the fish, from both apractical and philisophical POV.

[BwiBwi]

On a cloudy day like the 2nd photo shutter speed is most likely 1/60.

[Rodney]

Well the reason that the rod is bent to the max is simply because, as we all know, Rodney rarely actually catches real fish (other than pinks and various coarse fish).  So when he gets a fish on, he gets all giddy like a little school girl and pretty much horses the rare fish in!!  You should hear him shriek "Fish ON!!", you would think you were in the playground of an all girls elementary school during recess. 

Guilty! Guilty!

[DragonSpeed]

On a cloudy day like the 2nd photo shutter speed is most likely 1/60.

It would appear from the exif data (yeah - I'm a geek!) that the following were the parameters:

1st picture:

Camera: Panasonic DMC-LC33
ISO 100
5.8mm focal length
F2.8
Shutter Speed 1/60 sec
Date/Time (seems correct):  2004/11/05 09:43


Camera: Fujifilm FinePix2400Zoom
ISO 100
6mm focal length
F3.5
Shutter Speed 1/200 sec
Date/Time (probably incorrect): 2000/01/01 05:01