*Selecting a rod for your Peacock Bass Fishing Trip*
Applies to Spinning or Casting.
Fishing rods should be selected for the type and size of the lures you plan to fish. For example most prop baits over 6” long could weigh between 1 and 3oz depending on their size and material of the lure. So what size rod will you need to move that plug?
First let’s talk about how rods are measured. Rods are measured 5 different ways which at least 4 of the measurements should be written on the rod just above the fore grip. Line weight, Lure weight, Power, Action and length.
Line weight- This gives us a range of what size lines the rod was designed to handle. Line ranges given, for example (10-17) (12-20) (15-30) are based on monofilament line sizes. Braided lines will give their mono-filament equivalent and line diameter on the box for reference.
Lure weight- Measured in ounces gives us a range of what size lures the rod was designed to handle. For example (1/4 -3/4) (3/8-1) (5/8-1 ½).
Power- Line weight and lure weight pretty much give us an idea of a rods power. As the line weight and lure weight increase so will a rods power. Power is given in extra light, light, medium, med.-heavy, heavy, and extra heavy. As there really doesnt’t seem to be an industry standard, some manufacturer’s heavy are others medium-heavy. So it’s always best to fall back on a rods line and lure rating when in doubt. Doing this would of saved one fisherman some embarrassment and money when he showed up at camp with a brand new Stand Up Tuna Rod. He was told he needed a good stiff, heavy, fast action rod around 6’ long. And that was what he had, except the line weight rating was 30-60 and the lure rating was 3-8oz.
Action- Refers to were a rod bends when pressure is applied to it. Such as when working a bait. Medium or moderate action rods will flex in the upper half of the rod while a fast action rod will flex in the upper 1/3 to ¼ of the rod.Since peacock bass fishing requires a fast aggressive retrieve for most lures, a Fast Action rod is preferred. A fast action rod will not require the energy to move the lures as would a moderate or medium action rod with more flex.
Select a good graphite rod IM-6 or better with a comfortable rear grip about 7” to 9” long. The long grip comes in handy casting but even more so fighting fish as you can lock the butt under your forearm or against your side for support.
As a general rule a med-heavy fast action rod will work well for most ½oz jigs and jerk baits up to 5 ½” or 3/4oz. A heavy, fast action rod will work best on larger lures and prop baits over 1 oz. A 6” Pavon prop can be cast and retrieved affectively with a medium-heavy rod.
A good length is 6’6” but anywhere from 6’to 6’8” will suffice. The longer the rods the more cumbersome they are on the charter flights and traveling through the airports.
For this reason 3pc travel rods have become popular and are ideal if they can be found in the appropriate size. Most have to be custom made by rod builders. One such rod builder that specializes in Peacock Bass rods is Dink Alston with GoldRush custom rods. Dink can be contacted at 561-261-1904 or email: dink13@aol.com.
As a final note, many operators are now offering their clients good rods to use at their camps. Which eliminates the hassle of bringing cumbersome rod tubes on the planes. Be sure to check with your booking agent or camp operator.
