Spin-Casting Rods
Spin-casting rods have small guides on them and are usually fairly light since spin-cast reels work best with lighter line. They are generally shorter than other types of rods, too. The handle and guides line up and are arranged to be held with the reel and guides on top of the rod.
FIGURE 4-2
A spin-casting rod with a pistol grip.
Spin-Casting Rod Quality
Spin-casting rods are often some of the cheapest made. They're usually considered beginners' equipment and a lot of them are more like toys for kids. They're sometimes made of one piece of fiberglass and don't have long fibers in them to make them stiff and strong. It is best to stay away from these cheap rods since they won't do a good job and will not hold up.
Some rod and reel outfits are based on cartoon characters and are cute little toys for young children. For kids under five years old, these outfits may entice kids to play with them more and fish more too. These outfits are suitable for children as toys, not serious fishing outfits.
Look at the finish on a higher-quality spin-casting rod. Is it smooth and blemish free? Does it have a clear coat over it or is it uncoated fiberglass? If it has a ferrule, is it tight but comes apart easily? Is the rod straight if you hold it up and look down the side opposite the line guides? If the answer to any of these questions is no, look at another rod.
The Reel Seat on a Spin-Casting Rod
The reel foot or reel seat is the flat metal or plastic piece on the reel that attaches to the rod. It is supported by a short stem on spinning rods but is attached to the side of bait-casting and casting reels. The guide foot is the part of the guide that attaches to the reel. Double-footed guides have a foot on each side of the guide and single-footed guides have just one. They are under the wrapping on the rods and out of sight after the rod is made.
Most spin-casting rods have a simple screw and foot to hold the reel in place. You slide one end of the reel foot into a slot and then place the other end under a foot. A screw going through the rod handle tightens down the foot on the reel seat to hold it tight. Keep some wax or grease on this screw so you'll be able to remove the reel if you need to take it off.
Handles on spin-casting rods can be either pistol grip or straight. The pistol grip helps you hold the rod better on the cast, but it's shorter than the straight grip, so you don't have the extra length for leverage when casting or fighting a fish. Handles may be made of plastic, cork, or other materials. Make sure they're textured so your hand won't slip, but smooth enough to hold comfortably.
Guides on a Spin-Casting Rod
Guides on a spin-casting rod should line up with each other when you look down the rod through them. They should be evenly spaced, and the more guides the better. They will probably be metal guides with no added insert in the eye, and most will have two feet, one on each side of the guide. You should run a cotton swab or piece of nylon cloth through the guide to make sure it's smooth. Any rough place will fray your line.
The wrapping on spin-casting rods may be a plastic tape or a kind of heat-shrink sleeve that holds it tight. Better rods will have guides wrapped with thread and then coated with epoxy. The coating over the guide feet should be smooth and slick with no bumps or nicks.
