TACKLE TIPS

Offshore casting and popping is one of the most exciting ways to target tuna, kingfish, GT and other fast, powerful pelagic fish. You may be casting at birds and bait, working a reef edge, or throwing one lure after another at fish that appear for only a few seconds.

Shore jigging looks simple from the outside. Cast a metal jig, let it sink, then work it back through the water.

When anglers talk about a “solid” or “hollow” rod, the terms can be confusing.

A rod can feel light when you first pick it up, then feel tiring after an hour of casting or jigging. In many cases, the issue is not the number on the scale. It is where the weight sits along the rod.

A fish takes the lure close to the boat. The fish makes one last hard run, the rod is lifted too high, and something gives.
Sometimes it is the line. Sometimes it is the leader or hook. Sometimes it is the rod.

A rod blank is made from several layers of carbon prepreg. Different materials can be placed in different parts of the blank to create the right balance of power, bend, weight, recovery, and lure control.

Most anglers look at a rod blank first. But the guides also make a real difference.

Slow pitch jigging is a vertical jigging style built around the fall of the jig.
Instead of working the jig quickly all the way back to the surface, you use short lifts and let it fall naturally. On the drop, the jig can flutter, slide, or spiral like an injured baitfish. This is often when fish strike.
Slow pitch jigging is effective for species such as snapper, kingfish, trevally, bass, hapuka, bluenose, and other reef or deep-water fish.

What Anglers Feel, What Affects It, and How to Choose the Right Setup
Sensitivity is one of the first things anglers notice in a rod, but it is often confused with stiffness or low overall weight.

The Real Reasons Behind Rod Failure
Most anglers have seen it happen.

A simple guide to rod strength, lure weight and how to choose the right setup.

When choosing a fishing rod, many anglers look first at length, line rating and lure weight. But rod action is just as important.

Rod action affects how a rod casts, how it works a lure, how it sets the hook and how it feels when fighting a fish.