Specimen Rods

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Specimen Rods

As the name implies, a specimen rod is designed for the needs of the angler who targets big fish. Not all specimen fish are large, it depends on the species of fish in question. However, as far as specimen rods are concerned it is generally intended to mean larger than average weights. In the case of carp, for instance, a specimen fish is one that weighs twenty pounds plus.

Clearly, a rod with some backbone is required.

The specimen rod will be designed for casting big weights big distances and playing big fish. Specimen rods differ from their lighter cousins in several aspects of their design. Generally, they will be two section rods, as opposed to the three section float rod or the three or four section feeder rod. Eleven to thirteen feet in length is the norm for these specialist rods and an ideal choice for close to medium range fishing would be a twelve foot rod with a 2lb - 2.5lb test curve.

Choose a rod with a medium to tip action. This type of rod will have plenty of backbone in the lower half of the rod, to enable casting heavy baits and bullying the fish when necessary, but sufficient give in the top section to allow the feel of handling a big fish while playing and landing a more powerful adversary.

Due to the fact that landing heavy fish requires a stronger, and hence higher diameter, mainline, specimen rods tend to have much larger rod rings, or line guides, than do their lighter cousins.

For information on rod action, test curves, line breaking strain calculation, and line guides, see the choosing a rod page.

Feeder Fishing at Sherwood Lakes

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Specimen Rods

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