A Stiffer Telescoping Pole

[Jon McLean]

I love pole fishing.  I have a three piece cane pole I got from Bass Pro Shops.  I think it's 12 or 13 feet.  Nice and stiff, it does what I want it to do...catch lotsa fish.  It won't last forever, however, and apparently Bass Pro has discontinued this item.  I have been searching for a telescoping pole.  I like the feel and light weight of the 4-4.5m carbon fiber telescoping poles, but I hate the soft ends.  I want something that is light to handle, 12 - 14 feet long, and not so flimsy.  I see lots of poles on line, but I can't tell anything about them from the pictures.  Anybody out there have any ideas for me?

[John Nguyen]

I had the same problem so I went to a bass pro shop "crappie pole".  It is 10 feet long, stiffer, much lighter, comes in 2 pieces and and has many more eyes.  I removed the awkward level wind and put on a shimano spinning reel with 1-2 lb test. I use a weighted cork with a 5 to 12 ft leader and can manage to cast a decent distance.  Hope that helps and let me know if you find anything longer.

[Jon McLean]

Thanks, John.  I'm not looking for anything with a reel, though.  Just a pole.  I have seen some great looking Japanese poles for sale on line, but I can't tell how they handle just from a picture.  Next time I am at BPS I will definitely look that up, though.  I am always trying to learn something new.

[Stan Wright]

Have you thought of trying a Tenkara rod? My 13'6' Amago only weighs 3 1/2 oz.
I've landed 2 1/2 pound peacock bass and 3 pound koi with it. They make different lengths from 11 to 13.6 and different actions from a fast 7:3 to a slow 5:5. Imagine a flyrod without the reel. They are really fun to use.

[Jon McLean]

I looked up Tenkara rods.  That is definitely along the lines I am thinking of.  I wonder if you could help me understand the actions.  This is what the website says:  "The rod action should be chosen based on the angler's favorite for a softer (Ultra Light - 5:5) or slightly stiffer (6:4 or 7:3) or the stiffest (Medium - 8:2) rod."

So, if I want a stiffer rod I should probably go with a 7:3 (bottom seven sections are stiffer than the top three) which would be considered "fast."  Does that seem right to you? 

[Stan Wright]

Before you buy anything, go visit Tenkara Bum...  he doesn't sell anything on his web site,  but he has tested and writen reviews on all the rods and and lines, and stuff.  It helped me decide on what rods I should get.   You need to take into consideration the size fish your after.  This isn't a heavy fish system...  LOL,  it was designed for small trout in small Japanese mountain streams.  (but it sure is fun on large rivers for trout up to 14 inches, and bluefill and small bass under 2 pounds in a lake)

The 6:4 has lots of back bone,  yet  a tip still soft enough to make it fun.  I haven't tried the 7:3.  The 5:5 is way soft action... It bends into a "U" shape when trying to get a 1 pounder to the net.

[Jon McLean]

Yeah, I ran across tencarabum while searching Tenkara.  I am surprised at how expensive they all are.  Allfishingbuy has cheaper models, but tenkarabum had some criticism of at least one of their poles.  There are other types of Japanese carbon fiber poles.  I think maybe the Tenkara is the way to go to get a stiffer rod, though.  Are you familiar with allfishingbuy.com? 

[Stan Wright]

I have one from each ...  the Tenkara usa one was $135 and the Allfishingbuy was $60...   I like both, but if you put them side by side you can see the difference in quality.  They both catch fish.   I prefer to let my grand daughter use the cheeper one. LOL

[Jon McLean]

Thanks Stan.  Great advice.

[dink dailey]

i use the blackwidow 16.5 you can handle it with one hand and is a great all around pole cabelas has it 

[Jon McLean]

I like that!  16.5  and you can handle it with one hand.  Very cool.  Thanks Dink.

[dink dailey]

i told you the wrong place to buy the pole, i bought it at gander mtn. they sell it for 20.00 plus shipping . this is a great pole,

[Jon McLean]

I just ordered a black widow myself.  I shopped around, and considering shipping and all, it was cheaper to buy it directly from BnM.  Can't wait to take it out.