When you walk in a fishing tackle store like Bass Pro Shops and you are looking to buy a new fishing rod it can be a little bit overwhelming if you are looking at rack after rack after rack of fishing rods and you can’t really tell the difference.

There are a few things to look at on those rods that are really going to help you understand what that rod is best for and what’s going to fit your needs the most. I will cover the 3 most important factors Length/Action & Power.

ABOUT OTT DEFOE

The 2019 Bassmaster Classic Champion, Ott DeFoe, has seven national wins to his credit and over $2MM in career earnings. He hosts the Hunt for Monster Bass on the Outdoor Channel and competes on Major League Fishing’s Bass Pro Tour. He lives in Blaine, Tenn. with the wife and three children.

• His website is www.OttDeFoe.com
• His Pro Team Profile page HERE

What Rod Length Is Best?

For me, I am about 6 feet tall and most of the rods that I use are between six and a half and seven and a half feet long. There are a few special situations like maybe punching or really deep cranking and then I’m going use a rod that’s more like eight feet long, but those situations are exceptions to the rule and not the norm. For every day fishing six and a half to seven and a half foot rod is going to do what most everybody needs to be done.

If it’s a rod that I’m picking out for target fishing where I’m wanting to make short cast real close around boat docks or around cover, I’m going to go with a little bit shorter rod than I would if I’m fishing out in the middle of a lake where the landing of that bait isn’t all that important, that’s what I’m gonna go with a really long rod just to be able to get that distance.

Understand The Difference Between the Power & Action Of The Rod

The next thing you need to know is what the power of the rod and the action mean. A lot of people get those two mixed up. Fast, extra fast, moderate fast or moderate those terms are the actions of the rod.  The action is how much tip that that rod has out there on the end of it and how fast that the rod loads up. A moderate action is a really slow or parabolic kind of bend where it’s going to bend way down deep into the rod.

Where an extra fast rod is not going to bend very far down, it will have a whole lot of backbone and just a little bit of tip.  That’s what the actual action of the rod is, the power of the rod is the strength behind that rod, for example meduim, meduim/heavy or medium/light, those terms are the power of the rod.

Rod choice when fishing single hook baits

Just generally speaking I could talk in depth a long a long time about every action and which one is perfect for different baits, generally speaking for single hook baits you’re going to want to fish on a heavier rod, more power, medium/heavy, heavy power. You’ve got a lot of control over fish with single hook baits so those types of rods are the ones you’re going to want to fish with single hook baits.

Rod choice when fishing treble hook baits.

Treble hook bait you are going to want to fish on a rod that is a little bit softer a medium power and it has more of a parabolic bend. Maybe a fast action but a lot of times a moderate fast action is what you want to fish those treble hook baits on.

It’s not just about hooking the fish is actually about getting them in the boat that slower rod that bends a deeper down into the rod it’s what’s going to allow you to fight that fish better keep those treble hooks pinned in its mouth.

I hope that helps you pick out the right bass fishing rod, next time you go to the store Length Action and Power those are the three main features in the raw that you need to know what you’re looking for to help you pick out a rod to help you get more bass. Watch the video below and if it helps you be sure to give it a like.

Find out more about Ott DeFoe and read more of his blog posts blow in his RAILBLAZA pro team bio 

Like more Trip Reports & Tackle Tips? Sign up to our Newsletter for regular updates HERE