Blog » The Balanced System - Part 1 “The Gear”
The Balanced System - Part 1 “The Gear”
This is a two part blog article for the Balanced System, a popular subject I cover for seminars. Balancing your rod, reel, line and leaders is important to more successful fishing.
In part 1, we will cover the rod, reel, mainline and leaders. In part 2 we will cover balancing the terminal tackle, hooks, lures, and bait you use for your balanced system.
Rods
Selecting rods and reels can sometimes be complicated by selection, quality, and technology, among other things. The purpose of this article is to balance the system you fish, so we will not get too into the choices made for rods and reels, but rather the importance of matching your gear.
Fishing can be expensive or inexpensive. It can be fun or it can be frustrating. You can catch fish or not catch anything at all. To help reduce your cost and improve your chances of success, we have some tips for your basic equipment.
One of the most common mistakes I see on the water is mismatched rods and reels. Buying a package rod and reel is easy to do. But many anglers choose a rod and then choose a reel. This is most likely due to the confidence they will have with a particular brand of rod or reel. Nonetheless, mismatching rods and reels is a common error with anglers.
Commonly, anglers use the wrong size rod and reel for the type of angling, fish species, or conditions. I have seen anglers using heavy halibut or tuna rods to fish for Silver (Coho) Salmon. While the rod will certainly bring the fish in to the boat or the bank, it is just too heavy to enjoy the fight of the fish on the line. Even more importantly, the heavier rods, reels, and fishing lines do not allow for the sensitivity needed for light bites. Sometimes these fish will pick up your bait and you would not feel it with these heavy systems.
A balanced system begins with the fishing rod. Fishing rods are labeled telling you what line weight is recommended, what the action of the rod is and what the weight allowances are for the rod to perform as designed.
Since the rod is the foundation for your system, select the rod first. Among other things, this choice is based on the type of fishing you are doing, the action of the rod, and sensitivity. Let me give you some examples using G-Loomis rods as a reference, since I use G-Loomis rods for guiding. Also, G-Loomis rods are sold in many places, so you can look at one and understand what I am talking about.
If I am drifting bait, corkies and yarn, and floating jigs, I use a GL3 1141S (spinning rod) for fishing salmon and steelhead. I have even used this same rod for casting small crankbaits, such as Wiggle Warts and Fatfish.
This rod is 9'6" long and rated for 4 – 8 lb. line. It is designed to handle lure weights of 1/16 - 3/8 ounces. It has a slow action and is considered an ultra-light rod.
Now many of you might think this rod is too light to fish for 10 – 30 lb salmon and tough fighting steelhead, but I assure you this rod will handle these fish with no problem.
Now keep in mind, I fish out of a boat the majority of time. This means when we hook a fish I can move the boat with the fish. When you are in a boat you can use the lighter rods. If you are a bank angler the majority of the time you can use the same rod. You just need to adjust the weight of your mainline. If you would use a 10lb mainline in a boat, use a 12 lb mainline for the bank. The rod will handle the fish. You just need a line that will help keep the fish in the hole or area you are fishing.
Reels
Next, select the reel to fit the rod. Again, there are many things that effect this decision, but a couple of the most important aspects to consider will be the drag system and the amount of line the reel will hold.
Quality reels also have labels describing the line weight and how many yards or meters of line can fit on the spool. IE. lb.(mm)–yds.(m) 6(0.25)-210(190) 8(0.28)-170(155)
So if you look at the example label, you will see you can get 170 yards of 8lb test line on this reel. When you choose a reel to match your fishing rod, it needs to balance with the rod and it needs to have the capacity to hold enough line.
Here are a few things to consider: Many of us will never have a fish pay out 140 yards of line. But we may get hung up on a rock, a tree, or a bush and break off 30 yards of line. You do this a couple of times in a trip and you only had 140 yards of line to begin with, you are now down to 80 yards of line.
As an example: For drift fishing for steelhead and salmon I use G-Loomis GL3 1141s 9’6” ultra light rod. I have matched spinning reels with instant anti reverse in a 2500 series size.
Reels that are considered 2500 series size reels may not all be listed as 2500 series. Reel sizes are categorized differently with every manufacturer.
Here is an example:
• Diawa - 1000, 2000, 2500, 3000, 4000 series reels
• Shimano - 1000, 2000, 2500, 3000, 4000 series reels
• Okuma - 15, 20, 30, 40 series reels
• Penn - 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 depending on the model
• Abu-Garcia – has 100, 300, 500, 600, 700, 800 series reels
Even when we use baitcasting rods for pulling plugs, we like to use lighter rods than most people use.
You want a rod that will allow a plug to swim or act in the manner it was designed, as well as handle the size of fish you are targeting.
As an example: For a baitcast setup we would choose an 8’6” fast action medium power rod (G-Loomis 1024c). We would match it with a baitcasting reel that has instant anti reverse in a 5500 series size.
Again, not all reel manufacturers use the same method of describing their reels, so look at several reels and make a choice based on: Manufacturer reputation, line capacity, design, and feel in the hand.
Here are some tips for Selecting a Reel
• Select several reels that fit your criteria.
• Does the reel fit in your hand comfortably? Is it too large? If the reel feels too big, select the next size down
• Remember, you will fish more comfortably if the reel fits your hand.
• Gear ratios - To explain it simply, the higher the ratio, the faster the retrieve of the bait without racing the handle on the reel and wrenching your wrist.
• The most often used gear ratios are 5.3 and 6.0 to 1. This means the spool turns 5.3 times every time you turn the handle of the reel 360 degrees (one time).
Mainline
Matching your mainline to your rod and reel is equally important. As you know there is a wide variety fishing lines you can use. The brand, quality, and features may have a bearing on your choice. Most importantly you need to match your line to your rod and reel. Often anglers choose a line that is too heavy for the rod, reel, or terminal tackle. Line weight is important to how much line you will spool and how the line works with the rod & the terminal tackle.
Even though a rod may be labeled with a line weight of 6 – 10lbs., you can usually adjust this a little. As an example: For a spincast setup used for free drifting we use a rod that is labeled as follows: 9'6" 4–8 1/16 - 3/8 Slow Action Ultra-Light. Even though the line weight listed on this rod states 4-8 lb, we use 10lb mono. I know of some guides who use 12lb line on the same rods.
Choosing a mainline can also be a daunting task. Should you use fluorocarbon, braided line, or just plain monofilament? Everyone has an opinion on this and this can be a heavily debated subject I just will not get into. If you choose to use super braids, you will have a heavy breaking strength line, but with a smaller diameter. Try it and decide.
Braided line has many wonderful qualities and I use it for certain applications. But remember, braided line cannot be handled the same as monofilament. It does not break off like Monofilament does. You cannot wrap your hand around. It will cut you very badly! Respect it and learn how to use properly.
Professionally, I use 10lb Izorline (high vis gold) for my mainline on my spinning rods. I also use 17lb Izorline (green) for my baitcast, (plugging) rods when I fish the Skagit, Snohomish, Snoqualmie, Skykomish, and Cowlitz rivers. I use Power Pro braid for my baitcast (plugging) rods for sturgeon and fishing on the Columbia River.
There are many things to consider with mainline. Find something you are confident in and that is balanced well for your rod and reel.
Leaders
The weight of the leader you use is just as important as the mainline. I suggest using leaders that are at least 2 lbs lighter than the mainline. This allows for break-offs below the terminal tackle, and most importantly it prevents hinging and wrapping commonly associated with using mismatched leaders and mainlines.
However, depending on the area and species of fish you are targeting, you may use a heavier leader than the mainline. I also use Izorline (green) for my leaders. I do not like using the fluorocarbon for leaders because I think it is just too stiff.
I tie all of my own leaders and I suggest you do the same. Pre-tied leaders are available though if you just do not have the time. Three Rivers Marine in Woodinville, WA has a wide variety of pre-tied leaders available on leader rolls. They are hand tied by a professional, not some factory. There are other companies who offer pre-tied leaders with a corkie or cheater too.
For most applications we use 4 – 6 foot leaders. It really depends on water clarity. The lower the visibility, the shorter the leader you can use. Also, if you are fishing on the bank, you can fish leaders 2 – 5 feet in length. Again it depends on water clarity.
Look at your rod, reel, mainline and leaders. Are you using gear that is too heavy? Have you missed fish because you did not know they picked up your bait? This is your gear, so it is your choice.
In Part 2 we will cover the terminal tackle, including hooks, lures, and bait.