Choosing a Rod and Reel according to Alan Tani

This is by far the best advise that I have read so far. The most common mistake that I usually do is that I almost always buy the reel first before I buy the rod. I usually end up selling the reel because I cannot find the correct rod for it. I now believe that it should be the other way around.

This article from Alan Tani explains why.

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Selecting a rod - "The Wand Picks the Wizard, Mr. Potter."

by Alan Tani from http://alantani.com

To establish the proper rating for a rod, here is the procedure....

1. Place any reel on the rod with any heavy line (it does not matter). run the line through the guides and tie the water jug at the end. place the rod in a holder of some sort so that the rod butt rests at a 45 degree angle. now add water or weight (cut a hole in the jug) until the rod bends to the desired flex that you want.

I usually look for the rod tip to bend until the tip is midway between the top of the arc and the butt cap of the rod. you may desire more or less. it depends upon the type of rod and your personal preferences.

2. Now measure or total up the weight. let's say that you have a medium weight rod that flexes to a desired amount with only 10 pounds. you have now determined the proper drag setting for your rod.

3. Now choose a line weight. different people have different preferences. you might typically fish as heavy a drag setting as 33% or as light as 25%. anything more risks line breakage. anything less is wasted unless line abrasion resistance is a concern. admittedly, i fish some rigs as heavy as 50% and others as light as 12%. let's just say that we will stay within average parameters. with a desired 10 pound drag setting at a 33%, you need a 30 pound mono.

4. Now chose a line capacity. typically people look for 300 of line capacity. what fish can take a 100 yard run on you if the drags are properly set? that is the length of a football field. why in the world would anyone want 500 yards of line for fish under 60 pounds? in the vast majority of situations, it is lack of confidence and low drag settings. very few fishermen actually check the drag settings with a scale. i'm sorry that this is so harsh, but unless the fish is larger than 5 times the line weight, i see no reason for getting "spooled." in open water, you typically fight a 40 pound fish with only the first 100 yards of 40 pound mono. in moving water or fish up to twice the line rating, that fight might occur in the first 150 yards. i use 300 yards for smaller tuna, 500 yards for the big ones.

5. Now pick the size of the reel. are you fishing with straight mono or spectra with a mono topshot. what ever the situation, you pick the size of the spool to fit the required amount of line. and make sure it can deliver the required amount of drag and still maintain good free spool.
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I think you can use a digital scale instead of a water jug.
This is especially applicable for Lure anglers or light tackle anglers like us. The rod will determine how many casts you can make for the duration of your fishing trip. Too heavy a rod or an unbalanced combo will tire you quickly and will not cast properly.