THE CHOICE IS YOURS...
When to use what rod…
It can be overwhelming, staggering even. I’m talking of course about which rods to buy. If you’re more than the most casual angler you already know the width and depth of the field. Even here at Elysian Fishing the choices are vast, and that’s a good thing but how do we navigate through all those choices?
As a casual angler who can’t stay away from the tournaments and competition and a student of the game I am forever watching videos, Youtube tutorials, every Professional show, reading books, and always talking with fellow competitors to learn just that little bit more. You know the one thing I have found to hold true consistently more than another?
Simple: We are all different and unique in our approach to and styles of fishing.
Some Anglers want and own a specialty rod for every scenario, lure type, line weight, lure weight and even the water craft in which they’re fishing! Others have their two trusted rigs and nothing else will do and if they lose or break one? Well, they will go to the ends of the earth to replace it. I’m probably somewhere in the middle. I own a bunch of rods but I become stubbornly loyal to those I like and feel to improve my fishing.
While I have buddies and know many tournament anglers who stock their kayaks and boats with eight, ten and more rods for any given day. I fish out of a smaller kayak and find the magic number for me and the size yak I have, is four rods. That’s right four…
I own a good number of rods but I only use four on any given day based on what I plan on throwing bait wise, season and type/thickness of water vegetation. Elysian Fishing has plenty of choices in every category, weight, length and action and I’ll talk about which Elysian's I use and why…
My basic foundation is built on the following sizes; Medium/Light, Medium, Medium Heavy and Heavy. They’re usually around the 7’0" length with 6’9” being the shortest. I like some backbone coupled with a Fast Action and flexible upper in my Medium Light's and Medium's.
Because of my Kayak limitations I want versatile rods, capable of doing different jobs throughout a season of fishing. When I’m out walking the trails and beating the banks the choices become even slimmer; Nothing heavier than a Medium and I prefer Fast Action especially on the bank for close order casting. I have a tendency to leave lures in the trees…
So… the staples; The one rod that is absolutely always with me is the Elysian Fishing Yak Series 7’0" Medium Fast action bait casting rod. The Yak Series, designed with a shorter handle is made specifically for the kayak angler for ease of motion in the tight confines of a kayak. But I find myself using it while on the bank as well as it’s simply a great rod.
It has become and remains my Cranking rod, my favorite bait to throw. Because of the super light responsive blank my casting arm doesn’t suffer from excessive fatigue after hours of casting cranks, especially in an eight hour tournament. The strong backbone partnered with a flexible tip ensures a good hook set without ripping the treble free.
The other Medium that is always with me is the Elysian Fishing Alpha Series 7’0" Medium Fast Action Spinning Rod. This rod is my absolute go to for finesse and power finesse applications. This inexpensive rod is incredibly accurate when casting weightless worms and stick baits. I’m the type of angler who likes to cast into difficult places where many others won’t.
The strength and sensitivity of the Alpha Series allows me to feel the nudge through the growth and set hard enough to get that hawg out of the weeds before he spits that hook.
My Elysian Fishing Arcadian 6’8” Medium Light Spinning Rod handles the lighter side of Ned rigs, Micro jigs, even inlines. We all have those tough days when the only thing biting are the mosquitoes. Those are the days my Arcadian Series sees the most action. Slow dragging, dead sticking or drop shotting to entice the lethargic bass into opportunity hits. The Arcadian Series is also a favorite for me to use from the bank, Shorter than my other rods and easy to cast while versatile through many types of baits.
If you prefer a longer rod in the Medium Light category I can absolutely recommend the Elysian Fishing Omega Series 7’2”. Another great rod I use when I feel like I need a bit more distance than I get from the Arcadian Series. When throwing heavier baits such as Chatters, Jigs etc… I equip a sturdy Medium Heavy.
But when the summer days are long and the vegetation is deep and thick and everywhere, I rig up my Elysian Arcadian 7’2” Heavy Caster. This bad boy will easily handle the heaviest line, the thickest growth and the biggest bass!
I will never forget the look on a fishing buddy’s face that day he lost a monster simply because his rod was the wrong tool for the weeded lake we were on. He watched, helplessly as the bass completely visible in the tanic water wrapped the line up in the weeds while his rod didn’t have enough backbone to horse that hawg out of the mess. It was heartbreaking and we’ve all experienced it. I want confidence in my gear when frogging and punching the thick stuff and the Arcadian Series Heavy gives me that!
Let’s sum it all up. How do you make the choice easier? If you’re just starting out or have a limited budget or prefer fewer rods in the garage pick just a few rods that fit the bill for the fishing in your area. Versatile rods that will cover a wide spectrum of techniques such as Medium weight spinning rods with a bait casting rod thrown in for those fast cast and retrieve days.
Is there a particular type of fishing you enjoy over others? Then grab something specialized like a dedicated crank rod or a Medium Light finesse rig. As far as rod manufactures and companies the choices are unlimited. But I can say this; I have landed more fish on my Elysian's than on any other rod brand. Elysian Fishing rods helped me qualify for the 2019 Big Bass Championship. But most importantly when I fish with Elysian I fish with confidence and that helps me have fun, enjoy my passion and simply catch more fish.
…and that’s my choice… What’s yours?
Tight lines,
Eric J - Elysian Fishing Pro Team Member
For article inquires or rod recommendations, please contact Elysian Fishing at info@ElysianFishing.com