Is rod sensitivity overrated?

[Finnz922]

Rod sensitivity. I was thinking about this the other day. While I am ABSOLUTELY NOT saying this is not important, I think it is overrated. I look around at the better anglers I have fished with in clubs and leagues and most if not all are using $180 or less rods. Not too mention all the older rods with older tech they are still using. Then I started thinking about the some of the top Elite pros and what their rods cost and what tech the rods supposedly contain vs the upper echelon of rods. For example, most think of KVD as the greatest angler and he is using $150 Quantum rods, Aaron Martens is using $150 Enigma Rods, Skeet Reese is using Wright & McGill $100 rods, Jason Christie is using a $100 Falcons, not too mention all the BPS and Duckett sponsored pros.

 

Compare this to the Tech and where anglers rank that use $300 to $700 rods and there is no comparison. Obviously skill is number 1 and rods are 2 or maybe even 3 on list of important tools to most anglers. 

 

Do you think companies just don't want to give these high dollar rods away and that's why more anglers don't fish them?

 

Do you think sensitivity is overrated?

[5by3]

Yes and no. The more sensitivity the better for bottom contact baits imo... but for moving baits like spinnerbaits, crankbaits, topwater, etc. I think rod action and how it loads are far more important. 

 

Also, low stretch lines like braid transmit more feel and can sometimes negate the need for a super sensitive rod. 

 

However, if sensitive rods are in your budget, I say go out and buy the best you can afford as they can only elevate your fishing game!

[OkobojiEagle]

No, I don't think rod sensitivity is over-rated... I do think rod BALANCE is often under-rated.  Why do you think that a 150.00 rod would not be sensitive?

 

 

oe

[r83srock]

17 minutes ago, OkobojiEagle said:

No, I don't think rod sensitivity is over-rated... I do think rod BALANCE is often under-rated.  Why do you think that a 150.00 rod would not be sensitive?

 

 

oe

Finnz922, you bring up a good question and some valid points, I also agree OkobojiEagle about balance. I think your wrist is constantly “fighting” an unbalanced rod, and it may cut down on what your brain may be able to tell you your hands are sensing. Line is a big one as well. Good dense copoly or braid will level the playing field. Sensitivity  varies by user, but to me some of my sub $80 rods are my most sensitive ones. We can talk about “graphite” and weight, and modulus, and stiffness to weight ratio. Give me some braid, on a balanced modern day rod built by whoever and I’ll forget about all that. I’m very mechanical, I like the thought of a technical high dollar rod, I just don’t think it usually matters much from a sensitivity standpoint. Just my two cents.

[Deleted account]

50 minutes ago, OkobojiEagle said:

Why do you think that a 150.00 rod would not be sensitive?

Because it's not made from HM 3 bizillion, 9.5 mega ton, nano epoxied, rare earth mineral sprinkled, gravity negating, time travellng, life changing carbon fibre, duh!....

 

In a previous life, one of the things I did was to assist professional athletes i(not anglers) in adapting to different equipment when sponsorship required it. I can't tell you how often they were reluctant to change, and hated the latest and greatest. 

[Catt]

From a dumb Cajun's perspective ?

 

Line, rod, hands, & brain working unison!

[Mr. Bassin II]

Simply.  No.

[Wildbillb]

I feel it can be too sensitive and you pull the bait away from the fish.

[EGbassing]

13 minutes ago, Wildbillb said:

I feel it can be too sensitive and you pull the bait away from the fish.

Not a problem if you just wait a second to set the hook. If it isn't sensitive you won't feel those light bites, and they'll spit it out or swallow it.

[nd1225]

Moving baits it’s not important.

 

contact baits, absolutely important.

 

However, I remember in college we were playing golf in a group of 3 and a older gentlemen joined us. He had clubs from the 80’s and proceeded to whip all of us.

 

To me skill and experience are much more important. 

 

I’m a Kistler guy. Is there a difference between the Magnesium 2 and the Z-Bone?

 

ABSOLUTELY, but I believe me catching more and more fish over the last several years has more to do with me picking up tips from friends, reading articles and watching videos with info from pros. 

[Angry John]

Fishing equipment is just like cars.  Will a Ferrari (megabass) or a vw bug (Shakespeare) both catch fish.  Yes.  But if you were a Laguna scca which one would you want to have.  Having high sensitivity helps you to feel what is going on.  I cant say that it's not always better, or that it matters at all.  If you are not used to fishing a very Sensitive rod your reactions may not be correct for the situation.  Sensitive crankbait rods are nice for me because I can tell if there is a small piece of grass on the bait by its change in wobble.  That extra feel makes some people trigger happy and they yank the bait away.  I like Sensitive rods for everything and I feel it helps me know what is happening.  

[WRB]

Read the 3 page long post Rod Sensitivety on the forum page for my long reply.

In short rods are not sensitive, they have no sense of feel nor do they attenuate line vibration we feel. Rods can dampen vibration and that is what marketing folks focus on when they claim their rods are more sensitive, the truth is the rods dampen feedback less.

todays light weight high modulus rods with light weight multiple guides are enjoyable to fish with and give anglers better feedback then the older heavier rods with fewer giudes.

High end materials cost more but it's the labor to build them in the US or Japan that raises the prices. There are some excellent rods avialible between $100-$150 price point.

Tom

[Catt]

3 hours ago, Wildbillb said:

I feel it can be too sensitive and you pull the bait away from the fish.

 

You aint that fast!  ?

[38 Super Fan]

For the most part, I'd say sensitivity is overrated. Meanwhile... power, action/taper, and balance get little attention, but are often more important.

[OnthePotomac]

Pay attention to what is happening on the end of your line no matter the rod and if need be, fish with the line over your finger and you will feel a burp on your line.

[MassYak85]

To me balance and rod action are what I look for first and foremost. For moving baits I really am not concerned with sensitivity, I figure any decent rod is going to be adequately sensitive anyways now-a-days. Most of my worm fishing and light finesse stuff I do on a spinning rod, in which case my finger is on the line itself and that will always convey more information than the rod, so it doesn't matter to me either for spinning generally. The only one I might care about is bottom contact baitcasters applications (where my finger is NOT on the line) like jig fishing. 

[Catt]

This what I started tournament fishing with!

 

Abu Garcia Ambassadeur 5000 (red)

Heddon Mark Special Purpose #6271 5 1/2' MH Fiberglass with a cast aluminum reel seat & handle.

Total weight about 2# plus!

 

Anything above I'm happy, happy, happy ?

[Finnz922]

10 hours ago, OkobojiEagle said:

No, I don't think rod sensitivity is over-rated... I do think rod BALANCE is often under-rated.  Why do you think that a 150.00 rod would not be sensitive?

 

 

oe

Not sure what you meant, but I never said $150 rod wasn't sensitive. It's possible I wasn't clear and comparing it to the high end rods thought to be more sensitive because of the tech/materials put into them.

[greentrout]

Once read Rick Clunn said one rod only would be fiberglass/graphite composite heavy action 7' rod...you won't lose your fish...

 

good fishing....

[dave]

For example, most think of KVD as the greatest angler and he is using $150 Quantum rods, Aaron Martens is using $150 Enigma Rods, Skeet Reese is using Wright & McGill $100 rods, Jason Christie is using a $100 Falcons, not too mention all the BPS and Duckett sponsored pros.

 

20 some years ago,  I was at a fishing expo in Richmond VA called Bassarama.  I was talking to a worker in the booth for a custom rod builder.  It was a Friday and I commented on the light crowd and lack of traffic in the booth.  He mentioned that the crowd would pick up Saturday when Guido Hibdon was in the booth.  I said the Guido was sponsored by (I think it was Daiwa)   The guy said,  "that might be what he says out loud and what the label on the rod says but..."    Another employee came over and put and end to the conversation after acknowledging the truth of the previouse employee's statement.  I know rod technology and production has changed in twenty years but,  I never believe that some of these guys are fishing with the same off the shelf rods available to the public.  Especially the mass produced stuff.

[FishDewd]

To me, any rod over $100 is high end! Lol

 

But yeah I think it helps. Like others have said, it's not as important is some applications, like moving baits since those bites tend to be pretty obvious, but on other things like no-feel presentations like a ned rig, or even a texas rig it can certainly make at least a little bit of difference. Given that I have my finger on my line with a baitcaster though, I generally can feel those tiny taps. Whether I can get the fish on the hook is a different story!

[WRB]

2 hours ago, Catt said:

This what I started tournament fishing with!

 

Abu Garcia Ambassadeur 5000 (red)

Heddon Mark Special Purpose #6271 5 1/2' MH Fiberglass with a cast aluminum reel seat & handle.

Total weight about 2# plus!

 

Anything above I'm happy, happy, happy ?

You gotta love those "feather lite" reel seats. I had that same combo!

Tom

[Bermise]

12 hours ago, Finnz922 said:

For example, most think of KVD as the greatest angler and he is using $150 Quantum rods, Aaron Martens is using $150 Enigma Rods, Skeet Reese is using Wright & McGill $100 rods, Jason Christie is using a $100 Falcons, not too mention all the BPS and Duckett sponsored pros.

 

That is because they are paid to use those brands and those brands only on tv. It’s a contract. 

[Catt]

50 minutes ago, Bermise said:

That is because they are paid to use those brands and those brands only on tv. It’s a contract. 

 

KVD could pick any product on the market & they would fall all over themselves to please him.

 

KVD chose Quantum, Nitro, Strike King, Toyota, & others because they are what he likes!

 

Most Pros jump on any sponsorship KVD picks his!

[Stephen B]

10 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

KVD could pick any product on the market & they would fall all over themselves to please him.

 

KVD chose Quantum, Nitro, Strike King, Toyota, & others because they are what he likes!

 

Most Pros jump on any sponsorship KVD picks his!

Definitely! I agree that just about every manufacturer would love to have KVD on their pro staff. I don't know if picked them due to the fact that KVD liked Quantum products, staff, and their goals and objectives. Or if it was purely due to the fact they paid him the most. Maybe a combination of both.