Settle a bet for me

[michael1]

A friend of mine bought two different rods, wants to try them out and return the one he doesn't like as much. He wants to use it for jigs and bottom contact stuff so sensitivity is one of the highest considerations with this rod. To determine which is more sensitive I suggested he just tie on a jig and slowly drag it back along the bottom. He insisted he need to hop a worm where it would jump off the bottom and hit again to get a real sense. I told him either would work but he insisted that is the best way. Again, I am sure either would work but what would you do to compare the sensitivity of two different rods? Specifically choose more or a rock or mud bottom area?

[jbsoonerfan]

Why not do both?

[Fishes in trees]

Either one would work for me.  If you had access to a swimming pool, there would be the visual element as well, where you could see how much a certain level of twitch from your wrists would make the bait jump.  Really, there is a deep rabbit hole you can go down trying to decide which sensitivity test is best.

 

The one that I use, when I'm in a store trying to decide if I like a rod prior to purchase, is to LIGHTLY hold the rod and LIGHTLY drag the tip across the floor and see if I can feel the seams in the tile.   Should your tackle shop be carpeted this kinda works on carpet also.

[fishballer06]

Tie on a 3/4oz Carolina barrel weight on and drag it on the bottom. Feel the transistions, counts the rocks, feel the weeds/wood as you come through them. 

[Tennessee Boy]

When I was young,  I would go into tackle stores and drag the rod tip across the floor as mentioned above.  It was amazing how much more sensitive the higher end rods were.  I used this method for years.  Many years later I went to a tackle store with a friend and showed the technique to him.  He said I was full of it and proposed a blind test to see if I could tell a difference between the high end and low end rods.  I accepted the challenge....I failed miserably.  It's hard to tell a difference if you don't know the price of the rod. ?

[OnthePotomac]

I read an interesting article years ago about a bass pro who tested rod sensitivity dragging weights over his carpets at home.  I guess if you had hardwood floors it would not work. LOL  Why wouldn't a weight dragged over a lawn work?  When I test some of my reels after a cleaning I throw a weight out on the lawn and I am not looking for rod sensitivity, but the tip is sure jumping around on the retrieve.

[flyfisher]

Maybe I am in the minority here but if he fishes the rod, he shouldn't be returning it since it is no longer new.

As far as testing sensitivity is concerned, the lawn idea works but it is also subjective.  

[JustJames]

There is no one better than other but combination of both, if you only drag you might get a sensitivity of the rod but hopping can also enchant the feeling and also determine soft or stiffness of rod tip.

[WRB]

Sensitivity stops between your ears and starts at your finger tips. What does that mean? Rods can only transfer line movements via the rod guides, line doesn't or shouldn't contact the rod blank. The most important component is the line that moves otherwise you feel nothing at your finger tips or process the feel between your ears.

Anglers have a misconception of what Sensitivety is regarding fishing. Line vibrations like a tight guitar string don't travel through water, only line movements from being pulled or shaking by the lure or a strike from a fish can be felt via finger tips or seen visually.

Comparing 2 rods side by side using everything the same; line, lure and casting distance  will be inturpreted differently by each angler making the comparison.

Tom

[MichiganBass80]

5 hours ago, flyfisher said:

Maybe I am in the minority here but if he fishes the rod, he shouldn't be returning it since it is no longer new.

As far as testing sensitivity is concerned, the lawn idea works but it is also subjective.  

I was thinking the same thing.

 

Do the lawn or carpet idea.

[michael1]

6 hours ago, flyfisher said:

Maybe I am in the minority here but if he fishes the rod, he shouldn't be returning it since it is no longer new.

As far as testing sensitivity is concerned, the lawn idea works but it is also subjective.  

You'd have to explain to me the difference between keeping all the plastic/tags on a rod, putting a reel on it and throwing it for 10-15 and ensuring you do not scratch it up versus buying a sweater for your wife, she tries it on and decides it does not fit and therefore decides to return it...

[garroyo130]

On 3/15/2020 at 9:48 PM, michael1 said:

A friend of mine bought two different rods

What are the rods in question? 

[michael1]

3 hours ago, garroyo130 said:

What are the rods in question? 

I believe he has a Shimano Expride and a Dobyns 734 champion

[Bluebasser86]

On 3/16/2020 at 5:35 PM, michael1 said:

You'd have to explain to me the difference between keeping all the plastic/tags on a rod, putting a reel on it and throwing it for 10-15 and ensuring you do not scratch it up versus buying a sweater for your wife, she tries it on and decides it does not fit and therefore decides to return it...

Buying someone something that is intended as a gift that they decide to return on their own recognizance is a lot different than someone deciding they want to field test a couple rods and return one later. Having worked at a retail sporting goods store, regardless if the tags were left on, that product could no longer be put back on the shelf as new and had to be either returned to the maker, or on clearance. 

[Ogandrews]

To test out sensitivity before I have taken an ewg hook, cut the point off, and t rigged a senko or some other plastic I had lying around. I would then go into my basement and find my girlfriends cat and proceed to flip the senko near the cat until he would swat at it. Kinda just like fishing a bed fish, each time it would get close to him the more aggressive he would become until he is straight up trying kill your lure. Idk if this is exactly the best way to test sensitivity but it works. Minnesota winters are long, you need to get creative sometimes to make it through them without going insane.

[flyfisher]

On 3/16/2020 at 6:35 PM, michael1 said:

You'd have to explain to me the difference between keeping all the plastic/tags on a rod, putting a reel on it and throwing it for 10-15 and ensuring you do not scratch it up versus buying a sweater for your wife, she tries it on and decides it does not fit and therefore decides to return it...

you can do the same thing your wife did in the dressing room of the store.  You are taking a rod to a lake and trying to keep it looking "new" but are using it in a real world situation.  

Same thing with shoes.  I used to work at an outdoor store for a while and i would tell every customer who bought boots or shoes the same thing, you can wear them around your house all you want and bring them back but as soon as you step outside, they are no longer in new condition and cannot be returned.  It was pretty easy to tell who wore them outside too.

Same thing applies here.  Try it out at home in your yard even but don't take it out and actually fish with it because at that point it is no longer new.

[Boomstick]

Either will work. Hoping a bait, you can't miss the snap but when dragging a bait, the input is a little more subtle so that would be my preference.