Sensitivity, what's more important the angler or the pole?

[retiredbosn]

As everyone on this board is painfully aware by now, it is cold and I have much to much time on my hands. Today's thought has to do with rod sensitivity. It wasn't that many years ago and the choice of rod was simple, they were all fiberglass, and the ratings were simpler, and a lot fish got caught. Anyway, now with graphite rods, and all of the ratings, modulus's and all, it gets confusing. I will admit my hook up rate soared with the new graphite rods, and I'm not complaining. Anyway now with 70million modulus graphite rods, and sensitivity increasing every day, how much benefit, v/s cost has resulted. The brittle nature of graphite means that it has limits as far as the size fish they can handle, and the more fragile they are around kids, wives, and easier to damage. How much benefit is there jumping from say 45 million modulus to 70 million, is the sensitivity improved that markedly? I've noticed that I still keep my pinky on the rod blank under the reel seat and one finger under the line where it comes out the reel, I feel that I can noticed any change in the line or feel the slightest bump better this way. So in the end is sensitivity a matter of how you hold the rod as much as the modulus rating. BTW I'm in no way suggesting that you would have the same sensitivity with a rod without through the handle blank construction or poor fiberglass. What my point is that the way you palm your reel and hold your pole has as much to do with sensitivity as modulus rating. Example I believe that I can have better sensitivity with a 45 million modulus with the way I palm the reel and hold the pole than someone who uses a 70 million modulus pole and has sloppy reel/rod handling techniques.

[flechero]

There is no question that we all feel different things and different degrees of things... unfortunately for some...  the most sensitive hands benefit the most from the more sensitive rods.  Not real fair when you think about it but then not everyone has the mindset to throw spinnerbaits and rattle traps.  

In any case, I say it's the angler, not the pole that is most important.  But having said that, a good rod can make a good worm or jig fisherman even better.

[daviscw]

If you don't know where and when to throw your bait, your rod is useless. Hell, the angler is the one behind the rod.

My vote goes to the angler.

8-)

[Dan:]

The angler can only do so much to increase his feel. On the other hand there are many variants in ways rod design can increase sensitivity.  You can hold your hand however you want, but to really give yourself the best odds of feeling a bite as possible, a high modulus rod is a must.

If both grip and high graphite modulus contribute to overall sensitivity, then I'm going to use both.

[jig]

no question in my opinion its the angler.

[islandbass]

I say angler. Jeepers, even an ugly stick is sensitive in my hands.

[Pond Hopper]

I had a good friend that could find fish, structure, etc. with no problem.  On a "sensitive" bite he could fish a Loomis and I could fish an Ugly Stick and catch more fish than he did because he had dead hands.  Part of it is confidence and part is experience.  If you dont know what you are looking for chances are you will not find it.  

That being said a better rod put more quality fish in the boat for me.  

[The_Natural]

Sure palming the reel with a finger on the blank and line extracts every last bit of sensitivity from your rod (the way I was taught), but it can only go so far. Every human is different (obviously), and some are going to have more nerve endings in their hands than others, but I just don't think you can overcome 400% more sensitivity (I can conservatively say a GLX is 4x as sensitive as an ugly stick). Can I feel bites with any rod? Absolutely. But detecting a bite and getting kicked in the hands would be the best way to portray the difference in rods for me. I wish the blank didn't have such an impact...I'd save a lot of money.

[firefightn15]

In my case, it's all about me.  I rally hate to admit it, but I get bored really fast.  And when I get bored, I don't pay attention, I am thinking about tossing something else, or the weather, or trees, or why the sun comes up in the east.  And this really sucks, because soft plastics is something I want to get better at so bad.  I understand the ideas, concept and mechanics of it, just have crappy patience.

I vote angler, because without discipline and patience, the pole isn't gonna help a whole lot.

[SirSnookalot]

I think it depends on the style of fishing and what you are fishing for.  Casting for bass I prefer a good quality sensitive rod, technolgy is getting better and better.

The times that I'm drifting for larger fish with bait like kings the bite can be very subtle, I find braided line not the rod furnishes the sensitivty I'm looking for.

[LAO162]

I think the angler and his experience are probably the greatest part of the equation.  However, when it comes to rods, sensititivity is not purely in the numbers.  My IM8 rods are more sensitive than my IM9 rods and my 60 million modulus BPS Extreme is not as sensitive as my rods with lower modulus numbers.  Also, I think there is a difference between transmitting bites and general vibrations.  My IM9 rods seems more sensitive when tapping it on the hard floor, but the IM8 is more sensitive when tapping it on carpet.  At the water, the IM8 transmits far more useful information, and is the one I trust most.

Just my observations

[roadwarrior]

Higher quality equipment will not make a poor fisherman good,

but it will make a good fisherman better.

8-)

[Hoytman#1]

Higher quality equipment will not make a poor fisherman good,

but it will make a good fisherman better.

8-)

What he said!!!

[jack1]

Hands down it's the angler. Equipments are just tools, not going to make you a better angler if you don't know how to fish to begin with.

[Muddy]

I would say angler sensitivity is so much more important. I find it warm when my fishing partner knows how i feel when I have a fight with the ol lady, how he weeps when he sees a fawn n the shore, reminding him of Bambi , how.........OH OH MISUNDERTOOD THE QUESTION>>>>>>>>>>>my mistake

[drmnbig]

I would have to definitely say angler.  This is one of the things I've been focusing on watching fishing shows this winter.  I love picking people apart in how their body movements and expressions are.  I have been focusing on the hands of anglers in all the fishing shows and I can tell you that it seems like about 8 out of every 10 anglers on tv are shown with their fingers fidgeting with the line.  Although the pole can make a difference there can be nothing better than feeling what the bait is actually attached to.

[Raul]

Physically measurable are the vibration transmiting properties of line, blank, reel seat material and such, but what is not measurable is the perception, everybody is different.

Ask me what color is the sky and I 'll say blue, ask my friend Luis and he 'll tell you the sky is light purple.