HOW TO SET UP A TRAVEL FISHING ROD AND REEL
Step 1: GET EVERYTHING TOGETHER
TRAVEL ROD
Rods will be designed to go with specific reels. The size of the reel will be indicated in the write up for the fishing rod you own.
FISHING REEL
Reel sizes start with 500 (very small) to 10,000 very big. An all-round size for most fishing rods we have is a 3000 size. For smaller rods we offer a 1000 and for larger a 6000.
Reels have various functions. The most common is a Spinning Reel, however there are many other reels including Bait Casters, Bait Runners, and Fly Reels. Again, the reel you require will be indicated on the rod text.
All spin reels can be left or right-handed. There are video instructions how to do this on the Reel listings on Amazon.
FISHING LINE
The type of fishing line you will use is fully dependent upon what type of fish you are fishing for.
The size of line is indicated on the fishing reel. You can use a braided mainline or a monofilament mainline. Braid is far more expensive, however thinner, and stronger.
The line you use depends on the fish you are targeting. Strong line for big fish and visa-versa.
Step 2: UNDERSTAND THE PARTS
THE TRAVEL ROD
• Rod Tip or Tips.
- The tip is the last section of the rod and is the thinnest part of the rod to help you feel when a fish bites.
- Caution: Be aware of where the tip of your rod is, as it is the easiest part of the rod to break.
- For most of the Rigged and Ready rods there will be multiple tips for various fishing techniques. The details of which tip does what is on the Amazon images for the products.
• Guides & Eyes
- Guides are circles that the line passes through and are there to keep the line close to the rod.
• Handle
- The handle is often made up of a softer material than the rod, as it is what you will be holding the entire time you are fishing.
• Reel Seat
- The reel seat is in the handle secures the reel to the rod.
The Reel
• Spool
- The spool is what the fishing line is wound around.
• Handle
- When the handle turns, line is forced back into the reel.
• Bail
- The bail is a metal arm that can stop the line from coming out of the spool.
- When "closed", little to no line can come out of the spool.
- When "open", line can come out of the spool freely.
• Reel Foot
- The reel foot firmly connects the rod to the reel.
• Drag Knob (front of the reel)
- The drag knob allows you to set how easily line can come out of the spool when the bail is closed.
- When the know is "tightened", line cannot come out of the spool with the bail closed.
- When the knob is "loosened", line can come out of the spool with very little force applied when the bail is closed.
- Removing the Drag Knob allows you to change the spool.
• Line Roller
- The line roller accurately guides the line from the spool to the rod.
Step 3: ASSEMBLING THE ROD
All the rod parts fit together in a logical order from the handle to the tip. There are instructional videos on most of the Rigged and Ready Travel Rods on Amazon and online in the product listings.
Always start with handle and find the next largest part that inserts into the hole on the handle. There should be some resistance and by holding each part in each hand and twisting carefully the sections can be joined together.
Make sure all the eyes on the rod are in line, so the line can smoothy go through them all.
Step 4: CONNECT THE ROD TO THE REEL
1. Loosen the reel seat (on the rod)
The reel seat will unscrew to make it big enough so the reel foot can fit inside it.
2. Place the reel foot into the reel seat
3. Tighten the reel seat
Caution: If the reel can wobble in the reel fastener, repeat these steps until the reel is sturdy.
Step 5: PUT LINE ON THE REEL
Spooling, or putting line on, the reel is a vital step to fishing, and can lead to difficulties and frustration when fishing if done improperly.
1. Open the Bail
2. Place the line around the reel once
This should result in two "pieces" of line (they are still connected around the reel)
3. Tie a standard knot using these two "pieces”.
4. Tie another knot with the resulting pieces of line
5. Cut the loose piece of line approximately 1/4" away from the reel
6. Close the bail
7. Tightly hold the line a foot (50cm) away from the reel and reel in with the other hand
This will prevent the line from getting tangled when the line is put on the reel and will keep it tight. If you are not sure there are many videos on YouTube showing this in action.
8. Turn the reel until the desired amount of line is on the reel
The amount of line needed depends on what kind of reel you have as well as what kind of line you are using. Most reels should be spooled with line just below the lip of the fishing spool, so the line comes off easily in the cast.
Step 6: LINE THROUGH THE ROD
1. Grab the tip of the line with one hand
2. Open the bail arm with the other hand
You can then pull the line off the fishing reel.
3. Place the line through each of the rod guides
Start at the bottom guide and end at the tip. Caution: Do not let go of the line or it may fall back through the guides
Step 7: SET THE DRAG
1. Turn the drag knob clockwise to tighten or counter clockwise to loosen
2. Manually pull line from your reel to determine how the drag has been affected. It should be set so the line will pull out from the reel without breaking. Having the drag set to this level stops big fish breaking the line.
3. Repeat these steps until the drag is set at a desirable amount
