Fishing: I want to start, need advice

[Daem0hn]

Good afternoon sports-fans!

heres a curve ball for you (seeing the majority of this thread is NFL NHL or Soccer)

I would like to start fishing, just casual fishing off the beach and in the surf, nothing too hardcore as i am still rather new and inexperienced

My questions are:

1) What length rod should i look for?

2) What is the stronger rod design: Telescopic or Pull-Apart (whats the actual name for this?)

3) What features should i be looking for in a reel?

4) Are certain brands better than others?

5) what are overhead and a spinning reels?

Thanks in advance for your advice :)

--Mike

[L3thal Veteran]

Well, it all depends on what type of fish you are planning to go after. If you are going after striped sea bass like I do, the bigger the rod the better because those scum bags pull very hard and the extra length on the rod makes it smoother to reel those bastards in.

A telescopic rod design is better than the "pull-apart" when it comes to reliability and endurance. When looking at a reel, the main thing you should do is look at its design in terms of what type of finish does it have. Is it plastic, metal, etc.

Other than that, it all depends on the fish your are planning to go after.

[MR_Candyman]

odd, I've broken 3 telescopic rods, yet not a single pull apart...I really can't see telescopic being better

ya, go to a pro shop and get their advice, I have no idea what it's like fishin in australia. As for reel types, there's many different kinds, as seen here: http://www.oldreels.com/reeltypes.htm

Each type has it's own purpose, but for spinning reels, which I guess you are asking about, I prefer open faced. Closed face reels tend to not cast as far, and they bind like crazy. Look out for knots forming like crazy when you use a closed faced spinning reel.