Daiwa Proteus Telescopic Surfcasting Rod

If you want to buy a rod for Surf-Casting the first thing you should know is that it will practically become an extension of your own arm.
There are rods specially manufactured for the practice of this type of fishing and that have special characteristics.

MATERIAL
The main options to consider are centered on two: carbon and fiberglass.
Carbon is the favorite choice of anglers because it offers much lighter and easier to cast rods. It also allows us a faster recovery to improve our casts.
THE LENGTH
It must be long enough, ranging over 4.5 meters.
In any case, the most important thing is that the rod is comfortable when casting. A comfort that must always be subordinated to the need for the cast to reach the back line of the breaker of the waves, if we want to obtain any result in this type of fishing.
The place where we are going to develop the fishing is another variable to take into account because if we fish from the shore of the beach, the best will be long and powerful rods, about 3.80 to 4.20 meters long with an action of 8 to 10, with which we can overcome the line of the breaker. If we fish from cliffs or breakers, the rods can be somewhat shorter, in order to facilitate the casting maneuver from our fishing spot between the protruding rocks.
Telescopic or plug rod? The first thing to know is that both options are, as far as mechanical characteristics are concerned, very similar, allowing us very similar casts in any case (as long as they have the same type of carbon, the same action and the same length).

THE POWER
The rods for this type of fishing are extremely resistant, in order to support the great weights of some pieces that we will have the opportunity to lift on occasion.
But this resistance cannot be, in any case, against flexibility; so much so that any expert will tell you that it is essential that the rod we use in Surf Casting can be bent along its entire length.

THE ACTION
The most used size in our country is 4.5 meters, and with an action of 100 - 200 grams. This is because it is the most versatile model and the one that best adapts to any fishing condition.
When selecting the action of our rod, we must choose between three different options

• Tip action: the one in which only the end parts of the rod work, i.e. the tip. This type of action requires a very fast reaction, which means an immediate and precise strike. It is suitable for very long casts and for anglers who have a fairly refined technique to obtain a good performance from the rod
• Semi-parabolic or semi-rigid action, suitable for any type of casting distance
• Parabolic action: rods that work along their entire length, allowing casting small weights at more than acceptable distances. It requires that we act with certain anticipation with respect to the moment of the bite, since it presents certain delay in the nailing. It is a good action for medium distances, since it requires a minimum effort to cast. For all these reasons it is undoubtedly the most suitable for novice anglers

RINGS
Currently the market trend is towards the rings called monopulse or balloon and ceramic SIC, also known as "0" friction.
It is recommended that these rings are large, in order to facilitate the passage of the thread, without imposing any resistance.

A last but important point to take into account in the selection of the rod for this type of fishing is the species we are going to fish, since depending on its characteristics we will have to give more importance to the power of the rod (large species, which oppose a strong resistance) or to its flexibility (smaller species whose bite is less perceptible).

how do I know which rod is right for me? There are many things to take into account and do not hesitate to consult our experts.

• LENGTH
• RESISTANCE
• MEMORY OF A ROD
• ACTION
• MATERIAL
• WEIGHT
• ARMED
• WEIGHT

LENGTH
The size or length of the rod is one of the most important points. Opt for a rod whose length allows us to maneuver and cast the tackle or lure with the utmost comfort.
There is nothing worse than fishing with a rod that is out of our size, both large and small, since the only thing we will certainly get will be wrong casts that will not get any result.


STRENGTH
That is, the ability of the rod to resist the fight against the fish.
We must not fall into the error of thinking that the strongest is the best. The resistance of a rod is not a characteristic that indicates quality, but rather a condition of the element; in other words, the rod must resist simply what it was made for, otherwise it would be useless.
Depending on the resistance of the rod, we can make the following classification:

• Ultra-light.
• Light.
• Medium. Medium.
• Heavy.
• Ultra-heavy
• .

The lighter the resistance of the rod means that it is valid for small fish, which will increase as we increase the resistance.
Choosing an inadequate resistance for the species we are trying to fish will mean that the rod does not transmit (or does it wrongly) the sensations that the fish transmits during the fight, making the fishing action more complicated.

MEMORY OF A ROD
The natural shape of a rod is straight; however, the fishing action involves a constant bending. Well, when bending it, the rod offers a resistance that is equal to the applied force but in the opposite direction, that is, a reaction.
The speed with which it returns to its previous state is what is commonly called the rod's reaction or "memory".
The rod must have adequate reaction or memory so that the angler does not lose fishing sensation, to make the cast satisfactorily or to nail the fish if necessary.

ACTION
Maximum weight to which the rod can be subjected at the time of the cast. It is expressed in grams, usually with two numbers, which indicate the weight range that the rod can support without problems.
Each rod is designed for a specific type of fishing, according to which the level of flexion it can reach and the limit of effort it can withstand is established.
In this sense, three moments are distinguished in the cast:

• Critical zone: moment in which the rod tip is subjected to the greatest load, being able to overcome its resistance and break easily.
• Strength zone: optimum position for the rod, where it can make the greatest efforts and is used correctly.
• Tension zone: position in which the reel and the line suffer the greatest tension.
When

casting the rod, it flexes in different ways. According to the shape of the bend, rods are classified as follows:

• Fast action or tip action rods: they tend to bend at the tip.
• They give greater fishing sensation but are less effective for long casts.
• Medium action rods: they bend in the middle of the rod.
• They give a good fishing sensation and are suitable for medium casts.
• Slow or full action rods: they bend along their entire length.

• They are the most suitable for long casts.

MATERIAL
Currently the market saturates us with a large number of materials:

• Fiberglass (solid or hollow),
• carbon fiber or graphite.
• Kevlar: very strong and at the same time very light resin used in armor plating for vests and vehicles, which is currently being introduced in the manufacture of fishing rods, although its high price means that its use is not very widespread.

• Composite: a mixture of fiberglass, graphite, kevlar or other materials.

There are

also

others less present in the market.
The main objective is that the rod has the greatest possible reaction, that is, the greatest possible speed to return to its natural straight state.
With all the materials it is possible to achieve the three types of actions mentioned above.
If there is something to highlight about fiberglass is that it hardly needs any maintenance care. In addition, its light weight, its great reaction and its extraordinary resistance and flexibility, together with the great variety of models and low cost, made fiberglass rods to be positioned in the first place of sales some years ago.
Nowadays, fiberglass has been surpassed by graphite. Although their cost is higher, they are more reactive and weigh less.
There are also so-called composite rods, which try to combine all the benefits of the different materials that exist, combining weight, reaction and cost.

WEIGHT
We must take into account that we will spend many hours carrying the rod, but not only that, but we will also have to make a physical effort in each cast; and we will surely regret if the weight of the rod is excessive.
The rod must have the weight that you think is convenient, since not always the lighter is better, we must not forget that in the case of needing to make long casts with varied fishing equipment, the rods with greater weight have greater yield; the weight must be chosen according to the type of fishing that we are going to make.

ARMADO
The rod must have a correct armed as far as the position and type of thread guides, suitable handle, etc.
An important aspect in the rod are the guides, rings or guide rings of the rod, which is a device for guiding the fishing line designed not to offer friction, hardness and at the same time that they are light and do not add more weight to the rod.
They must maintain the sensitivity of the rod, prevent the line from twisting, help the casting distances to be greater and maintain the balance of the rod.

HANDLE
It is the one that will allow the passage of sensations from the tip of the rod to the hand, a set of sensations that are essential to achieve the desired results:

• Functionality: that is, the ability of the handle to provide the angler with adequate support to manipulate the rod.

• A functional handle will allow a better transfer of energy from the angler's hand and arm to the rod and line.
• Ergonomics: quality that allows the angler to manipulate the rod comfortably and efficiently, minimizing effort. A rod should be equipped with a handle of a size and shape that matches the number and power of the rod, as well as standard human measurements.

• A well-designed handle results in better performance and less fatigue.
• Quality: based mainly on the type of material with which it is constructed, on which will depend the durability, the sensations transmitted, the weight, etc.

One of the materials most commonly used today is the so-called EVA Foam (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate). It is a synthetic material that has the appropriate characteristics for the manufacture of grips of all kinds. Its compression index, given by the density of the material, its resistance and other properties have found a place in fly rods