Saturday, November 15, 2014

Plans for the Southland

     Been told I didn't need another one but sure felt I did.  Been wanting a noodle rod for several years for solo canoe fishing and also figured one would be just the thing for shore fishing down in Alabama.  Two birds was just enough excuse for me to cave in.  Ordered one to go along with the salt water reel I'd also fallen for.  Last year I brought the fly rods for casting practice.  This year I'm actually hoping to catch something.
     A noodle rod is a long, ultra light fishing pole, something like a fly rod but rigged for spin fishing.  In my case it's a nine footer.  Some are a bit longer.  I went with the shorter of the two in my price range 'cause the coin flip told me to.  If it turns out I'd been better off with a ten footer at least it won't have been my fault.
     The idea behind a noodle is extreme length compensates for ultra light weight.  Rather than going with a stout rod, the whip of a noodle softens the effect of a relatively large fish.  Also allows the fisher to go with a lighter weight line.  And makes it possible to throw lures of only a thirty-second of an ounce.  Covers the gamut from sunfish to twenty pound red fish.  At least that's what I've read.  We'll see.  That's what the reviews say but I have my doubts.  If it turns out a nine foot ultra light works for ten pound fish could it be possible to musky fish with a fifteen footer?
     Then there's the business end of the line to consider.  For me that means spinners of course.  Figuring there's no way a man could have too much tackle I ordered enough crap to tie up, paint and form sixty of them in sizes three, four and five.  A little research turned up a spinner rig for red fish and speckled sea trout that's right up my alley (a dark one with overflowing trash cans).  About the only thing left to find is some new nail polish to make the blades extra special.  Fish appreciate a quality paint job as much as a well tied bucktail treble hook.  Well, at least I do.