Posted on: Friday, June 27, 2003

Knowledge is power when it comes to poles

By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer

For beginning anglers, fishing for the right pole can be a little confusing. With hundreds of poles on the market, making the right choice can literally make or break your fishing trip, experts say.

"If you buy a bad quality pole, it could break," said George Sumida, a fishing pole distributor who services several big-name fishing and sporting goods stores in Hawai'i. "Everything now is made out of carbon and graphite. A bad-quality pole with constant use can break."

To prevent that, Sumida recommends that beginning anglers ask salespeople at sporting goods stores and "mom and pop" fishing stores about buying the correct pole. Anglers should know what type of fishing they want to do and have a price range in mind, Sumida said.

"Normally for a beginning fisherman, price is a factor," he said. "He doesn't want to spend hundreds of dollars on a pole.

"A lot of beginning fishermen will probably get a 9- to 10-foot pole and mess around with that, and try to get the most inexpensive reels at Sports Authority," Sumida said.

Pole prices vary from $19.95 rod and reel combinations to custom-built rods with titanium alloy guides and fancy designs that cost several hundred dollars.

In addition, certain poles perform better with certain fish. For instance, a 5-foot pole is perfect for catching catfish at Nu'uanu Reservoir. For bigger fish, such as ulua, an angler would need a sturdy pole that is 12 feet or longer.

"Size matters with fishing poles," Sumida said. "It depends on what kind of game you want to catch. From the shore you can catch everything from a little halalu, which you need a small pole, or if you're lucky, you can catch a 100-pounder right from the street in certain areas in Ka'a'awa and Hau'ula.

"On this island, there's different types of fishing compared to Maui, Kaua'i and the Big Island. Here in the city, you don't need a very large pole."

The correct pole with the right flexibility can help anglers increase casting distance and conserve energy, Sumida said.

In Hawai'i, some fishermen prefer stiffer poles that only bend near the tip so they can guide their fish over reefs and maneuver around fellow fishermen.

"Some poles are like noodles, some poles are very stiff," Sumida said. "It's hard to control a fish if you have a noodle. But some people get lucky and have a good time."

Larren Tang, a fishing pole designer who works at Hana Pa'a Hawai'i, said beginners should pick a lightweight pole that would allow them to fish the entire day without getting tired. Finding one shouldn't be a problem because more manufacturers are using graphite to make poles lighter, he said.

"Graphite is getting stronger and cheaper," Tang said. "Graphite is even used in reels like the Shimano."

Tang said beginners should look for a pole that has a "medium to fast taper" for control, and one that has a "uniform bend" near the top of the pole.

For longevity, poles that have Ethylene Vinyle Acetate (EVA) foam handle grips are more durable than cork handle grips. The tradeoff is that cork has a more natural feel, Tang said.

Joe Kimura, a custom rod builder, recommends that beginners join fishing clubs to learn about the sport and what poles they would need.

"Fishing clubs can educate them," said Kimura, who has been in the rod building business for 20 years. "We don't want to push anyone into buying a pole. Education is 90 percent of the ballgame."