Fishing tackle is real different these days
Recreational fishing’s basic premise of employing trickery to hook and land a fish has remained unchanged over most of human history.
The tools used to accomplish that goal have not. And while the evolution of fishing tackle has been a constant through the centuries, the current generation of rods, reels and line — the basic tools of angling — has almost certainly transformed faster and further than any before it. This transformation has largely been a function of advances in technology tackle makers have used to feed the considerable appetite of more than 30 million recreational anglers — as many as 4 million of them in Texas — for more effective, easier to use, more durable tackle.
Some of the most significant changes have been in fishing reels, specifically the light/medium baitcasting and spinning reels used by the majority of inland and coastal anglers.
Little more than a generation ago, most baitcasting reels were built on round all-metal frames, a design little changed from the “Kentucky” reels developed in the 1800s. That dramatically changed with the development of new low-profile reels designed to better fit anglers’ hands, with frames and spools built of lightweight, high-strength metals such as aluminum, alloys, composites and new, more durable plastics and other synthetics.
Also, improvements in manufacturing and engineering resulted in spools, frames, gears and other reel parts built to closer tolerances that when, combined with high-quality metal and ceramic bearings/bushings, resulted in much smoother, more effective operation.
Much of the same technology has been applied to spinning reels, resulting in lighter, easier to use, more resistant to corrosion (especially from saltwater) and more dependable reels.
That smoothness and dependability extends to the drag systems of both spinning and baitcasting reels. Development of synthetic washers and more precise adjustments possible through better-quality materials and tighter tolerances have almost eliminated instances of “jerky,” inconsistent drag performance that only a few years ago were common causes of losing fish.
The rods those reels sit on are just as different from those of a generation ago. Casting and spinning rods, for more than half a century built almost exclusively of Fiberglas, are now built of a variety of carbon fibers (graphite being the most commonly used) and composite fibers.
Lightweight synthetics have replaced heavier metal as materials for rod seats and line guides, and rod makers have slimmed down rod handles and even, in the case of increasingly popular “split handle” rods, eliminated cushioning from portions of the rod handle.
This young century has also seen significant changes in the most crucial connection between angler and fish: fishing line.
As it has for the past half-century, nylon monofilament continues to be the most commonly used fishing line by the nation’s 30-million-plus anglers. Andmonofilament,which has seen notable improvement in durability and overall quality from its early days, remains a solid, affordable choice for most anglers.
But fishing lines made of newer, more technologically advanced materials are fast rising in popularity with anglers.
Fluorocarbon line, which looks similar to nylon monofilament, is less visible under water than “mono” and more durable. And because it doesn’t absorb water like monofilament, it has less “stretch,” giving anglers more sensitivity in feeling bites and allowing more power to be transferred when setting the hook.
Micro-braids — lines made of several strands of synthetic fibers such as Kevlar (aramid) or the ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene Spectra and Dyneema — have several advantages over monofilament. The braids are stronger for their size than monofilament; braided line with a breaking point of 30 pounds (30-pound-test) is about the same diameter as 8-pound-test monofilament. This allows anglers opting for braid to use thinner line and retain the same line strength. Thinner line has less air resistance, allowing for longer casts, a great advantage in many angling situations.
Also, braided lines don’t absorb water and have even less elasticity than fluorocarbon. This makes them extremely good at allowing anglers to detect subtle bites and in setting the hook.
A spool of braided line costs as much as four or five times more than a spool holding the same amount of monofilament line.