You’ve packed all the essential equipment for the fishing journey with your friends but still haven’t decided on a fishing rod since there is a wide range of options to choose from. This may happen all the time, especially if you’re new to the fishing adventure.
Although several salespeople promote their fishing rods as the best ones, they might not be as excellent as advertised. But what about telescopic fishing rods? Are telescopic fishing rods any good? We’re here to help. Delve deeper into the article to find all the valuable information you need about telescopic fishing rods.
What Is A Telescopic Fishing Rod?
In general, telescopic fishing rods are specialized tools that can be collapsed for greater versatility and portability. When pulling the sections out, they can come in full-size rods. Besides, telescopic fishing rods often vary in different sizes; thus, anglers can customize them based on their desires.
When collapsed, one of these rods is slightly small, ranging from 18-26 inches long. Therefore, you can easily carry these rods on luggage, backpacks or place them in a car trunk or under truck seats without occupying space. Hence, this excellent feature allows travelers to fish regardless of time and place. Hence, you can fish at a quick stop by the river during long-distance hiking.
Given the adjustability and usefulness, a telescopic fishing rod is a great go-to option for a pleasant fishing experience. Indeed, backpackers and hikers often enjoy this kind of rod due to its lightweight design that is easy to carry on a backpack. Meanwhile, survivalists and minimalists favor a telescopic fishing rod because its convenient portability facilitates their ultimate journey.
In essence, anyone who desires to fish when feeling a strong urge can relish a telescopic rod. So rather than spending a whole day struggling to put a giant fishing rod in the backpack, why not grab the telescopic one and start the journey as soon as possible?
Essential Parts Of The Telescopic Fishing Rods
Like conventional multi-piece rods, telescopic fishing rods are often made of fiberglass, graphite, or both.
While fiberglass is the most widely used material due to its flexibility and durability, graphite rods are lighter, adding sensitivity so that angles are able to feel the minutest vibrations. However, graphite rods are prone to brittle and often come at a higher price than their fiberglass counterparts. This makes them challenging to handle for beginners.
On the other hand, a composite of fiberglass and graphite rod is such a perfect combination, allowing for exceptional sensitivity and durability for any anglers.
Similar to a single or double-piece rod, some vital components of a telescopic fishing rod include:
- Eyes/guides: They are uniquely designed to run the line straight and leverage the strength of each section. Since the fishing rod is collapsible and the eyes are susceptible to breakage, they are often made of brass or other metal.
- Guides/eyes protection: Modern models have a hard plastic protector intended to safeguard the guides when the rod is in a collapsed state.
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- Joints: They connect separate rod sections and are usually made of metal.
- Handle/grip: This part facilitates anglers to hold the fishing rod and add comfort to the area in front of the reel. Most modern telescopic rods are produced in carbon fiber, cork, or foam for a comfortable grip.
- Reel seat: This is the critical part of the cast and retrieve. It is generally made from aluminum, glass, or stainless steel.
- Inserts: They enhance the rod’s length and come with different materials such as carbon fiber or stainless steel.
You can customize the telescopic rod with your chosen reel and line weight. Typically, they can be available in spinning or baitcasting rods, but versatile sea and surf rods are also readily at hand for a productive fishing session.
Pros And Cons Of Telescopic Fishing Rods?
Pros
Versatility
It is no doubt that telescopic fishing rods bring about portability. They appear in small sizes and can be collapsed to fit into any baggage, thus enabling anglers to carry on without taking up much space. Besides, their lightweight design allows anglers to transport them without potential breakage. Also, the telescopic feature guarantees all pieces are guarded, so you don’t have to squander on expensive cases.
This outstanding advantage makes this rod an ideal choice for beginners and experienced anglers who desire to fish when the chance strikes.
Sturdiness
Surprisingly, telescopic fishing rods prove remarkable sturdiness and are often more solid than other fishing poles. This is because they are collapsed in sections, so stress and weight are evenly dispersed, strengthening the rod’s butt. This feature ideally aids in catching big fighting fishes.
Price
Telescopic rods are often more economical when compared with other rods, so even anglers with tight budgets can still obtain one for the trip. Besides, you can also seek rod and reel combos that provide the optimum equipment set up at an affordable price.
Cons
Opening/closing damage
Most breakages of telescopic rods occur when opening or closing the rod inappropriately. Hence, if you open or close the rod aggressively, you might end up adding more wear and tear to the rod. Meanwhile, if the rod is closed slightly, it is likely to rotate and move, causing troubles when reeling and casting.
Sections issue
Although multiple sections are superior to achieving an extended rod and compact size when collapsed, these joints have the possibility to become degraded over time.
Also, the dirt, mud, sand, or debris that has been accumulated within the sections may result in inefficient strength and performance of the rod. Hence, telescopic rods require a greater frequency of cleaning and maintenance to preserve their efficiency with time and use.
Longevity
It is noteworthy that telescopic rods tend to wear down rapidly than other traditional fishing rods because they’re delicate to handle, and the sections can break down over time, which might cost you plenty of money to replace the rod or pieces.
How Does A Telescopic Fishing Rod Work?
Although a telescopic rod relatively works the same as other fishing poles, its telescopic design can challenge newcomers.
When it comes to handing a telescopic fishing rod, there are a few fundamentals to follow to ensure it functions properly.
Opening
Opening the collapsible rod is easy-peasy, but it’s better to do it carefully to enhance its longevity.
- Start by placing the rod’s base on a flat surface without lateral pressure.
- Put the fishing line to the rod tip.
- Once done, slowly open the cap instead of using fast and aggressive motion to avoid causing difficulties when closing.
- Gently pull out each section until it collapses. Ensure pulling each piece before pulling the next one.
- When the rod has collapsed completely, it can be used like other fishing rods.
Closing
Closing the collapsible rod is not cumbersome, but it requires a cautious approach to avoid unwanted damage:
- First, slightly twist while pushing sections together until they loosen.
- If sections seem to be stuck, be patient. Try to hold the stuck sections, gently lift them and press them a couple of times to force them out.
Note:
- Do not whip or fling the telescopic rod when opening and extending sections, as it will likely damage the joints.
- Never apply extreme pressure during the opening and closing process to prevent sections from being stuck.
- If the rod is not extended appropriately, it can fall or slip during casting and reeling, decreasing the possibility of catching fish.
What Kind Of Fish Can You Catch With Telescopic Fishing Rods?
Since telescopic fishing rods are often designed to withstand freshwater and saltwater fishing, there are numerous species to catch with this rod. But this article is going to highlight some of the frequently caught fishes as below:
Saltwater species
- Atlantic mackerel: A fast-moving fish with iridescent blue-green back.
- Gilt-head bream: It has an oval body and a unique orange spot near its eyes.
- Black scorpionfish: It is a venomous scorpionfish with a large head.
- European bass: A fish with a streamlined body and silvery grey on the back.
- Common pandora: It has a thin body, a curved back with scales covering its face.
- Mullet: It has two separate dorsal fins and is grayish-green on the back.
All species above weigh around a few kilograms, so anglers can use the slow or medium action of the telescopic rod to catch these fishes successfully. Besides, depending on available fish in your area, you can catch more species using this kind of rod.
Freshwater species
These species can be caught when using telescopic rods on rivers or streams. But the chance mainly depends on the rod’s size and bait.
- Salmon: An oily fish with distinctive color flesh.
- Crappie: It is distinguished by the number of spines on the dorsal fin.
- Carp: An oily minnow with large scales and barbels on both sides of the upper jaw.
- Trout: A large fish with vomerine teeth.
- Bream: It has a deep body shape with flat sides and is silvery grey on its back.
- Perch: It has a long, rounded body, and colors vary for different breeds.
- Bluegill: It has a small mouth and a dark spot at the dorsal fin’s base.
Note: Although a telescopic rod is powerful enough to handle a large fish, it does not show outstanding performance when it comes to carp. Hence, you are likely to catch smaller to the medium of these species.
So, Are Telescopic Fishing Rods Any Good? Or Bad?
Hopefully, you have grasped both benefits and downfalls of telescopic fishing rods to make a wiser decision.
In a nutshell, collapsible rods are undoubtedly excellent because of their utmost versatility and affordability, making them a fantastic choice for both beginners and experienced anglers to fish for the moment with minimal hassle.
However, for those who desire a high-end rod with superb quality, then telescopic rods might not be ideal for you since it often comes with degradation over time.
But in the end, it is your preferences and needs for a suitable rod, so make sure to seek valuable information before taking the rod to go on the next fishing adventure.
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Born in Lakeland, Florida, Daniel has started fishing since he was just a tiny little kid. His father was a real good fisherman, as he taught Daniel tricks and tips to catch the fish better. From those childhood memories, Daniel has built up his love for fishing. Until now, he has been participating in several bass tournaments and currently serves as the Chief Editor of fishingonsunday.com to share his precious knowledge and experiences with many more people.
