Soft Bait Fishing Rods
There is an argument to suggest the ‘rod’ is the most important piece to the soft bait fishing puzzle. From detecting the bite, setting the hook & casting your lure, your fishing rod plays a vital role in your success. Soft bait rods have evolved rapidly over the last decade & played a role in advancing the technology within fishing rods altogether. Several years ago the longest soft bait rod you would find was 7ft, now you can comfortably fish with rods over 9ft in length.
As a team of soft bait enthusiasts, we do our very best to remove a lot of the noise from this space to ensure you have 100% clarity in your decision. Our buying team carefully curate the best product offerings and our experts build comprehensive buying guides to provide you with all the information you need.
- Rod Length: As mentioned above, soft bait rods have increased in length over the last decade. The benefits of longer rods include increased casting distance, better control of your line & the ability to set a hook from a further distance. While 7ft 6 soft bait rods still provide the angler with a great balance between power & the ability to transport the rod, we are seeing the new 7 ft 10-inch rods become increasingly popular. If fishing close to a coastline in gnarly terrain our preference still sits with a 7ft 6 heavy soft bait rod. If you have a length in mind, simply use our size filter to narrow your search.
- Rod Weight: Typical weights for soft bait rods are Medium Light (2-6kg), Medium (4-8kg) & Medium Heavy (4-10kg). If you are micro-baiting then we would recommend an ultra-light rod which is great when paired with a 2000-size reel. It’s important to keep in mind that your braid should directly align to the rod weight of your choice to ensure you are covered under warranties.
- Rod Design: One of the biggest challenges in finding the perfect soft bait rod is ensuring the design of the rod is fit for purpose. This includes the guide placements but most importantly the grip configuration of the rod itself. Rods that are purposely built for NZ fishing conditions will generally have a longer butt section and multi-grip configuration to allow optimal performance. NZ grips are also ideal for Kiwi anglers who travel with their rods in the rod holder resulting in fewer breakages.
- Price Budget: Gone of the days when you need to spend close to a thousand dollars to get yourself into a good soft bait rod. Not to say that the high-end soft bait rods are not what they used to be it’s quite the opposite. The introduction of high-end titanium components & lightweight reel seats provides huge benefits to anglers at the upper end. A great way to navigate your budget is to use our price scroller. Simply select your price range and we will make sure you are getting the most bang for your buck!
You’re going to need more than just the rod to get out there and smash your PB on soft baits. Once you have your rod sorted we are going to need to hatch a plan for the following:
- Soft Bait Reels: We are relentlessly passionate about great fishing reels & none more so than Soft Bait reels. In a space where manufacturers have recently piled mountains of incredible technology, we are now spoilt for choice. This is a great place to view NZ’s best range of soft bait reels no matter your budget.
- Soft Bait Lures: Soft Bait fishing is as much of an art as feeding a fly to a hungry trout. Matching the hatch is a big part of the game & our team has NZ’s most comprehensive range of soft bait lures to match. Not only do we have NZ’s best range of soft bait lures, we have built a comprehensive buying guide to provide you with all the information you need to make your best decisions.
- Soft Bait Jig Heads: Jig Heads have continued to develop over recent years with the introduction of new brands & designs. Our team has played a key role in ensuring that this development is suited for the NZ market & directly benefits you, the angler. Although we stock a huge range of jig heads, we carefully select what lands in our warehouse to ensure you only choose from options we trust!
For those who are interested in more than soft bait fishing, we have some great buying guides to check out. Here is a list we have pulled together for you:
Why shop at Land & Sea
When it comes to soft bait rods we have taken the extra time to curate a range of rods that meet every demand you could have as an angler. We work with the biggest names in the game such as
Shimano,
Daiwa,
Okuma,
Penn,
Abu Garcia,
CD Rods & more. It’s a passion of ours to not only provide you with the best products at the best prices but to provide transparent access to all the knowledge we have within the space. Our expert team take the time to build buying guides on all of our categories allowing you to make informed decisions before purchasing. Check out our full selection of buying guides here. This is a great place to feel inspired or get educated.
