Stick Float Rod vs Waggler Rod

Dave Slater

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As long as everything is balanced I can't think why different rods would be needed for the two types of float fishing.
 

little oik

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It used to be spliced tips for stick float fishing but as technology has moved on I dont think thee is much of a difference really. Although a match Rod in a long variant would probably be the closest.What is the difference between a waggler a pellet waggler or is it just a bit heavier in the action
 

Alan Tyler

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A faster, snappier strike, that had to pull the float through the water, yet protect very light hooklengths - a much more tippy action than the through action of a waggler rod, which struck through the float - or at any rate, the float could "hinge" on the strike and offer less resistance - but had to cast relatively heavy wagglers and shift a lot of slack line on the strike.
 

steph mckenzie

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I thought that spliced tip rods were of a softer action and so there for allowed the use of lighter hook lengths. I could be totally misguided though.

The lighter "flickier" spliced tip rod allowed for speed in mending the line or for picking the line off the water when striking at a fish ?

Good question my Corker ......
 

barbelboi

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[FONT=&quot]IMO - For stickfloat fishing you want a rod with a tip action, in other words the rod must work within the first half of the top section which would give a rapid strike action. This is usually achieved by having a spliced top section on the stickfloat rod.

A waggler demands a more "through" action and will require a sensitive tip but without any kind of splice this allows the action to come down through the whole of the tip section and sometimes even into the second section.
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little oik

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The spliced tip was for lighter hooklinks but as for line pick up surely a stiffer rod would pick up the line quicker or is it down to stretchier mono's as well
 

sam vimes

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I want a more tippy action for stick fishing than for waggler fishing. This is to achieve a more rapid line pick up on the strike allowing for the odd kink or swirl of line that can occur as the float travels. Naturally, good stick fishing technique should minimize this but it damned difficult to maintain perfect float contact without an element of holding back occurring. Some days that may not be a problem but others will see the fish ignoring a bait that isn't matching the speed of the flow. Once the kind of action required would see spliced tips used. Nowadays it's relatively rare to see spliced tips. "Fast Action" hollow tips are the modern equivalent. However, there's nothing much stopping anyone using a standard match rod for trotting though it may be sub optimal.
 
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A waggler demands a more "through" action and will require a sensitive tip

Yes, but why?

I could waggler fish a still water for roach, bream, tench, carp, perch - at distance or close in.

OR

I could waggler fish a river for roach, dace, chub, barbel, bream, etc.

What makes it a 'waggler rod' and why?
 

Fred Blake

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It's one of those great imponderables, a bit like the weak anthropic principle; if you need to ask the question, you probably don't need to know the answer...
 

barbelboi

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It's one of those great imponderables, a bit like the weak anthropic principle; if you need to ask the question, you probably don't need to know the answer...

Good Answer - however one is of an opinion that Corky is on one of his wind ups.;bp;bp;bp


However -
IMO - In short fishing a waggler rod at distance requires an entirely different action to fishing a stickfloat fairly close into the bank (by comparison to a waggler). Yes you can get away with using one rod for both situations the only pitfalls being as aforementioned (lack of casting distance and possible crack offs using a stick rod for waggler fishing). A waggler rod on the other hand may need to be able to launch a float weighted with anything up to several swan shot. Whilst a stickfloat rod could possibly cope with this it would be to the determent of distance and also the action of the stickfloat rod would more than likely cause crack offs on the cast.















 

sam vimes

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Was the Waggler Rod invented to compliment the Waggler Float or was it the other way round ?
Is the term Waggler Rod derived souley to show that it should be used with Waggler Floats ?

I can't see it. I remember well enough the days before waggler rods were even called waggler rods. I recall being aware of match rods (usually 12 or 13feet) which occasionally had stick float variants (usually with a spliced tip). Plenty of wagglers got chucked around by match rods.

I suspect that the profusion of different rods for different methods has as much to do with tackle companies shifting lots of extra clobber as anything.
Convincing anglers that they need a new rod for tiny variations in method has been a triumph of modern marketing. I'm as guilty as anyone for getting caught up in it:eek:. I have different gear for umpteen different fishing styles. I'm kind of whistful about the days when two rods were adequate for everything I did!;):D How on earth did I catch a thing!?:confused:
 

steph mckenzie

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I would have thought that it was individual anglers who either made there own Rods or asked Rod makers to design them a Rod to suit a certain Pursuit that gave birth to the Waggler Rod.

As usual, when someone cottons on to a good idea it doesn't take long for others to follow suit, and then for those that don't know why they even need one to purchase one cause it will help them catch more fish blah blah blah.
 

the indifferent crucian

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I can see how a very soft tip-actioned rod might be a little soft to sink the line quickly after casting, but I've had no trouble waggler fishing with a spliced tip Harrison GTI rod.

Modern rods often now have hollow carbon tips that give a similar action anyway. I have a Greys G-Tec 13 foot float rod that behaves just like the Harrison.


Funnily enough the RRP of both rods was the same at £140, though many years apart. I suppose that makes the Greys a bargain if you consider inflation. However, the Harrison had a far higher build quality and isn't that much heavier really.



I suspect Sam is right about the tackle makers.



Apparently I now need a rod called a Power Carp rod, as well as my Match Rod, Waggler Rod, Pellet Waggler Rod and Carp Waggler Rod. ( Don't get me started on Barbel Rods)!

It's a miracle I've ever caught a fish.

Of course fish were so much more accomodating years ago ...you had a Float Rod and maybe an Avon Rod if you were rich or lucky.
 

mark brailsford 2

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hi,
with technology as it is now there is no need for different stick/wag rods.
I have just bought a preston carbonactive excel 17ft and this superb tool as a very fast tip combined with a parabolic (progressive through action) and can take lines from 3lb to 8lb! that means I can use it for roach/dace on light tackle and also fish the margins on commercials for match carp! a wonderful tool £200+ but wort every penny, the quality is really outstanding.

mark
 

sam vimes

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hi,
with technology as it is now there is no need for different stick/wag rods.

I tend to agree that you don't "need" different rods for either. However, I want and prefer different actions for waggler and stick fishing. No amount of technology will give one rod two different actions depending on the method employed. (closest I've seen to this is the Shimano oval blanked rods which seem to have gained a following for feeder fishing but are virtually ignored as float rods.) The only way this may be possible is one rod with two different tip sections.
 
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