Why use a Noodle Rod?

The very first time I have seen a noodle rod in action is on a Sibu kelong by DesT, then I don't know him yet, but yet he is willing to tell me about the rod, lasso rig, etc. Many moons later, I meet him once again on a Sibu kelong and is formally introduced to him, and after many trips together, we have become good friends.  He is considered to be one of authoritative figure in Noodle Rod locally, and almost everything I know about noodle rod fishing is learnt thru him.

Noodle rod, that long,soft, limpy looking fishing rod that look like it will break anytime soon. Why would any angler want to use it to fish? It look like an fishing rod that will break really soon, and would anyone able to bring up anything larger then bait fish with it?


First, let's make it clear that noodle in the Noodle Rod is NOT a brand, it is a Rod Action classification, which is confusing to a lot of anglers locally because most of the rods sold here are seldom goes below Medium Light action. As you can see from Noodle Action is in the last position, which means you can expect a rod with very little backbone and flex almost throughout the entire length of the blank.

Extra Heavy ; Heavy ; Medium Heavy ; Medium ; Medium Light ; Light ; Ultralight ; Noodle
Given the lack of power in the rod, if you fish the traditional method of tug-of-war method, stay clear of this rod, this rod is not built for this purpose. Must likely the only tug-of-war you are likely to win are with bait fishes, hardly one's idea of fishing. Even if you intend to use this rod to jig for bait fishes, Don't. The action is so slow that chances you will not get a hook up when you try to set the hook, we have tried before and failed big time for bait fish jigging. So what the heck is this rod good for?

If you are fishing in open waters for pelagic species, then this rod will suit your applications. You are asking for trouble if you use this rod to hunt for groupers, snappers, stingrays. Simply because you need to tire the fish before you can bring it in, if they go into their cervices in coral or rocks, the rod will not have any power to pull it out of it.

Still, I have yet to answer the question on Why use a Noodle rod? Using light lines and smaller hooks, it will not spook fishes that easily and hopefully entice them to feed on your bait. But using lighter lines and hooks, any sudden jerks or turbo-boosted run by these pelagic species will likely to lines to snap or hook being straighten, with the noodle rod acting like a shock absorber to take these punishment, you will be able to land your fish.


Tackle Recommendation
Noodle Rod obviously, spinning reel of 2000 - 2500 sized, braided line of 4-8lbs, 3-5M of mono leader 8-12lbs, float, smallest swivel you can get that is of at least 8lbs test strength, hook and hook line.

There is really no need to invest in a good reel to pair it with a noodle rod, because you don't need the drag power since you are using sub 10lbs lines. Instead I will recommend a graphite body reel being of lighter then alloy metal body, and do a modification on the roller bushing to a ball bearing if it is not equipped. Tutorial on how to do it can be found here for direct replacement and here for budget Shimano reels
Due to the fact that you are on light drag, a fair bit of lines is expected to get pulled by the fishes, thus having a roller bearing would help to reduce line twist issues.

Keep you Shimano Stella, Daiwa Luvius, for better usage then pairing it with a noodle rod.

How to fight the fish 
Just like how you are pumping to reel in a biggie, same principle applies here. Using upward lift to gain line, and downward movement to reel in the line gained. However, when the fish goes on a run, keep it in high stick position, you will need to tire out the fish before you can land it. The light drag setting plus the rod's bend, will slowly tire out the fish. Thus you want to land the fish ASAP, this rod will definitely not suit you.

Where to buy the rod locally
Tough question to answer. Noodle rods are not at all a popular choice of rod for our local anglers, most are into fast action rods for luring, jigging, etc. Most tackle shops do not stock up at all. The closest one can find are lightly to be in the Ultralight class, which to me feel more like a float rod. However it function close enough to fish just like a noodle rod except it have more backbone close to the handle portion.

Every since G Loomis ceased to produce factory noodle rod, I have no idea if any tackle shops are bringing from other manufacturers. As I started late on noodle rod, I got mine from a rod builder friend who decided to sell off his rod, which is a G Loomis NR1382 blank, guide placement similar to the factory rod and extended forearm grip.

Credit

Many thanks to DesT for unselfishly share his knowledge and experiences on pelagic fishing and noodle rod technique and rigs with me. Without him guiding me and sharing his knowledge, I will be still clueless on how to use the noodle rod.