A fly rod including sensors and methods of using the same are provided, particularly where the sensors assist the user in casting or in logging data associated with fishing activities. In a described embodiment, the fly rod comprises: a handle portion that includes a butt end; a center shaft portion that extends from the handle portion; a tip portion that extends from the shaft portion and includes a tip; a first movement sensor disposed in the tip portion; and a second movement sensor spaced apart from the first sensor.

A fishing rod vibration system, including a mounting platform, a batter powered electronics system mounted on the mounting platform and including a motor controller and a user interface operably and electrically coupled to the motor controller, as well as a vibrator selectively and detachably coupled to the electronics system for receiving output signals from the motor controller. The vibrator includes a housing enclosing an electric motor, and vibrator mounting elements enable attachment of the vibrator to a fishing rod.

A fishing rod has a rod portion and a handle portion separated by a reel seat. At least one portion defines a magnet receiving area, which may be external or within a hollow portion that is surrounded by a wall and that is located in the rod portion, the reel seat portion, or in the handle portion for receiving a spacer piece. The spacer piece may be cylindrical shaped and made of foam. The spacer piece defines a receiving cavity for receiving a magnet. In one embodiment, the receiving cavity is asymmetrically oriented in the spacer piece such that the receiving cavity has a close side that is a first distance from the wall and has a far side that is a second distance from the wall for locating an area of best magnetic attraction at a predetermined location on an exterior of the rod portion or handle portion.

A fishing rod ruler including an elongate flexible body with a number of length markings provided thereon, the elongate flexible body to be at least temporarily applied to a fishing rod.

The tension-adjusting fishing pole may comprise a rod blank, a rod handle, an activation handle, and a reel. The rod handle and the rod blank may couple together to form a fishing pole. The reel may be coupled to a reel seat on the rod handle such that the fishing pole and the reel may be operable to catch fish. The rod blank may comprise a hollow interior. A fluid may be forced into the hollow interior of the rod blank by operating the activation handle and may increase pressure within the rod blank to stiffen the rod blank. The pressure exerted by the fluid within the rod blank may be reduced to allow the rod blank to flex.

The tension-adjusting fishing pole may comprise a rod blank, a rod handle, an activation handle, and a reel. The rod handle and the rod blank may couple together to form a fishing pole. The reel may be coupled to a reel seat on the rod handle such that the fishing pole and the reel may be operable to catch fish. The rod blank may comprise a hollow interior. A fluid may be forced into the hollow interior of the rod blank by operating the activation handle and may increase pressure within the rod blank to stiffen the rod blank. The pressure exerted by the fluid within the rod blank may be reduced to allow the rod blank to flex.

A fishing information management system has a fishing rod to which a fishing reel with a spool is attached, and includes an operation/environment information detector that detects information on operation and environment of operation of fishing tools when in use, a storage that stores the information on the operation and operation environment of the fishing tools when in use, a display that displays said information, wherein the display is capable of displaying at least one of the list view of the information on the operation and operation environment of the fishing tools for each casting and dropping, the detailed view of the information on the operation and operation environment of the fishing tools at the predetermined time of casting and dropping, or the statistical information view of statistical information calculated from the information on the operation and operation environment of the fishing tools for each casting and dropping.

A pivoting fishing rod device including: a fishing rod frame pivotally coupled to a base arm on a rotational joint; the fishing rod frame comprising a rod arm and a support arm; rotation of the fishing rod frame relative to the base arm provided on an axis of rotation defined by the rotational joint, the rod arm coupled to the support arm so that the rotation of the rod arm and the support arm is co-dependent; a first resilient member coupled to a first attachment point mounted on the base arm and a second attachment point mounted on the support arm, the first resilient member configured to produce a tension counterbalance force as a distance between the first attachment point and the second attachment point increases. The first resilient member can apply the counterbalance force to the support arm providing a support vector to counterbalance a first load vector of a first load applied to the rod arm, the first load comprising a fishing line and hook hanging from the rod arm, the first load vector in a direction of the vector of gravity, the counterbalance force biasing the rod arm in a first range of angular position upon applying the first load and the counterbalance force allowing rotational motion of the rod arm in a second range of angular position upon applying a second load, the second load comprising a fish strike on the fishing line and hook.

A pivoting fishing rod device including: a fishing rod frame pivotally coupled to a base arm on a rotational joint; the fishing rod frame comprising a rod arm and a support arm; rotation of the fishing rod frame relative to the base arm provided on an axis of rotation defined by the rotational joint, the rod arm coupled to the support arm so that the rotation of the rod arm and the support arm is co-dependent; a first resilient member coupled to a first attachment point mounted on the base arm and a second attachment point mounted on the support arm, the first resilient member configured to produce a tension counterbalance force as a distance between the first attachment point and the second attachment point increases. The first resilient member can apply the counterbalance force to the support arm providing a support vector to counterbalance a first load vector of a first load applied to the rod arm, the first load comprising a fishing line and hook hanging from the rod arm, the first load vector in a direction of the vector of gravity, the counterbalance force biasing the rod arm in a first range of angular position upon applying the first load and the counterbalance force allowing rotational motion of the rod arm in a second range of angular position upon applying a second load, the second load comprising a fish strike on the fishing line and hook.

A system, method, and apparatus for an athlete to variably control the flexibility and stiffness parameters of a piece of athletic equipment to select a desired performance characteristic of the equipment based on the stiffness parameter. According to certain embodiments discussed herein, an item of sporting equipment may be embedded, impregnated, lined, or encased using nitinol components, wherein the nitinol components may themselves be treated using a specific method in order to achieve the desired transformation results, as described below.