It was only a matter of time before someone created a fishing rod that used technology to help anglers catch more fish. Abu Garcia partnered with the ANGLR Smartphone App to use Bluetooth technology to connect your fishing rod to your smartphone and introduced the Abu Garcia Virtual Fishing Rod!
This fishing rod is super exciting! Not only are you getting a fully functional fishing rod made by a trusted manufacturer like Abu Garcia – but you are also going to be able to use technology to track your catch and other important details that you should be able to use to catch more fish in the future!
But enough with me being excited – here is our detailed review of the Abu Garcia Virtual Fishing Rod – with all the great details you will want to know before you add this fishing rod to your collection!
Table of Contents
How Does This Fishing Rod Work?
Let’s start with the obvious question – how does the Abu Garcia Virtual Fishing Rod work? First, you are going to want to download the ANGLR App to your smartphone. Once downloaded, you can use Bluetooth technology to connect your fishing rod to the app.
The exciting part happens once the rod is connected to the app! Once you catch a fish, you can press a button on the bottom of the rod butt that is going to record the catch, weather, location, and even water data right to the app on your phone! This data is stored in your personal and private logbook – and you can sort the data at any time to see what, where, and when you are catching fish. Hopefully, this is going to make your fishing adventures even more successful!
Here are some other very important features that you are going to want to know:
- This fishing rod DOES NOT require cellphone service to work. You can take this fishing rod off the beaten path and still mark data!
- You can also mark waypoints and locations you want to fish by hitting the button on your rod twice!
- If you press and hold the button for 2 seconds, it will indicate that you changed tackle on the app.
- You can enable your phone’s camera to take pictures of the catch for your logbook as well.
- The rod does not require charging and has at least a 2-year battery life.
Again, this is just super exciting to see technology being integrated into fishing at such a high-level. I have always wanted to track my catch in a logbook and have that personal record; and now I’m going to be able to do that!
The Abu Garcia Virtual Rod Itself
The technological part of this fishing rod is very exciting; but if this fishing rod can’t catch fish – it isn’t going to do you any good. The good news is that Abu Garcia still produced a great fishing rod that will have no problem catching fish; just like we would expect from Abu Garcia.
The plan from Abu Garcia is to have 4 different Abu Garcia Virtual Spinning Rod Choices and 8 different Abu Garcia Virtual Casting Rod choices. This should give anglers plenty of options depending on the type of species they like to fish for!
As for the rods themselves, they are going to made from 30-ton graphite rod blanks for a strong but lightweight design. They will have stainless steel guides, great reel seats, and all the high-quality materials you would expect from Abu Garcia. They also look awesome, I love the color combination and style of these rods.
Again, these rods perform at a high level.
The Abu Garcia Virtual Rod Choices
Here are the different Abu Garcia Virtual Spinning and Casting Rod Choices:
| Rod Type | Length | # of Pieces | Action | Power | Line Rating (LBs) | Link to Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casting | 6'9" | 1 | Fast | Medium Heavy | 12 - 20 | Buy Here |
| Casting | 7'0" | 1 | Fast | Medium | 8 - 17 | Buy Here |
| Casting | 7'0" | 1 | Fast | Medium Heavy | 12 - 20 | Buy Here |
| Casting | 7'0" | 2 | Fast | Medium Heavy | 12 - 20 | Buy Here |
| Casting | 7'3" | 1 | Fast | Medium Heavy | 12 - 20 | Buy Here |
| Casting | 7'3" | 1 | Fast | Heavy | 14 - 30 | Buy Here |
| Casting | 7'4" | 1 | Fast | Medium Heavy | 10 - 20 | Buy Here |
| Casting | 7'6" | 1 | Fast | Heavy | 14 - 30 | Buy Here |
| Spinning | 6'6" | 1 | Fast | Medium | 6 - 12 | Buy Here |
| Spinning | 6'6" | 2 | Fast | Medium | 6 - 12 | Buy Here |
| Spinning | 6'9" | 1 | Fast | Medium Light | 6 - 10 | Buy Here |
| Spinning | 7'0" | 1 | Fast | Medium | 6 - 12 | Buy Here |
Frequently Asked Questions
We have already answered most of these questions – but it is always good to have a quick review.
Q. Do you need cell phone reception for this fishing rod to work?
A. No – it connects to your phone thru Bluetooth and doesn’t require reception/cell phone service.
Q. How much does this rod cost?
A. They normally cost right around $130 before tax and or shipping.
Q. Do I need to download the app and how much does that cost?
A. Yes, you do need to download the app to store all of this data and as of right now, that app is free to download.
Q. How long does the rod work and does it need to be recharged?
A. It does not need to be recharged and it comes with a 2-year battery life.
Q. Is this rod Awesome?
A. YES!!!
Final Thoughts and Links of Interest
There really isn’t much more for us to say about these Abu Garcia Virtual Fishing Rods. They work well, they catch fish, they look awesome, and you can check your catch log and store fishing data on your cellphone! Those are all wins in my book.
I do understand if you are someone that wants to get away from all types of technology when fishing. For some, that is the fun of fishing – to reconnect with nature and not have to worry about social media or your cellphone while you are on the water.
If you are that type of angler – you might enjoy some of this other Abu Garcia gear just a little bit more!
- Best Abu Garcia Spincast Rod & Reel Combinations
- The Best Abu Garcia Spincast Reels
- Best Abu Garcia Spinning Rod & Reel Combos
- The Best Abu Garcia Spinning Reels
I’ve been fishing with Abu Garcia gear for a very long time – and I’m guessing you are going to love their equipment as much as me if you have never fished with it before. If you have a love of Abu Garcia like I do – then I’m guessing you are as excited to add this fishing rod to your collection as I am!
As always – we hope you have some amazing outdoor adventures!