Rods: power, action, length and material

A fishing rod is a lever with a built-in spring. It throws the lure, it tells your hand what is happening at the other end of the line, and it sets the hook and tires the fish. Almost every rod has a short line of print near the handle that tells you what it was built for: a length, a power, an action, and often a range of line and lure weights. Once you can read that line, you can compare any two rods in a store or online.

Power: how stiff the rod is

Power says how much force it takes to bend the rod, from ultra light to heavy. A light rod bends easily and shows a small bite, but it has little strength to pull a fish out of weeds or wood. A heavy rod is stiff and strong, but it is hard to cast a small lure with, and it can feel dead in your hand on a small fish. The right power depends mostly on the weight of what you throw and the size of what you catch.

Action: where the rod bends

Action says where along the rod it bends. A fast action rod bends mostly near the tip and snaps back, which gives you a quick, sharp hookset and a good feel for bites. A moderate action rod bends deeper into the blank, which is more forgiving. It gives a fish a moment to take the bait and it keeps treble hooks from pulling out. Slow actions bend almost down to the handle and are good for very light line and long, gentle casts.

Power and action are separate choices. You can have a fast medium rod and a moderate medium rod that both take the same lure weight but feel and fish very differently. Try the drawing: it puts the same pull on every combination.

An interactive drawing goes here in the app.

Length

A longer rod casts farther and gives you more leverage to move a fish and pick up slack. A shorter rod is easier to aim in tight spots, in a small boat or around trees, and easier for a child to handle. As a rough guide, rods under about 6 ft 6 in suit tight spots, boats and kids, rods from about 6 ft 6 in to 7 ft suit most fishing, and rods of 7 ft and up suit distance casting and heavy cover. Specialists go well beyond that: crappie rods run 6 to 10 ft or more, and surf rods often run 9 to 12 ft, while offshore rods are short and stout.

Material

Most modern rods are graphite, which is light, sensitive and stiff. Fiberglass is heavier and bends slowly, which makes it forgiving for baits with treble hooks and for fish that hit hard. Composite rods blend the two. Graphite is more likely to break if a nick in the blank is stressed, so avoid slamming it in car doors and do not use a nicked rod.

Spinning rods and casting rods

A spinning rod has its guides, the rings the line runs through, hanging underneath, with a big first guide near the reel. A casting rod, built for baitcasting reels, has smaller guides on top and usually a trigger grip under the reel seat. Do not mix them: a spinning reel belongs under a spinning rod, and a baitcasting reel sits on top of a casting rod.

Handles and pieces

Cork handles are light and warm in the hand. EVA foam handles are tougher, grip well wet and are easier to keep clean, which is why they are common on rods used in salt water. Two-piece rods are easier to carry and store, and some anglers believe a one-piece rod feels a little more sensitive. For a first rod, take the one that is easy to transport.

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