rods

Question
hello i have a question, most cheaper bait casting rods you buy say medium action or medium heavy action. The more expensive one say fast action or moderate. What is the difference and is a slow action for lures like crank baits, and fast for lures like rubber frogs? or how does it work..


thank you

Answer
Hi Aaron,

I'll probably start all sorts of arguments, but you asked.

Typically, rod action is a term used to denote the way in which a rod bends and or reacts to stress.  For example, slow indicates the rod bends fully from the tip to the handle when flexed; medium (or moderate) indicates the rod bends from the tip down to about halfway to the butt; fast indicates the rod bends only in the top third of the shaft; ultra-fast indicates the rod bends in the upper quarter of the rod only.  These are all somewhat subjective terms and don't really have firm definitions that you can reduce to scientific or mathematical terms.  One maker's fast can be another maker's medium or medium-fast so you may or may not be able to rely on the terms as printed on the rod shaft.

Rod action as described above is different depending on the waterials from which the rod is made. Some of what you see may reflect the difference in modulus of elasticity built into the rod blank due to the actual materials used in making the blank. Typically, the newer, better, stronger, whatever comes next, materials have a higher modulus of elasticity and tend to be "stiffer" or faster action rods...they also tend to be more expensive becasue they are the newest stuff.

The faster action blanks should help with hookset which means, to me anyway, that they would be good for jigs, frogs, etc.  Medium to Medium-fast should work well for crank baits and top water baits.

You might try reading about rod selection on forums dedicated to tournament fishing.  Many of the participants have tried to identify the best rod for each separate fishing application.  They certainly have spent much more time worrying about it than I have.

One thing you should consider as you choose a rod is durability. Some of the newest composites are incredibly strong in one plane (the one used when fishing) but lack sufficient strength to resist incidental damage from the side.  If you carry the rod loose in your truck or in the boat where it can bump the gunwale, you are causing damage that will result in breakage when you cast or hook a fish. Proper handling will virtually eliminate damage.  You can't treat the newer rods like you did the old fiberglass or bamboo rod you used as a kid.

Hope this helps in some way.

Thanks,   Joe