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If you want to choose the right type of the rod with right weight then you have many options available in the market.
According to the experts, medium size rods are the best for beginners but if you want to know more about the rods and become a master in fishing then it will be helpful for you. Before knowing a perfect weight you need to know what is fishing rod’s weight rating is.
What is Fishing Rod Weight Rating?
Every fishing rods have its weight rating that is according to its power rating. This indicated how much weight is needed to bend a pole and the ratings are given on the scale from Ultra Light to Extra Heavy. The weight of the rod mainly depends on the resistance of its bending.
Light rods are much better than heavy ones because they bend more easily. So you should choose a heavy pole if you want to catch bigger fish.
Choosing the right fishing rod as it seems, you should choose a rod according to the size of the fish that you want to catch. For making your choice easier rods comes with a series of alphabets and numbers that will help you in matching the correct line and lure weight.
See also: Fishing Rod Length Guide
What are the numbers on Fishing Rods?
Most of the rods come with letters and numbers written on them mainly next to the handle. The first group of series refers to the type of rods such as their length, number of pieces, and weight. The second group mainly refers to the recommended line weight to be used with the pole and the last line refers to the recommended lure weight to be used with the rod.
Once you understand this you can easily choose the right type of rod for fishing. Here are the things that you need to know before purchasing fishing rods.
Fishing Rod Line Weight
The line rating of a fishing rod doesn’t matter with the size of fish you want to catch. This describes the best type of rod you need to use with it. Using this will result in the best casting and this should pair with pair well with the overall sensitivity of the pole.
Before buying the fishing rod you need to use the correct line strength for each rod weight class. If you are going to use a line that is too light or too heavy then you are going to lose fish due to the line breakage.
Fishing Rod Lure Weight
The lure rating expresses which rod is best to use. If you are using a lure that is very light for your rod power then you will never be able to catch far away. If you are using a lure that is very heavy then you have many chances of getting a breakage in your line during the cast.
Fishing Rod Weight Chart Explained
| Rod weight | Line weight | Lure weight | Recommended species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ultra Light | 1 - 4 lb | 1/64 - 1/16 oz | Panfish, trout |
| Light | 4 - 8 lb | 1/32 - 1/8 oz | Perch, trout, small bass |
| Medium | 6 - 12 lb | 1/8 - 3/8 oz | Bass, walleye, pike, lake trout |
| Medium Heavy | 8 - 14 lb | 3/16 - 1/2 oz | Salmon, pike, catfish |
| Heavy | 15 - 25 lb | 1/2 - 1 1/2 oz | Muskie, pike, salmon |
| Extra Heavy | 25 lb and more | 1 1/2 oz and more | Largemouth Bass |
Ultra-light
They are very light weighted types of rods that are best for catching panfish and small trout. They are very sensitive which is why are used for casting small lures.
Light
These are a little bigger than the ultra-light rods and help in catching bigger fishes such as trout, perch, and even small bass. This is easier to use anyone who is a beginner or expert can use it.
Medium
These are the commonly used rods that can be used for catching a wide range of fishing applications concluding smallmouth and largemouth bass, pike, walleye, and lake trout in freshwater.
Medium-heavy
They are mostly used rods that are used for catching bigger fishes such as salmon, pike, and catfish. They are the best fish-catching rods that anyone can use easily.
Heavy
These are designed for catching big freshwater fishes such as muskie, salmon, and trophy-sized catfish or big saltwater fish like tarpon.
Extra heavy
They are extra heavy rods that are used for catching the biggest fish. They are the heaviest rods among all. These are not used by beginners, only experts use this kind of rod.
See also: What are the parts of fishing rods
Fishing Rod Power & Action Explained
When you choose a fishing rod for your fishing adventure the rod’s power & action play a major role. You should know what kind of fishing rod power is required for a particular fish species. Here we are going to mention a complete list of fishing rod power for each of the fish species
| Type | Options | Power Rating | Action Rating | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bass | Spinning Reel | Medium | Fast | 6’6″ |
| Bass | Baitcasting Reel | Medium Heavy | Moderate | 7′ |
| Trout | Live Bait | Light | Fast | 5’6″ |
| Trout | Lures | Light | Moderate Slow | 6’6″ |
| Walleye | Live Bait | Medium Light | Extra Fast | 6′ |
| Walleye | Lures | Medium | Fast | 6’6″ |
| Panfish | Live Bait | Ultra Light | Extra Fast | 5′ |
| Panfish | Lures | Ultra Light | Slow | 7′ |
| Catfish | Live Bait | Medium Heavy | Fast | 8′ |
| Surf | Lures & Live Bait | Heavy | Moderate | 10′ |
| In-Shore | Lures & Live Bait | Medium | Fast | 7′ |
Choosing the right type of rod for fishing
There are many options for you from which you have to choose the right rod. If you are a normal fisher, then you should use medium size of rods.
But if you want to become an expert angler then there are so many options for you. You can take the help of fishing rod charts that will help you know which rod is best for you according to the size of fish you want to catch.
As you have known above if you want to catch panfish, then you need to have ultra-light rods. If you do not know what kind of fish you are going to catch then you will see that angler, the medium-size of rods are the best rods.
Choosing the right type of reel for your rod
After deciding which rod you are going to use you need to decide which type of reels you have to use. For doing this you need to use line the rating of the pole to find a reel with a similar line rating. For getting the best reel size you can use the spinning reel size chart.
Wrapping It Up
Choosing a fishing rod is not easy you should know for what purpose you are going to purchase it. If you are a beginner then you should use spinning rods that are light weighted. The easiest rods to master and handle are the medium size rods.
You can take the help of charts of knowing the sizes of the rods. You should not use a line that is too heavy or too light if you will do this then there are a lot of chances of line breakage.
It is very important to choose the right kind of rod for fishing, if you will choose the wrong rod or without any proper knowledge and decision then you will never be able to catch fish easily.
