Rods- "Power" and "Action" Defined

[greg516]

Didnt see these questions asked and I thought they were good questions...

More guides mean what?

And what if it doesnt say what the action is.. Cause I order a Fenwick Eagle Gt Series EGTS70M and have no idea what  action it is!

Greg

[JCMAN]

where does it say the rod action when you buy it ive looked and havent saw it on the rod  how am i supposed to know exactly?

[cidgrad96]

RW hit it on the head with the descriptions.

Couple other things I will throw out there -

Consider using slower actions for techniques like flippin/pitchin, cranks... why? Fewer lost fish and fewer broken rods. flippin/pitchin is a very aggressive, violent technique that can be hard on equipment.

Rod Length - Longer rods generally allow longer casts and also more aggressive hooksets. The hooksets and casts are a result of a larger swing arc (think golf clubs here... drivers are longer to hit the ball further... bigger arc = more speed). For hooksets, simply put, you move more line when you set the hook with a longer rod.

Guides - What do more guides mean? Nothing if built correctly. Longer rods usually need more guides, shorter rods need fewer. If the rod is set up correctly, the guides will be set in a fashion to keep the line in the same curve as the blank. The line may touch the rod during flex, but the line shouldn't drop below the rod.

Guide size - I'm a huge proponent of micro guides on bass rods. Smaller, lighter, better line control, everything with them is a plus. They aren't available on production rods yet.

One thing also about measuring action - MOST rods are designed to be flexed 90 degrees. Not more. If you are trying to figure out the action, suspend the rod horizontally and hang weight off the tip until the tip is pointing straight at the floor. Gives you a good idea how much weight it takes to bend your rod and you can see the flex from a more objective position than sticking the tip in the dirt and looking at it.

[neurotic]

Great post, thanks for the info