Choosing the most suitable type of fishing rod can be a daunting task.
In this article, I’ll cover the different types of fishing rods and explain what to consider when searching for a new fishing rod.
Keep reading to learn more about the most common types of fishing rods, an explanation of rod action, rod power, and much more…….
But first, is it a Fishing Rod or a Fishing Pole?
Well, here in the US if it has line guides and a fishing reel on it’s called a fishing rod. A fishing pole just has a line fastened to its tip.
Some anglers might use the terms fishing rod and fishing pole interchangeably. But, not many anglers in the US actually use fishing poles. The majority are using fishing rods. So that’s what I’m talking about here, and that’s how I’ll refer to them in this article.
What Types of Fishing Rods Are Available?
Here are the seven most common fishing rods you are likely to come across when shopping for a fishing rod:
1. Spinning Rods
A spinning rod is one of the most common types of fishing rods. It’s a great choice for beginners and it’s suited for general purpose fishing.
These rods are flexible, lightweight, and versatile, with a length of four to nine feet. Choosing longer spinning rods can increase casting distances. Plus they also provide better shock absorption against hard-fighting fish.
Spinning rods are designed to be used with spinning reels which are mounted underneath the rod in the angler’s hand. Similarly, all the line guides face the bottom end of the rod.
Spinning rods are available from one-piece rods, up to as many as six-piece rods. There are also telescopic models for easy storage and traveling.
The casting technique of a spinning rod is easy to master. The rod allows you to hold it with your dominant hand for more power and stability.
Due to its features, a spinning rod is suitable for use in most fishing environments, including rivers, lakes, and boats.
What’s great about this rod is that you can use it to catch all popular fish species. So whether it’s walleye, trout, bass, or panfish, you can be sure the rod will get the job done.
Want to know more about these rods? Check out our other article Best Spinning Rods.
2. Fly Rods
As the name suggests, a fly rod is ideal for all kinds of fly fishing. That’s because it’s flexible, adjustable, and extremely lightweight. These features make it easy casting a fly fishing line with delicate flies and catch large fish.
Fly fishing rods come in various lengths and sizes, from 5 to 11 feet in length, with the most common length being 9 feet. They are also available in one to eight-piece models for ease of storage and travel.
A fly fishing rod is longer than spinning and baitcasting rods, and the line is usually thicker and heavier for casting. The variations of the fly line include sinking, floating, and sink tap. The option you go for will depend on your specific uses.
It’s also worth noting that to master the cast of a fly rod, you have to practice a lot. Also, the cast requires a considerable amount of space.
You can use them to target lots of species. In most cases, anglers use fly fishing rods for trout fishing. But they can be used for lots of freshwater species like crappie, bluegill and bass. As well as bonefish, spanish mackerel, and even sharks in saltwater.
If you are looking for a fly rod that can handle bigger fish then check out our other article Best 10 Weight Fly Rod.
3. Casting Rods
Casting rods are not that different from their spinning counterparts. In fact, you can often use them for almost similar purposes. Due to their common features and style, people often refer to them as spin casting fishing rods.
Casting rods are generally easy to use, and their overall design is simple. Thus, beginners and younger fishers can comfortably use them.
Casting rods are made for use with baitcasting or casting reels where the reel is at the top of the handle in the direction of the angler.
The line guides are also located at the top of the rod so they let the line flow straight to the spool of the reel. This helps reduce any unwanted friction.
One-piece casting rods are the favourite of most anglers due to their strength and sensitivity. But they are also come in two, three, four, and five-piece options as well as telescopic versions to make transport easier.
4. Trolling Rods
These kinds of rods are usually heavy-duty and highly durable. They are designed for use with different types of lines and lures trolled behind a moving boat.
Trolling rods are made to be used with trolling or conventional fishing reels that sit on the top side of the fishing rod. Although there are some models are made to combine with larger spinning reels.
Trolling rods are usually 7.5 to 9 feet long and made with fiberglass and or graphite. They have long handles made to slot into rod holders on the stern of a boat.
The rod blanks of trolling rods are made to be thicker than other types of fishing rods. As they need to cope with the extra force generated when the tackle is towed behind the boat.
Trolling rods are typically one-piece rods. But, there are two-piece or telescoping models available which shorten the rod and make storage and transporting easier
As well as being made for different types of lines, trolling rods are often made for different species. So rod characteristics will differ between fresh and saltwater species.
5. Surf Rods
Surfcasting rods are designed for saltwater fishing along coastal beaches and bays from the shore. They are sturdy rods engineered for throwing heavy tackle. With anglers often targeting hard-fighting saltwater species such as redfish, snook, sharks, stripers.
They are longer than most other rod types, up to 15’’, and feature a durable butt. With the additional length, you can lob a heavier bait rig, reaching deeper target areas beyond waves and crashing surf. The butt section of a surf rod is longer than most other types of fishing rods as it’s designed to be set in rod holders specifically for beach casting.
Two-piece models are the most popular for their strength and ease of storage. But there are also models available in one, three, four, and even five-piece travel surf rods.
Surf rods are often used with big spinning reels. Such combo’s have excellent casting capability especially when the reel is spooled with braided line.
Want to know more about these rods? Check out our other article Best Surfcasting Rods.
6. Ice Fishing Rods
While ice fishing rods look like spinning rods, their length is much shorter. Sometimes they are as short as two to three feet long.
Lengths of 24” to 30” are preferred inside a shelter, while anglers who are sight fishing for panfish often use rods that are less than 20”. Longer rods that range from 30” to 40” are preferred by anglers fishing outside from snowmobiles or hole hopping.
You can use an ice fishing rod with a spinning reel or opt for an inline reel model made for the specific purpose of ice fishing.
Ice rods often feature super-sensitive thin tips or have spring-bobbers attached to provide that bend we all like to see. They also have stiff backbones required to handle the fight once a large fish is hooked.
Rod powers range from super ultra-light for panfish and small walleye to extra-heavy rods for catching pike, muskie, and lake trout.
To handle the harsh elements of ice fishing, ice rods are made from softer epoxies than other types of fishing rods. This ensures they won’t crack in the coldest temperatures.
They have a variety of handle configurations allowing for the customization of the reel locations. They offer all the characteristics of standard rods, but in shorter versions. They are designed for anglers who fish offshore in ice huts rather than boats.
7. Telescopic Rods
Telescopic rods are one of the most compact and portable fishing rods you will come across. They are spinning and casting rods designed with traveling anglers in mind.
They allow anglers to carry them to their fishing destination with ease.
If you are looking for a fishing rod for day hiking, camping trips, or backpacking, a telescopic rod may be just what you need. It’s also a great fishing rod if you are on the road or have limited space in your car.
Anglers generally use telescopic fishing rods for small freshwater fishing. They’ll target perch, crappie, walleye, and trout in lakes and streams.
Telescopic fishing rods feature a lightweight design. This ensures you are comfortable when fishing, even for prolonged periods, and makes them hassle-free to carry.
The length of a telescopic fishing rod ranges from small to medium and most are constructed of fiberglass or graphite (carbon).
As telescopic rods have several joints this can make them more prone to breakages compared to traditional types of fishing rods. It also means they have less flex, bend, and sensitivity to the bite.
So choosing to use a telescopic fishing rod is a trade-off between performance and convenience. Be sure to read our other article Best Telescopic Fishing Rods before making a purchase.
What Rod Action is the Best?
Rod action is one of the critical performance components of a fishing rod. The shape, length, and material of the rod are what determine a rod’s action.
Rod action dictates the extent of bending and where it occurs in your rod. In addition, rod action controls the bending speed—how fast it takes for the rod tip to return to its original position (neutral) after loading.
In some rods, only the tip bends, while in others, the upper half bends. Also, some rods bend from the bottom third up to the tip.
Remember, rod action determines what type of fishing a rod is suited for and its ability to handle fish.
Fast
Fast action occurs where only the tip or generally the upper fourth or third of the rod length bends after applying pressure. Such rods are only flexible at the tip, with the rest of the length being stiff.
Fast action rods tend to be more sensitive than medium and slow rods. These rods are primarily used for casting.
Medium
Medium action rods usually bend only half of their length. They’re slower than fast action rods, hence suitable to work with multiple hook setups, though you can also use single hooks.
With a medium-action rod, fish get more time to bite. What‘s equally remarkable about these rods is they allow you to catch both big and small fish.
Some rods are also referred to as medium-fast. These possess the properties of medium and fast rods, bending somewhere halfway of the center and tip.
Slow
Slow action fishing rods bend along their whole length. Their responsiveness is not at all good, and they tend to be softer. However, one of their advantages is that you can use live bait.
Most trolling rods and boat rods are either slow or medium action. Their flexibility helps catch the bigger trophy fish.
What is Fishing Rod Power?
Fishing rod power refers to a rod’s ability to resist bending when subjected to pressure. The fishing rod power also determines the rod’s weight class.
Most anglers confuse power with action because they both relate to a rod’s bending behavior. However, while action here is all about where the bending occurs, power is more about how much force will cause it to bend.
Regarding power, we talk of the rod being from heavy to ultra-light.
● Heavy: Rods that require a lot of weight to bend
● Medium: Rods that require not so much and not so little weight to bend
● Light: These rods need just a little weight to bend (rods that bend pretty easily).
If you plan on catching big fish, you should go for a fishing rod with heavy power. On the other hand, a rod with lighter power will help and make it fun to catch small fish species.
Power can range from ultra-light, light, medium-light, medium, medium-heavy, heavy, and ultra-heavy.
Fishing Rod Materials
Fishing rods are made from different materials. Three of the most common materials used are:
Fiberglass
If you are looking for an affordable fishing rod, fiberglass rods may be the best for you. They are the least expensive type of fishing rod and more durable than graphite models.
Most fiberglass rods feature slow or medium action, flexing from the bottom to the top, and are great for casting heavy lures.
The only downside with fiberglass rods is that they are not very sensitive to the bite. So you may miss a fish or two if you’re not paying close attention.
Graphite
Are you looking for extra finesse? Then graphite fishing rods are ideal for you due to their lightweight nature. Generally, they are fast action rods that bend more towards the tip and less or never towards the bottom.
The great thing about graphite rods is that they’re very sensitive to the bite. Because graphite is rigid and unyielding, these rods are available in longer lengths than fiberglass. This extra length allows for improved reach and accuracy from a distance.
The only downside with graphite rods is they are a bit delicate and if they bend too much they will snap. They are also more expensive than fiberglass & composite rods.
Composite
Composite rods feature a mix of graphite and fiberglass. The combination of these materials makes composite rods more sensitive than fiberglass, but less powerful than graphite.
Their performance lies somewhere in between that of fiberglass and graphite-made rods.
They have a faster action than fiberglass rods but are slow compared to graphite rods.
They are usually considered to be in the medium action category of rods.
They are great for targeting heavy fish, using live baits, and are the best material if you’re on a budget.
Fishing Rod Handles
The most common materials used to make rod handles are cork and EVA foam. Both materials are excellent for all fishing purposes. Some rod manufacturers like Elliott Rods use a synthetic cork (Syncork™) for their handles. Syncork is also an excellent material that provides the comfort and durability needed in a quality fishing rod handle.
When shopping for a fishing rod, you should remember that some cork handles feature pressed cork. This cork is less durable and of lower quality than the real cork. However real cork handles usually make the rod more expensive so it comes down to your budget.
Final Word
There’s plenty to consider when choosing a types of fishing rod.
So take some time to examine each rod and its characteristics to ensure it meets all your fishing needs.
Check out our fishing rod buying guides and reviews designed to help you navigate and find the best fishing rod for you.
