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You might be thinking that every fishing rod is basically the same except for materials but there are actually two distinct types of fishing rods; spinning rods and casting rods. How to choose between one or the other really depends on what kind of fishing you’ll be doing and how experienced of an angler you are.
In this article we’ll look at the fundamental differences between these two types of fishing rods and make sure you can easily make the right choice for your fishing style.
The Specifications and Features of a Spinning Rod
The spinning rod comes in a different variety of lengths, materials, and weights which can be quite overwhelming for a beginner angler. One of the key differences is that eyelets that feed the fishing line from the spinning reel to the end of the rod are all pointed downwards towards the water. The reel itself is also positioned differently than a casting rod, sitting underneath the rod instead of on top.
Spinning Rod Materials
Almost all modern spinning rods you will see in a store today are made out of fiberglass or carbon fiber, but it is still possible to find an old school wood or bamboo rod. The great thing about both a carbon fiber or fiberglass spinning rod is they will both be very lightweight and easy to handle.
Fiberglass spinning rods are a little stiffer than a carbon fiber rod, and therefor less sensitive to the fish hitting your bait. The one advantage is they are typically stronger and can handle bigger fish and a stronger line. Carbon fiber spinning rods on the other hand are very sensitive and sometimes you’ll even feel the fish just nibbling at your bait before he latches on. These rods are designed for a higher flex, so won’t be able to handle huge fish or a really heavy duty line.
Spinning Rod Length
Choosing the right spinning rod length is really dependent on how you’ll be fishing and not so much what you’ll be fishing for. If you’re going to be casting from a boat or shoreline, a longer rod will help you get more distance on your cast and increase your chances of catching a fish. When using a longer spinning rod, it is more important to consider where the rod is designed to bend, near the middle or towards the tip. A rod designed to bend at the middle will be able to handle bigger fish, while a rod designed to bend at the tip is better for smaller fish.
A shorter spinning rod is great for fishing from a dock or smaller ponds / rivers. With a shorter spinning rod, where the rod bends isn’t as much of a factor with the shorter length. You will have more accuracy on your casts but less length, and these are designed for smaller fish.
Spinning Rod Weight
When you think of spinning rod weight, you should really be thinking of the strength of the rod itself. Weight is definitely something to consider when thinking about who is going to be using the rod for ease of use, especially if it is for a child. Lighter rods will be easier to handle and are especially good for beginner fisherman, but a heavier rod will be able to cast further and handle bigger fish. If you’re buying your first fishing rod, we definitely recommend going for something lighter as you will learn the fundamentals of casting and landing fish a lot quicker!
Why Should You Choose A Spinning Rod
The best part about going with a spinning rod when you’re new to fishing, is they’re extremely easy and simple to use. They are built to prevent line tangling, and making casting quicker and easier. The spinning reel works by holding a fixed reel for your line, with a wheeling that spins your line perfectly around when you’re bringing in a fish. To cast your line out, you flip the wheel off the line and allow your lure or bait to take your line out!
Advantages of Spinning Rods
- Perfect for kids or beginner anglers
- Best choice for lightweight lures or smaller fish
- Less line tangling
- Better for precision casting and is ideal for freshwater fishing
The Specifications and Features of a Casting Rod
To know more about a casting rod, you need to transform everything you know about spinning rods. When the fish bites, the rod is bent while the eyelets are facing up. For novices, this can be quite confusing and
When looking at a casting rod, the key difference from a spinning rod is the eyelets for the fishing line are facing up. For anglers that are new to the sport or looking for their first casting rod, this can be a confusing thing to wrap your head around. One of the reasons the eyelets face upwards is casting rods are generally used for bigger fish, so when you have one on the hook the force of the fishing line pushes down on the eyelets and the rod. This helps ensure a big fish with a lot of fight will not pull the eyelets right off the rod. The connection of the eyelet to the rod is the weakest point, so it is more likely to break than the fishing rod or line itself.
Casting Rod Materials
There is really nothing different about the materials used in a casting rod that wasn’t discussed above with spinning rods. The one thing to consider is the type of fishing you’ll be doing, is you plan on casting a more sensitive carbon fiber rod might be idea, but if you’re trolling or fishing over the side of the boat a fiberglass rod is a solid choice.
Casting Rod Length
Casting rods come in a variety of lengths, and the longer casting rods are typically longer than the longest spinning rods. The longer a rod, the bigger the fish it will typically be able to handle which is why these are the choice of saltwater fisherman or professionals. If you’re looking to do more casting, a shorter ride might be ideal if you require more accuracy.
Casting Rod Weight
Similar to spinning rods, instead of thinking of how heavy is the rod you want to think about how strong the rod is. If you’re looking to bring in a monster blue fin tuna, a light rod just isn’t going to cut it. If you’re looking to do a lot of saltwater fishing for things like tuna, halibut, and even salmon its recommended to go with a heavier rod. If you’re just using your casting rod for bass or lake trout, a lighter rod should do just fine!
Why Should You Choose A Casting Rod
If you’re planning on doing a lot of saltwater fishing or landing some bigger lake fish, this is definitely the rod and reel combination for you. Casting rods are commonly used by professional anglers or experienced anglers that do a lot of boat fishing in the ocean for fish line Tuna, Salmon, Catfish, and sometimes even Striped Bass. If you prefer fishing with heavier lines or lures, a casting rod might also offer better control than a spinning rod would as they are designed to handle bigger tackle.
Advantages of Casting Rods
- Great for saltwater fishing and catching bigger fish
- Casting Reels have a more extensive range of gear ratios for every situation
- Supports higher line capacities and better overall strength
- A must have for experienced anglers looking to level up their gear
Wrapping Up Spinning Rods vs Casting Rods
There isn’t going to be just one fishing rod for every angler, almost any you talk to will have an arsenal of different rod and reel combinations. This is because a spinning rod is good for some situations, while a casting rod has advantages in others. A lot of this is dependent on the skill of the angler and what type of fish you are looking to catch.
The biggest takeaway from this article is that a spinning rod and reel combination is best for beginner anglers or smaller fish with precision casting. A casting rod on the other hand, is perfect for saltwater fishing and commonly used by experienced and professional anglers. We hope this article was everything you’d hope for in breaking down the differences in casting and spinning rods, feel free to drop us a comment with your thoughts!