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Fast vs slow surf rods -- what's the point?

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Alexey

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Let's make it simple.... fast/ stiff surf rod equal beginner . Slow to moderate action rods with strong back bone equals more experience surf angler. :)

 

And that butt nugget is what you grunt out as your first post?

 

Here's my reply to your logic. . .

 

There are those who justifiably use slow rods because the tactics and techniques of a spot they fish force it (e.g., perched on a rock).

 

Then there are those who use slow rods because they just haven't taken the training wheels off and haven't bothered to learn how to cast or fight a fish . . . :)

You can’t truly call yourself “peaceful” unless you are capable of great violence.  If you are incapable of violence, you are not peaceful, you are just harmless.

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Let's make it simple.... fast/ stiff surf rod equal beginner . Slow to moderate action rods with strong back bone equals more experience surf angler. :)

Post count....

0 for 1.

"We eat cold eels and think distant thoughts" Jack Johnson.

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Over the years I have been fishing with a slow action surf rod. Most of the time I throw chunk baits and when I catch a ten pound plus fish that's going to put up a decent fight I can fish him with a tighter drag and control the fish. Using a slow action rod I can't even turn the fish easier. I can with a slow action rod make him run to the right or the left and even turn him so he runs in my direction. IF and when i'm throwing plug or spoons they are usually three  ounces or heavier. In the past when I caught a monster on a fast action rod it was a great fight but I felt that I wasn't controlling the fish. It was God guide this fish until I can crank it in. Everyone has different fishing styles and strategies. You have to feel comfortable with the equipment and have confidence using your equipment. 


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And that butt nugget is what you grunt out as your first post?+1

 

Here's my reply to your logic. . .

 

There are those who justifiably use slow rods because the tactics and techniques of a spot they fish force it (e.g., perched on a rock).

 

Then there are those who use slow rods because they just haven't taken the training wheels off and haven't bothered to learn how to cast or fight a fish . . . :)

Throw Em Back!!!!!

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sweetwater View Post

I think calling a fishing rod a lever is a bit misleading. It is a spring. It is designed to store and release force on demand.

To describe actions, think of the leaf springs on the suspension of a truck. You have one that arches back all the way to the frame, then several that are flat and open. The one with the arch simply stores energy. Each one beyond it is designed to receive and release progressively more force though a spring with a foot. The inner ones are designed to store power and release it slowly. The outer ones store power and release it quickly. A moderate rod resembles the inner spring with a smaller foot and longer spring and a fast rod acts like an outer spring- more foot than spring.





If it is a spring, and I really want to load it up, and rocket a 4oz weight over the horizon, would I be better off with a rod that bends more in the middle with the load, like a slow rod? Is it the more bend, the more spring, the more energy in the final sling shot of the weight?  Am I understanding you both correctly on this?



Quote:

Originally Posted by EBHarvey View Post

no they aren't.

take two rods of the same length made from the same quantities of the same materials that deflect the same amount under a given load and the faster actioned one is going to break first if you keep upping the load. see my post above relating to mechanical advantage and decreasing the effective length of the lever.

think about what you do when you want to break your line off - you point the rod towards it. a slow rod flexing into the butt section is, in effect, doing the same thing, tranferrring the load down towards the stronger section of the rod. a fast actioned rod cannot do this and is forced to bear the full load up high, where it is weaker.

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It really comes down to preference and what kind of fishing you are doing, typically a slower rod should throw less aerodynamic plugs and bait better since it won't cause them to tumble as much. I have a s1 stealth that I fish for the majority of the year it throws eels, and swimmers extremely well and with out much effort. More importantly than slow or fast I see that many people are fishing a rod that is rated much to high for how they are fishing, that is the rod is not loading enough for the weight of whatever it is that they are throwing. I am generally fishing open beaches and find that a rod rated in the 1-4oz range does very well for the plugs I throw. If your rod isn't loading enough your essentially doing all the work to get the plug out there. If your rod loads, the rod is doing more of the work and you experience should be more pleasureable. I will say that what a rod is "rated" is not something set in stone, these ratings vary greatly between rod manufactures. The best way to find a rod you like being able to try something out. When you get more experienced you will be able to pick a rod up and get a pretty good idea of whether it is right for you.


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Keep in mind there are lure/weight ratings oz. 



Action ratings. slow, moderate, fast etc.



Power, medium, heavy, light etc.


 



One manufacturer may rate a 10ft rod blank -moderate action 1-4oz, medium power. And another manufacturer could rate a 10ft rod the same way and they could be entirely different  animals that is why one can't buy a rod on ratings alone feel is everything.  of course you have may have a lot of experience with a particular manufacturer and know what their ratings mean to you, but I still recommend being able to physically hold the rod or blank before purchase.


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I still recommend being able to physically hold the rod or blank before purchase.

 

Absolutely . . . If possible, I like to be "hands-on" with as many examples of the same rod or blank, before choosing the one with the "magic" . . . "Magic" is something I can't describe, but when you handle a bunch of "identical" products, it becomes apparent as something in the "feel" of it. Some people may think I'm "crazy", but the evidence is there . . . Try it yourselves !

"Fishing is our Handshake, our Language. A Heritage that binds us together. A Passage our fathers took. A Journey that lasts a lifetime, that we have begun again with our sons and daughters." George "Gowge" Pope
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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...

I like a faster rod that's really bendy say 1-5 oz for lighter presentations as it makes it easier to cast the bait without getting an overrun on a conventional reel.

I feel like a slower rod for heavier presentations but they require a bit more effort to load the rod and consequently wear me out faster when fishing all day.

I like to fish with 4 oz and bait primarily off Hatteras sometimes a bit more weight, but I enjoy fishing more over a longer period with a faster rod.

With the faster actionn rods I have to work the reel, drag, and the rod to get the fish in, not just winch them in.

My faster ex. 1838123

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I like a faster rod that's really bendy say 1-5 oz for lighter presentations as it makes it easier to cast the bait without getting an overrun on a conventional reel.

I feel like a slower rod for heavier presentations but they require a bit more effort to load the rod and consequently wear me out faster when fishing all day.

I like to fish with 4 oz and bait primarily off Hatteras sometimes a bit more weight, but I enjoy fishing more over a longer period with a faster rod.

With the faster actionn rods I have to work the reel, drag, and the rod to get the fish in, not just winch them in.

My faster ex. 1838123

 

I think you have things backwards . . .

 

That pic you posted is of an extremely "slow" rod. It is flexing all the way down to the Butt.

 

A "fast" rod is only flexible in the uper section of the rod, near the tip. As rods get "faster", the flexible area gets smaller & smaller.

"Fishing is our Handshake, our Language. A Heritage that binds us together. A Passage our fathers took. A Journey that lasts a lifetime, that we have begun again with our sons and daughters." George "Gowge" Pope
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Yea the basic definitions are:

 

A "Slow" action rod gets stiff slowly. So it bends deeper and some times all the way into the butt of the rod as above. Generally they have relatively stiffer tips but that is made up for by the deeper bend. People would say a truly slow rod has little back bone.

 

A "Fast" action rod gets stiff very quickly but has a generally softer tip for the rating. These rods have more back bone and a more sensitive feel but don't load as deeply.

 

Slower rods generally cast farther as they load up more but have less control over the fish. But the deeper bend can be nice on truly big fish to take the sting out.

 

Just the right action for the individual application meets the angler's style of fishing (ie big poppers need stiffer tips but you might want a really light tip for fishing small bucktails) and mates with his lure weights to feel sweet to him. Not everyone is going to agree on just what that rod is for a particular lure and style of fishing.

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Slower rods generally cast farther as they load up more but have less control over the fish. But the deeper bend can be nice on truly big fish to take the sting out.

 

That's what I thought, too, until I was corrected by Mike Oliver and ReelinRod. Both agree that faster rods cast further when used with the proper mechanics. It's all above, but basically, a slow rod is more effective with a short drop and faster cast, while a faster rod requires a more measured delivery to fully load it. Once the delivery is mastered, the faster rod should outcast the slower one.

 

I spent the last two months going back over my casting style and found my moderate rod did cast better and more consistently with a shorter drop. As I am not into distance casting and only fish for my own pleasure, this was a big help.

I have become too old to drink bourbon on the rocks. I will still drink it in the parking lot. 

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