The action of a fishing rod also refers to its speed, which can be confusing. We will discuss what fishing rod builders mean when they list a fishing rod's action or speed. We'll review the scale of fast to slow for fly rods, casting, and spinning rods.
The custom fishing rod's action can largely depend on the taper of the fishing rod blank. Most fishing rods are made from a strong, lightweight material like graphite, carbon fiber, fiberglass, or a mix.
The action of that rod blank broadly describes where the rod bends, and where the rod bends is based on the rod's taper. This taper is how the diameter of the rod blank change from the butt of the tube to the tip.
A fishing rod with a big taper significantly changes in diameter from butt to tip. Alternately, a rod with a small taper has a slight diameter change from butt to tip. The taper contributes to where the rod has its flexing action. As a general rule for all fishing rod blanks, there are three main actions.
The speed of the rod describes how quickly the rod recovers from being flexed.
The most significant contributors to the speed of the rod are mass and the rigidity of the material being used to make the rod. For example, a fiberglass rod with the same mass as high-modulus graphite will recover more slowly and have a slower speed due to the properties of fiberglass compared to the rigidity of high-modulus carbon fiber.
As you can see, there is a connection between Speed and Action, but it is best described as a correlation.
Here are three distinct fishing rods: fly, casting, and spinning.
We look at the conditions and fishing situations where a rod's action and speed align with conditions.
Fly Rod
Fast Action Fly Rods: Ideal for cutting through the wind and turning (presenting) heavier flies.
These custom fly rods perform best when casting through windy conditions, making quick casts over a distance. The taper on these rods will be more pronounced, flexing the upper 1/3 of the rod.
Slower Action Fly Rods: Ideal for less wind and turning (presenting) lighter flies. Performs best in protected mountain streams, casting both nymphs and dry flies.
Casting Rod
Fast Action Casting Rods: Ideal for casting in windy conditions and when sensitivity is essential; perform best when jigging or crawling soft plastics through the cover. The speed on these rods also correlates with the sensitivity needed when jigging or flipping. Fast action and fast-speed rods are often the choices in these scenarios.
Slow Action Casting Rods: Ideal for longer battles with larger fish and casting larger tackle longer distances.
These fishing rods perform best when reeling in larger tackle or billed lures at depth (cranking). The slower action and speed allow you to load these rods with heavier tackle. The slower action rod acts as a lever with some whip that will give you distance on your cast. In addition, the slower speed on a rod like this will keep you from ripping hooks out of your catch.
Spinning Rod
Fast Action Spinning Rods: Ideal for setting the hook quickly and throwing heavier tackle. These spinning rods have excellent sensitivity and perform best when moving medium 1/4 oz tackle fast, e.g., working a top water across the surf. A medium-speed rod is perfect for the angler operating with some quick twitch. If you know you are quick on the hook set, a medium-speed rod could answer your missed topwater bites.
Slower Action Spinning Rods: Ideal for lighter baits when pursuing smaller game and shorter casts.
It performs best when vertical jigging and can be more frequently used in ice fishing.
In Summary
The Fishing Rod Blank Manufacturer determines how the Rod is tapered based on how they roll the blank. Different materials allow for different tapers depending on the thickness of the material (Carbon Fiber, Composite, Fiber Glass). This taper confirms where the rod bends, and this is the main point in understanding the action of a rod. The closer the bend occurs to the butt of the rod, defines it as a slower-action rod. If the bend is concentrated closer to the rod's tip, it is a fast-action rod.
How quickly the rod recovers from that flexing or bending is the speed of the rod, which is managed by the taper and the material the rod blank is made from. A fast-speed rod is rigid and bends closer to the tip of the rod, so it needs less space to return to its straight position (recover).
When buying your next fishing rod or fishing rod blank to build on, make sure you understand what the speed and action of a fishing rod mean and how it applies to the type of fishing you do so you can select the perfect fishing pole.
