There’s a lot of focus on a rod’s ‘line weight’ rating. This is listed on the blank either in kilograms (e.g. 3-5kg) or pounds (e.g. 10-20lb). This is useful for matching a rod to its intended purpose; however, it’s often more useful to match a rod’s ‘lure weight’ rating or ‘casting weight’ rating to your lure or sinker weight.
Lure weight and/or casting weight ratings are the same thing by two different names. These ratings are listed on the rod blank in grams (e.g. 4-10g); or ounces (e.g. 1-2oz). This rating is more important these days – with the increasing popularity of braided lines – as anglers often use lines much stronger than necessary to take advantage of braid’s thin diameters.
For example, let’s say you’re using 13.6kg (30lb) braid for casting soft plastic lures rigged with 7g (1/4oz) jig heads for snapper. You would not get the same casting performance from a rod with a line weight rating of 10-15kg (22-33lb) as a lighter rod with a line weight rating of 5-7kg (12-15lb). This is because, in most cases, a lighter rod will have a lighter casting weight rating than a heavier rod.
With this in mind, it’s best to look for a rod with a casting weight rating that matches the lures or sinker weight you expect to be using, plus a line weight rating that matches your reel’s likely drag setting, rather than the actual line you are using.
