MAKE it easier to find the best fishing rod for your needs by understanding rod ratings.
Line Weight Rating
A rod’s line weight is typically listed on the rod blank either in kilograms e.g. 3-5kg, pounds e.g. 10-20lb or as a PE rating e.g. PE 2-4 (“What is PE rating?”). This is useful for matching a rod to its intended purpose and to the line that is on the reel; however, for lure casting it’s often more useful to match a rod’s “lure weight” rating or “casting weight” rating to the lures you intend to use.
Lure/Casting Weight Rating
Lure weight and/or casting weight ratings are the same thing by two different names. The lure weight or cast weight should be considered closely if the rod’s casting performance is particulalrly important to the fishing being done i.e. beach fishing, high speed spinning for pelagics, topwater casting etc.
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. It’s quite common to use line that breaks well beyond a rods ‘line weight’ rating (e.g. using 15kg braid on a snapper rod with a line weight rating of 5-7kg). This is why a ‘drag rating’ can also be found on some rods.
Max. Drag Rating
For certain types of medium and heavy tackle fishing a ‘drag rating’ may also be listed on a rod. The drag rating is an important consideration when line weight and casting weight become irrelevant (e.g. using seemingly unbreakable braid for GTs in shallow water). Heavy jigging and popping rods along with some conventional game rods will list a maximum drag rating in kilograms or pounds not to be exceeded when the rod is at 45 degrees (e.g. Max Drag: 16kg).
