Boat Rods?

Whats the difference between a 12-20lb class boat rod and a 12lb?

in theory it will have a 12lb tip and a 20lb butt so you get the lighter tip action of a 12lb but with the extra backbone of a 20lb, in practice especially at the cheaper end of the market you just get a rod that could be better regarded as a 15-17lb which is not necessarally a bad thing!

give a man a fish and you feed him fo a day teach him to fish and his decendants will pester you for aid forever

That dosnt exactly answer my question, I have never seen a boat rod classed at just 12lb, normally 12-20lb? Im wondering is there a difference in these two types of rods?

Mark,

Good article here

http://bishfish.co.nz/answers/rodratel.htm

about rod rating systems. Thought I'd post the article rather than keep it to your PM.

Once again, Google has the answer! It's the best description of what the rating system means that I've heard, anyway.

Rod Ratings - What do they mean?

One of the more enduring myths about rods is the weight required to break a rod.

?My rod is rated for 15kg line but it broke while I was lifting a 10kg snapper out of the water. What gives??

Here is the non-myth. The line ratings on most rods do not indicate how much weight the rod will lift. The rating on the rod indicates the most suitable breaking strain line to use on the rod, with a correct drag for that line set on the reel. The rating is designed to achieve a working curve in the rod, without reaching a lock-up point.

To explain further ? a rod should be designed to achieve two tasks:
--One task is to act as a shock absorber. The rod should bend and flex as the fish lunges and darts in its efforts to escape. This shock absorption helps to guard against hooks pulling out, or line breaking.
--The second task a rod should achieve is to provide lift. This is a rod?s working curve. A bent rod tries to recover its shape, i.e. straighten up. This provides lift, helping the angler recover line.
---The lock-up point is the point at which a rod will bend no further without breaking.

USA Rod Ratings

There is sometimes a problem with some rod ratings printed on the rod. Rods designed primarily for the USA market use a different rod rating system to the rest of the world. Most USA rods will show two line weights, low and high. For example 10 to 40lbs. This range will show the full range from working curve to lock-up point. In most cases the upper line weight is too high for practical fishing purposes.

The One True Test

There is one infallible way of determining the true line breaking strain that is ideal for any rod. Run some line through the rod, and attach a scale to the end of the line. Pull down on the scale until the rod has a good working curve. Read off the weight on the scale and this will give you the drag setting on the reel.
The drag setting should be 25 to 30% of the breaking strain of the line, so working out the line to use on the rod is simple. Multiply the working curve weight by four. For instance if the working curve weight is 5kg then the line you should be using is 20kg, with a drag setting of 5kg.


HTH

absolutly spot on! (in theory at least) but back to the actual question which i admitt i did not address in my first post either.....12lb rods are available as are 6lb rods but especially at the cheaper end of the market they tend to be weight bracketed, i.e. 12-20lb or 6-12lb. the american system of calibrating also comes into play - if in doubt blame america i mean 16oz to a pint do they know nothing?(don't answer that!!)

Basicly a 12 lb rod representts the fighting curve of a rod. 12-20 etc. are really aimed at the use of braid. Since braid does not have the stretch qualities of mono more shock absorbtion is needed to counter this without resorting to a lower test curve than is desired for a chosen species. Therefore a 12-20 rod is really a 20lb class rod with a flexible tip to absorb shock without pulling the hook from a lunging fishes mouth. :wink: