If you think fishing is as easy as picking a rod, packing backpacks, and driving to a lake or a pound, you definitely need to think again. Because you might get confused at just the first step, i.e. selecting the fishing rod. It might seem like an easy decision to make but it is way more difficult because of all the types and varieties of fishing rods out there. Before selecting a fishing rod, you must consider the type, length, strength, and quality of the rod and the wire it uses. You can’t just get any rod and go fishing.
Mainly there are two types of fishing rods out there in the market, a spinning rod and a casting rod, don’t get confused, we are here to help you understand the difference between both of these. Both of these rods are very useful for fishing but knowing the differences between them will help the angler to decide which one is more suitable for him with his skills. But before we go into the differences you first need to know what these rods are and what they are used for, so, without further ado, let’s take a look;
Contents
Broad Distinction Between the Two Types of Rods; Explanation & Key Variants
Before understanding what makes them different, first you need to understand the variant of both types and what these rods actually offer. with that said let us start with the detailed explanation of each of the rod before we list down the distinctions.
Spinning Fishing Rod
The spinning fishing rod is the most common type of fishing rod out there, you must have seen them in the cartoons when a character has to go fishing, they use this rod. The spinning rod as the name suggests comes with a spinning reel which is basically the fulcrum of the rod. Its reel handle is located at the bottom of the rod and to keep the line guides on the same side of the handle, they are also at the bottom of the pole. You just roll the reel according to your need and it goes in the water to get you some good fish. Once the fish is caught in the hook, you have to roll the reel back to get it back to you.
This process may seem easy but it needs a stiff and strong hand because everything is manual and if you catch a big fish you would need a strong force to pull it towards you. When fishing, this rod bets downwards, and the force is applied upwards to pull this fish out. These spinning rods come in a variety of ranges of different sizes, poles designs, and the raw material used in their making, and because of this diversity in sizes and designs, it is one of the most promising types of fishing rods used by anglers especially the beginners.
It can be used for any kind of fishing, including bobber fishing, live lining, trolling, boat fishing, ice fishing, and surf fishing, but most commonly it is used for lightweight fishing. If you are planning a picnic with your friends or family and if that plan includes fishing, a spinning rod is just the right choice for you. Why? Well, because it is easy to use, and is a perfect fit for a casual fishing getaway.
Casting Fishing Rod
After the spinning rod, comes the casting fishing rod. If you want to get a better understanding of this rod and how it works, you just need to keep in mind that the casting rod is completely the opposite of the spinning rod. Using this kind of rod is not as easy as it was with fishing rods, and beginners might find it unnatural. Well, it is because when you use a casting rod, the rod is bent upwards when pulling out a fish. You might think about how that is supposed to work, but you should know that it works way better than fishing rods, as it can be used to do some serious heavyweight fishing as well.
The casting rod has a casting reel, and the reel handle is located at the top of the pole facing upwards and similarly, the line guides are also located on the top to keep them in line with the reel handle. These casting rods can be used for all kinds of fishing including heavyweight fishing. It is so strong and requires a minimum force that you can even catch a 50 pounds fish with it as well without any difficulty.
It also comes with a wide variety of designs and types, so you need to choose wisely before you go for it. Using this kind of rod can be difficult for beginners but once you get a hold of it, there’s no going back to spinning rods.
Difference between Spinning Rods & Casting Rods
We are pretty sure that with the information we just shared, you must have gotten a pretty good idea about both these rods, and you must be figuring out basic differences on your own. Well, other than these basic differences there are a few more that you must know, and we are here to tell you all about them, so let’s dive in;
1. Placing of the reel handle
You must have identified this difference from the definitions we provided for both of the rods. The location of the reel handle of a spinning rod can be considered as the upside-down of that of the casting handle. While the reel seat of the spinning rod faces downwards which makes the rod bent downwards when pulling out a fish, the reel seat of the casting rod is faced upwards and it bends the rod in the upward direction.
2. Performance
If you are a professional angler, then you must go for a rod that offers the most promising performance. And if we compare spinning rod and casting rod, the casting rod offers much better performance, why? Well, it pretty much does the work itself, requires minimal force, and can catch any kind of fish no matter how much it weighs, so, you don’t need separate rods for heavy and lightweight fish. We are not saying that the spinning rod is not good, it is just that the spinning rod can be ideal for beginners, and the casting rod is ideal for anglers who aim to do some serious fishing.
3. Cost
When talking about costs, Spinning rods take the win here, because no matter how much money you spend on them it is just a one-time cost, the purchasing cost. On the other hand, if you take a look at how much a casting rod can cost you, you need to consider the purchasing amount as well as the cost of changing lines until you get the hang of it, which makes the casting rods way more expensive than the spinning rods. So, if you are just looking for some fun fishing we would suggest going for spinning rods and saving your money.
4. Experience
If we talk about the experience you will have with each of these rods, you might end up getting confused. Spinning rods are easy to learn, fun to use, and do not require too much energy. It is fun from the beginning, however, you can get in trouble if a big fish is caught in your hook and ends up breaking the rod. On the other hand, casting rods are challenging to learn, you would have to spend more time learning before actually taking them out for fishing, but once you learn the art of using them, you will get the experience of a lifetime.
FAQs:
Final Verdict
We are sure that your understanding of the difference between the spinning rod and casting rod must have gotten very clear after all the information we just provided you. It is now your call to decide which one is better.
However, in our opinion, both of them are good in different ways, but we are a little inclined towards the spinning rod because of its easy-to-use mechanisms and low cost. If we compare the advantages of both, it is safe to say that spinning rods can be the ideal choice for having fun and casual fishing, and casting rods are a good choice for some professional and serious fishing.
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