Rod types, and which one a kind of fishing needs

BEACHCASTERS, about 12–14 ft and rated for roughly 4–8 oz, cast a weighted bait rig from beaches, piers and rocks; the beach rod page covers them. BASS RODS are shorter, softer beachcasters of about 11 ft for 2–4 oz. SPINNING RODS of 7–10 ft cast lures of about ½–2 oz and are used mostly with a fixed-spool reel; one source gives 9–12 ft for shore spinning. For occasional sea float fishing a bass or spinning rod of about 10 ft serves.

BOAT RODS for fishing down-tide are short, about 6–8 ft, and rated by LINE CLASS — the breaking strain of line they are built to fish — from about 8 lb to 80 lb, with 20 lb class covering most UK styles; European ratings run lower than American ones. UPTIDE RODS are 9–10 ft, usually ringed for a multiplier, for casting a grip lead away from the boat. STAND-UP rods of 5–6 ft are used with a harness for very large fish.

FLOAT RODS start at about 10 ft, because they must cast very light floats and pick up line quickly on the strike; 12–13 ft is common. FEEDER RODS can be as short as 7 ft for close-range work and 11–12 ft for longer range, and carry interchangeable QUIVER TIPS rated in ounces, because the bite shows on the tip rather than on a float. A rod's casting weight still decides what feeder it can throw. The reel follows: about a 2500 size for float and light lure work, 3000–4000 for feeder work.

Carp rods are specified by TEST CURVE: the load, in pounds, needed at the tip to bend the rod to a right angle. It describes stiffness and casting power, not the size of fish the rod can land. In one tackle maker's account, 12 ft is the commonest length, with 13 ft chosen for long range and 10 ft for small lakes, rivers, canals and boats; 3 lb is about the least for an all-round rod and 3.5 lb is popular for longer range. A higher test curve casts further only if the angler can fully bend the rod in the cast, so a rod that can be loaded beats a stiffer one that cannot.

An ice rod is short because the angler fishes straight down a hole rather than casting: North Dakota Game and Fish says ice rods are shorter so the angler can fish close to the hole, and come in different lengths and actions for different uses, some made to be used without a reel at all; it lists a 24–32 in light-action ice spinning rod as the most versatile. Iowa's Department of Natural Resources describes ice rods as usually 18–24 in and varying in stiffness, fished with light line, small hooks and bait. Neither agency's page is a safety guide to the ice itself; Iowa's sets four inches of clear blue ice as a minimum for fishing and tells anglers to drill test holes near shore and as they move.

Start from what you will cast — a 5 oz lead, a 2 g float, a 30 g feeder, a 20 g lure — and from where: a beach, a boat, a canal bank. That decides the class. Within the class, pick a rod whose rated range puts what you cast in its middle, and a length that suits the space you fish in. The reel and line then follow from the rod: the beach fishing explainer and the reel and line pages say how.