Fishing Rod Database

Guides

Long reads written from the database: what the numbers on a rod mean, where makers disagree, and how to pick one. By unless noted.

Featured · 11 October 2026 · Data study Japanese vs American Rod Power Ratings, Measured on 2,589 Bass Rods A casting rod rated to 3/4 oz is usually an M in Japan and an MH in the US. Look closer and American brands disagree with each other by more than they disagree with Japan. Read the study →
A casting rod rated to ¾ oz is labelled…
Japan, 101 rods M 71%
United States, 305 rods MH 67%

Shares are of bass casting rods whose maximum lure rating is ¾ oz. A count of printed labels, not a bend test.

All guides

Reading a European rod spec: test curves and casting weights Why a carp rod says 3 lb and a spinning rod says 40 g, and how to put both next to a US rating. Europe · Aug 9 One rod for everything, and what the compromise costs The most versatile spec for each kind of fishing, scored against the specialists it replaces. Buying · Jun 19 Choosing a BFS rod: bass platform, stream trout, area and travel Bait-finesse rods sorted by what matters: length, tip, and the lightest lure they will load. Bait finesse · Jun 11 Action, in plain terms: where the rod bends and why it matters Fast, moderate and slow, why crankbait rods give and jig rods don't, and what JDM Regular-Fast means. Specs explained · Jun 10 What the modulus number on the blank actually tells you Graphite, fiberglass, Toray carbon and the tonnage figures, with the marketing stripped out. Materials · Jun 2 PureLure, MiFine and the Chinese domestic market What CDM rods are, who builds them, and where the value proposition holds up. Brands · Jun 2 Topwater rods: the specs that matter for walking a bait Length, tip speed and moderate action for walking baits, poppers, frogs and big swimbaits, with the rods that fit. Technique · May 29 What Medium means, and why brands disagree What a Medium rod actually throws, how far the label drifts between makers, and how to pick an all-around power. Specs explained · May 29

From the blog

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New in the Catalog: September 2026 Oct 11 Fiberglass Rods by the Numbers Oct 11

About the author

fishes short glass rods and tuned round reels in the wooded creeks of South Carolina, and keeps this database. Articles draw on the catalog's specs and link the rod and series pages they came from.

How specs are checked →