Rod terminology It can be confusing figuring out the jargon associated with fishing rods these days. Read on for a brief explanation of those fishing rod terms you always wanted to ask about but never did. Action: This describes how much of the rod bends when you put pressure on the tip. A fast action rod will bend in only the top third or less of the blank, a medium or moderate action will bend in the top half or so and a slow action will bend starting in the lower third of the rod. Fast to very fast actions generally provide better sensitivity and faster power for hooksetting. By faster power we mean the rod ‘shuts off’ faster, or the bend ends higher on the blank, which means you don’t have to move the rod as far on the hookset to get into the stiffer part of the blank. Medium and medium-fast rods will usually provide a little more casting distance and still provide adequate hooksetting power. Taper: Taper describes not only the thickness of the rod but also the thickness of the wall of the blank and where along the blank less material is used allowing more bend. Power: This describes the strength of the rod or it’s lifting power. Power ratings are usually described as heavy, medium heavy, medium, etc. Power is closely related to the line strength. It is fairly important to keep your line test within the limits printed on the rod since a heavy power rod will snap light lines too easily and heavy lines can snap a light rod. Power ratings vary by the type of rod described; a heavy freshwater rod and a heavy offshore rod will definitely not feel the same. One might be rated for 25lb line and the other for 80lb line.

Spin reel sizes
Fishing with a reel that is the correct size in terms of where you’re fishing and what you’re fishing for is extremely important.  Spinning or threadline reels are the most versatile fishing reels and come in a variety of sizes to suit different fishing needs. The table below is a guide  to help you choose the right spinning reel size for your needs.

Reel Size	Mono/kg	Braid/kg	Class	Applications
20	1-2	1-4	Ultralight	Estuary/freshwater - Trout, bream, bass
25	2-3	2-5	Light	Estuary/freshwater- Trout, bream, bass
30	2-4	3-6	Light/medium	Estuary/freshwater- Trout, bream, bass, flathead
35	3-5	4-10	Medium	Estuary/inshore spinning - Flathead, bream, Salmon
40	3-6	6-12	Medium	Estuary/inshore boat/medium freshwater - Snapper
50	4-6	8-15	Medium	Estuary/inshore boat - Snapper, small pelagics, barra
60	6-8	10-17	Medium/heavy	Beach/rock/inshore boat -  Snapper, pelagics, barra
70	8-10	12-20	Medium/heavy	Beach/rock/inshore/offshore boat - Pelagics, barra, jew
80	10-15	15-24	Heavy	Heavy beach/rock/offshore boat - Pelagics, barra