Rod vs Reel Size

[98SCS]

Hi guys, I am fairly new to fishing, have just bought a new rod that takes 8-10KG, however I couldn't find a reel I really liked so am just using one of my old 4000 shimano reels..... 

I have got 10kg line on my rod... doesn't seem to be a problem, but I am just wondering what you guys think?? 

[kingie chaser]

What model is the reel?

They can vary in drag for the same size quite a bit.

I have a 4000 Symetre Fl & has 7kg of drag but a 4000 stradic has 11kg of drag!

 

Either way I think your reel will be fine with the rod

 

Edited July 28, 2020 by kingie chaser

[Rebel]

Welcome aboard.

Where did you buy the rod ? If it was a tackle shop they will advise you. Oherwise just experiment,but a 4000 should be okay.

Cheers.

[Green Hornet]

5 hours ago, 98SCS said:

Hi guys, I am fairly new to fishing, have just bought a new rod that takes 8-10KG, however I couldn't find a reel I really liked so am just using one of my old 4000 shimano reels..... 

I have got 10kg line on my rod... doesn't seem to be a problem, but I am just wondering what you guys think?? 

It might be handy if you tell us how long your rod is?

Balance wise, with any reel, there's a big difference between a 7 foot boat rod and a 13 foot beach rod of the same load rating.

[98SCS]

4 hours ago, kingie chaser said:

What model is the reel?

They can vary in drag for the same size quite a bit.

I have a 4000 Symetre Fl & has 7kg of drag but a 4000 stradic has 11kg of drag!

 

Either way I think your reel will be fine with the rod

 

I am not quite sure how to tell?? 

[98SCS]

On 7/28/2020 at 3:16 PM, Rebel said:

Welcome aboard.

Where did you buy the rod ? If it was a tackle shop they will advise you. Oherwise just experiment,but a 4000 should be okay.

Cheers.

Thank you. Bought the rod at a well known large tackle shop have used it a few times fishing and haven’t had any issues, however haven’t caught anything huge on this rod yet.. Biggest catch on this rod was a rock cod 40cm

Edited August 17, 2020 by mrsswordfisherman
No bypassing banned words please

[98SCS]

4 minutes ago, Green Hornet said:

It might be handy if you tell us how long your rod is?

Balance wise, with any reel, there's a big difference between a 7 foot boat rod and a 13 foot beach rod of the same load rating.

I have a 7 foot rod, it’s a shimano. 

[Rob81]

Its more related to the line rating than it is the reel rating. You'll find more rods and reels would measure towards the line. so 8-10kg rod, the ideal line would be 17-22lb line rating.

When looking at gear, I tend to lean toward looking at PE scales. This gives you a better idea of the rod and reel you would match it with, combined with the intended use for the setup.

Also, as green hornet brought up, the type of rod might determine the actual reel you match it with, which is probably more around the Reels physical weight.

[Rob81]

PE scale is more about the thickness of the line rather than the braking strain.

[98SCS]

5 hours ago, Rob81 said:

Its more related to the line rating than it is the reel rating. You'll find more rods and reels would measure towards the line. so 8-10kg rod, the ideal line would be 17-22lb line rating.

When looking at gear, I tend to lean toward looking at PE scales. This gives you a better idea of the rod and reel you would match it with, combined with the intended use for the setup.

Also, as green hornet brought up, the type of rod might determine the actual reel you match it with, which is probably more around the Reels physical weight.

Wow this is all so foreign to me! You lost me! Sorry 😐 

looks like I’ll have to do some more research. 

[kingie chaser]

33 minutes ago, 98SCS said:

Wow this is all so foreign to me! You lost me! Sorry 😐 

looks like I’ll have to do some more research. 

There is no need to over complicate it.

By all mean keep reading & looking at info on all things in relation to line class, types of line, rod ratings, rod types, then rigs etc.

You never stop learning.

Nothing wrong with what you intend to use, just get out there & fish 🙂

[James Clain]

I go based of how the reel feels paired on the rod and how nice the setup feels. Yes the reel needs the right line, drag, smoothness, line capacity, new reel features. But if the reel does not sit nice on the rod and feel balanced for casting and fishing with all day then It does not get bought. 

Max drag is a bit of an interesting subject as fishing companies tend to test at the base of the spool (sometimes they test at full spool, sometimes they change the number, sometimes it just does not make sense, some reels drag starts to get sticky closer to max drag some reels are pristine right to lockup) The best thing is to have the same line that the rod is designed for or lighter. You can go heavier on the line but that restricts your abilities to use your rod to actually lift fish without risking a snap. 10kg rods have quite a but of force so I would assume a 4000 - 5000 size spinning reel will fit depending on the weight and distribution of that weight on the reel. 

If the reel you have now feels good and you test the drag and think the reel is good I would not change it. If you do want a new reel look for reels that are around that size range. Stradics, td black, td sol, the new vanford, stella, certate. They are all quite pricey so cheaper options might be the exceler or sienna. Spool these reels with 10 kg braid or even 20lb braid and you cant go wrong. 

cheers - James

[Mr Squidy]

On 7/28/2020 at 3:32 PM, 98SCS said:

Thank you. Bought the rod at a well known large tackle shop have used it a few times fishing and haven’t had any issues, however haven’t caught anything huge on this rod yet.. Biggest catch on this rod was a rock cod 40cm

I'm sure the reps at that store will be highly knowledgeable and provide you with top advice. They may even be able to tell you which part of the rod you hold on too 

As for a genuine answer, the most important thing is that the outfit is 'balanced'. In every fishing outfit there is a trade off between the advantages of having gear that is light and responsive so you feel bites, don't get exhausted, etc vs gear that has brute power to land bigger fish. Due to this there is no sense in having a small light reel on a super heavy rod as you are just going to get the worst of both worlds. An outfit that is heavy and clunky but also one that doesn't have the power needed to match what the rod can do. 

Based on what you have been able to provide I suspect your reel is slightly smaller than it should be to 'balance' the outfit but it is hard to know by how much without all the details. Try and confirm the rod material for starters as graphite/fibreglass. Fibreglass are much heavier rods for their weight range and as such would usually go a slightly larger reel, maybe something in the 6000 - 8000 range. Graphite being lighter and more sensitive usually works nicely with a slightly smaller reel so you might be good there, I'd be looking in the 4000 - 6000 range depending on the rod in question. 

For comparison I personally run a 4000 shimano stradic Ci4 on a 6'6" abu garcia Veritas 6-10Kg graphite rod with 20lb braid and its an amazing outfit.

Theory is great but at the end of the day, if it feels comfortable to use, is sensitive enough for your preferred method of fishing and has the stopping power you need that is all that counts.

Cheers,

Rich