# Sinker casting weight vs. Fish weight on rod



## rhetoric (Apr 2, 2009)

My brother and I were talking and were trying to figure out if I should put a heavier sinker on my rod for practicing.

Right now I'm using a 3oz sinker and my 8ft med-hvy action rod says "3/4oz - 3oz lure" on it. So I'm at its max weight supposedly.

I'm curious as to what these numbers on the rod actually mean. Obviously, 3oz is the maximum recommended lure/sinker to use with the rod. But what happens if I catch a 10 lb. fish? The difference between 3 & 5 oz is really not going to make that big a difference when reeling it in.

The only thing we could think of was that the force exerted on the pole when casting must be A LOT greater than when reeling a fish in. Is this the case? Is there a chance my rod will snap when casting a 5oz sinker?


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## kingfisherman23 (Dec 14, 2003)

I wouldn't recommend trying a power cast with 5oz. If you are just pitching the weight ff a pier or into the breakers you'd porbably be fine. But with a light rating like that the rod could snap when powercasting more than 3 or 4oz. I'm assuming you're referring to the Calypso rod? That rod has a pretty whippy tip and that's probably where the break would occur.

When fighting a fish the pressure is not nearly as high as when casting and it is dispersed more evenly across the blank. During casting the pressure is most concentrated at the tip. Try this: Watch someone cast the rod and see where the bend occurs and what happens at the tip. Then tie off the line to a stationary object and put pressure on like you are fighting a fish. Now look at the bend and what the tip is doing. There will be a difference.

Also, you don't have to exceed the rating of a rod to snap it. Search YouTube for videos of Big Danny busting a Century TTR in half using 150g. It's all about the power of the cast versus what the rod can handle.

Evan


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## cannotlogin (Sep 1, 2008)

It could break sure but it could break with 3 if you don't do it right. I have a Shimano Convergence rod rated for 3/4 med power fast action 20 class, when I catfish with it I use from 1 to 3 onces and never had a problum after 3 and a half years.


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

The "rating" on a rod is the maximum recommendation from the manufacturer. Evry rod has a "sweet" spot which is the lure/weight that the rod performs best with. My flounder set ups for example are rods rated up to 2 oz. I have had up to 4 oz on them and have landed fish with them.


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## kingchaser34 (Jan 20, 2009)

if you have a rod rated up to three ounces then you dont need to put five on it and throw it hard. but it should be fine just tossing a five ounces


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## rhetoric (Apr 2, 2009)

I found lots of Big Danny vids, but none where he's breaking anything... 

I see what you mean about how the force is dispersed on the rod. This makes sense. I guess I won't be trying too much more weight than I am now then until I upgrade a bit. No point in breaking the only rod I've got!

I may try a 4 to see how it goes. I've casted a 5 with it before, but that was before I began practicing casting for distance. So I'll probably avoid that. I wonder where this rods sweet spot is... Hopefully I'll upgrade before I ever find out. 

Sounds like tossing it with the heavier weight is a good option. I can use it for fishing the sloughs and not plan on trying to get real distance with it.


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