I had a question about comparing rods to each other and their attributes. Let's say you have two rods, same length, build material, both by the same manufacturer but there are NO markings on it showing a model number, power, action, etc. My question is how would you compare the "power" of the rod (be it a M, MH, HVY, etc) to the other? For the action I have always just put the rod tip on the ground and pressed down on it to determine where in the blank it bends and how fast it would recover. But as for the power how could you determine this, other then catching 10 fish with each one and such and evaluating them that way? Like if you were in a store or something.

Hang a weight or lure on the tip top while holding the rod horizontally. 

 

Action will tell you where it bends, power will tell you how much it bends. 

5 minutes ago, garroyo130 said:

Hang a weight or lure on the tip top while holding the rod horizontally. 

 

Action will tell you where it bends, power will tell you how much it bends. 

I think I would disagree with that. Wouldn't WHERE it bends alone sort of dictate how MUCH it would bend? Meaning if it had a moderate action it would bend deeper in the blank and wouldn't gravity alone make that rod bend more? In that scenario I assume that would speak more to how much it bends versus what the power is, right?

Get a heavy rod and attach a 1/4 lure. It wont bend. 

Attach same lure to light action rod. It will bend a lot. 

 

Power determines how much it bends. 

 

Fast action light rod with that weight will bend near the top. 

Slow action light rod with that weight will bend through the blank. 

 

Action determines where it bends. 

Action: how fast the tip recovers

 

Power: how much pressure it takes to bend the rod

 

Taper: how much (of) the rod flexes under pressure

 

All ratings seem to be arbitrary and relative for any given manufacturer.

There’s no standard to compare by. There’s a system called CCS that give an objective measurement to power, speed and action but you would need both rods to measure yourself. 

1 hour ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

There’s no standard to compare by. There’s a system called CCS that give an objective measurement to power, speed and action but you would need both rods to measure yourself. 

Plus some rod manufacturers rate rods funky. I have All Star and Falcon rods that have a lighter MH and a heavier MH. 

Other than things suggested I’d measure the blanks. Try to find out who manufactures the blank. 
 

Who manufactured the rods you’re talking about?

Two different powered rods with the same action will bend differently with the same weight. Two rods with the same power and different actions will bend differently with the same weight.

 

I think of power as the diameter of the rod and bending strength at the base. The action is determined by how the cross section changes along the length. A fishing rod is basically a cantilevered beam with a circular cross section with point loads applied by the guides.

I tie a bait on and fish it. 

It shouldn't be that hard to tell if one rod is more or less powerful than the other.  Just grab it and flex it.  Action has more to do with how fast the tip springs back straight.

Or you can take both rods out to the fishing shed and using the same reel and same practice plug, see how they cast throwing the same bait out across the yard.

 

 

There’s no way to tell from marketing specs. You have to bend it. However you do it, by hand, on the floor, with a weight, you can only know by bending it.