Difference between Boat Rod and a Surf Rod

[oddbudman]

Just wondering if someone could clear up the difference between a Boat rod and a Surf rod other than their name?

Also the difference between a Boat Spin and a Spin Rod.

I'm looking to get a 8ft Rod for boat spinning (macks and tuna), but was unsure if there was any reasons to discount looking at rods without 'boat' in their name.


Cheers,
oddbudman

[dfox]

As a general rule most boat rods are shorter then rods used from the shore.
Surf rods as a rule are usually quite long and the rod itself quite flexable, they need to be this way for casting and holding the line high and well clear of the water to allow better feel and stop the waves from hitting to much of the line and dragging the tackle.
Try using a 14 foot surf rod in a 12 foot tinnie. It can be quite a challange just threading the line through the runners.
Many boat rods are purpose built for use only on boats,sometimes there design and runners (guides) limit casting ability, the rod itself may have more power in the bottom end which helps in lifting and turning a stuborn fish deep under the boat.
Theres endless variations in rod design and applications, so its hard to summerise all boat rods and all shore rods into two seperate catagories.

Spin rods- as for a boat spin rod compared to one designed for the shore, in a boat i'd tend to look at a shorter rod more around 7 foot, depending on line class you tend to use will govern what you buy, but for macks and tuna i'd say something around 7-8 kg up to 10kg is the go. A good 7 foot spin stick in these sizes should have good casting ability but have enough bottom end power to put some pressure on those big long tail tuna etc. If the rods to whippy and long, youll find it cumbersome to handle in the limited room of a boat and difficult to apply ample pressure to tire the fish out.
On the shore your not given the luxury of the unristricted ability of a boat to get at the fish and a rod to do the same job has to be longer and a bit more forgiving (flexable). A longer rod will aid in casting and allow for keeping the tip higher to clear waves and obsticles (rocks etc).
Theres a multitude of other factors when concidering a rod to suit your applications and just because a rod is marked boat, spin or whatever, it doesnt mean it will suit you for that job. Theres plenty of crap rods on the market, so choose wisely ...foxy