Choosing The Best Rod for Speckled Trout and Redfish (Complete Guide)

Choosing the best rod for speckled trout and redfish is easy when you know what to look for. This blog post will help you find the best fishing rod for your inshore needs.

Choosing the Best Rod for Speckled Trout and Redfish

Years ago I couldn’t tell you the difference between a medium or heavy power fishing rod.

I just had whatever it was I had and that worked well enough.

But as I gained experience it became evident that poor rod selection often led to poor rod performance:

I eventually learned the finer points of rod specifications and how they are relevant to my inshore fishing needs (and yours, too!)

After investing in the correct rod, things got better and I began catching more fish:

This blog post serves to cover the finer points of choosing the best rod for speckled trout and redfish without falling into the deep abyss of rod building.

In fact, taking a look at cars and trucks is a great way to begin understanding fishing rods!

What are some basic rod specifications?

There are three you need to know by heart:

An easy way to remember these is to know that they are your pal, or PAL  ;)

Let's go over each.

Fishing Rod Power

The power of the fishing rod is the rod’s ability to handle different sized fish.

Accurately put, power represents how much force is needed to flex the rod.

Here's a range of power ratings:

• Ultra-Light
• Light
• Medium-Light
• Medium
• Medium-Heavy
• Heavy
• Extra Heavy

An ultra-light rod is built to handle small fish, like bluegill, because it is so light and sensitive it makes feeling the bite of a small fish easy and fighting it practical.

On the other hand, a heavy power rod would be used to fight a big redfish. You need the extra “oomph” in a heavy power rod to practically fight and land a fish that size. 

An ultra-light rod would give you no power over the fish and chances are he would break it.

Flip it around, and you'll discover that using a heavy rod to catch bluegill is tough because you couldn't feel its tiny bite.

That and, assuming you are using a light line, a heavy power rod will break your line as it is not absorbing any impact from the fish.

Action refers to the speed from which a rod returns to its neutral position from a flexed position.

It is a specification also used to describe how much the rod will bend.

A rod with an extra fast action will only bend towards the tip whereas a moderate action may bend along the entire rod length.

Rod action types include:

• Slow
• Moderate
• Fast
• Extra Fast

A moderate-fast action is great for "chunk and wind" baits in open water (like a gold spoon), or casting big baits over long distances.

An extra-fast action is better suited for deepwater jigging speckled trout, and feeling those soft trout bites during winter.

Fishing Rod Length

Rod length is even more diverse than rod power and action, being as short as a couple feet or as long as ten feet!

Shorter rods tend to be more accurate and weigh less, but don't cast as far or pick up as much slack as longer rods.

Longer rods are able to quickly pick up slack and sling baits farther, but tend to be less accurate and weigh more.

See how there is always a tradeoff when choosing the best rod for speckled trout and redfish?

Combining Power, Action And Length To Identify The Best Rod For Speckled Trout And Redfish

Now that you understand the three most important fishing rod specs, let's put them together for different techniques we use to catch speckled trout and redfish.

Extra Details To Help You Find The Best Rod For Speckled Trout And Redfish

Power, action and length is something you should know by heart, but that doesn't mean overlooking these specs to find the best rod for speckled trout and redfish:

Line Rating

It's important to pay attention to line rating so you don't overload your rod and break it.

Yes, most rod companies use line ratings that are way too light for the use of heavier braid most inshore anglers use, but you should know that Daiwa builds and rates certain rods for use with heavy braid.

A good example is their Saltist Inshore STIN70HFS, a 7' heavy power, fast action spinning rod rated for 30-55lb braided fishing line.

Lure Rating

The easiest spec to understand when choosing the best rod for speckled trout and redfish, lure rating recommends the optimal lure weight for a particular fishing rod.

Lure ratings are expressed in weight like fractions of an ounce or ounces and, like most rod information, is easily found printed above the reel seat. 

Throwing a lure too heavy or too light will result in reduced casting performance and possibly break the rod.

Spinning vs Casting Rods

Spinning rods are built for spinning reels and casting rods are built for casting reels, or baitcasters.

Spinning rods have large line guides that hang down, whereas casting rods have smaller ones that face up.

Fiberglass vs Graphite

Fiberglass rods have a niche within the world of bass fishing, so it's worth noting the difference here.

In short, you really only need to use graphite rods for inshore fishing, because graphite is lighter and more sensitive than fiberglass.

I do use fiberglass rods, but only for bass fishing techniques like deep cranking, techniques that aren't all that useful in inshore fishing.

What About Taper?

How much a rod bends is really referred to as taper.

A moderate action rod can bend less than another moderate action rod, though their rod tips will return to the neutral position at the same speed.

Manufactures lump this spec into the action of the rod in order to make purchase decisions easier for consumers.

That's a wrap!

Now you know what to look for when choosing the best rod for speckled trout and redfish.

This is good because you will find yourself opening up to more techniques like roll casting under bridges, and fishing concepts like 3% Theory.

These things catch more fish and there's plenty of video to prove it on my YouTube channel.