fishbum said:
what does it mean if a rod is 44 million modulas graphite? Is this a good rod?
What does it mean if a rod is a IM 6 graphite? Is this a good rod.
The modulus of the graphite in a rod means its stiffness to weight ratio. A high modulus rod tends to be stiffer and have a crisper action. It is also more brittle. You can go too far with this. The rod makers have started a numbers contest among themselves and they are willing to let you believe that the higher the modulus is, the better the rod performance. This is not necessarily true. When you get up to a modulus of 80,000,000 or so you can shatter the rod by accidentally dropping it on a rock.
The IM numbers are just a shorthand for the modulus.
IM no.Modulus
IM633,000,000
IM742,000,000
IM860,000,000
and so forth. I think the top end G. Loomis and Sage rods have a modulus around 65,000,000 and that is about as high as it is really safe or useful to go. I prefer rods in the IM7 range myself. If you go higher than that, make certain the rod comes with a manufacturer's lifetime warranty, for sure.
As others have said, it's better to handle the rod before you buy, give it a few mock casts (watch out for store clerks and fluorescent lights) and just get the rod that feels best to you personally.
W. E.
I meant to mention: the old fiberglass rods had a modulus of about 6,000,000. Just a little above a piece of linguini.
