I put together this rod and reel sizing chart because it can be difficult to understand the rod and reel sizing amongst different manufacturers. Also, this chart will help with pairing a reel to a rod.
Here is a snippet of the chart:
Here is the full Excel spreadsheet (in a zip file) that you can download for free:
There are many things to consider when choosing a reel, including the reel’s size, weight, line capacity, line type (mono vs braid), and drag power. Adding to this confusion is the fact that there is no “standard of consistency” in how reel manufacturers size their reels. So a “5000 size reel” from one manufacturer may not be the same as a 5000 size reel from another manufacturer. This sizing inconsistency is clearly evident looking at the chart.
The first half of the chart shows sizing for several different models of popular spinning reels. Line capacities are show in both mono and braid, and the drag and weight of each reel is also listed. Reel specifications were obtained straight from the manufacturer’s U.S. websites.
The second half of the chart shows some overlapping rod options to consider for the different reels. It would be impossible to list every rod here, but I made sure to include some inshore rods (bay rods) options as well as longer shore fishing rods and surf rod options.
The bottom of the chart has some notes to justify the information included in the chart.
I hope you find this chart useful and good luck with choosing your spinning gear.
Have a reel good day,
– The Simple Fisherman