My square bill rods, medium crank rods and one deep diving rod are composite. I’ve also got one deep cranking rod that’s glass and it’s butter. Messes with my head. Where do you stand?

Prefer the feedback of composite.
Glass has its advantages, especially close to the boat; but, I’ll take the improved sensitivity of composite over the forgiveness of glass.

Composite.

Glass and composite are the same thing. I know what you meant though.

Maybe you meant glass and glass/graphite blended. Or Graphite only?

Nothing used to compare with fiberglass rods for moving baits, but nowadays, the graphite actions they are able to build are actually better, and lighter. Easier to fish all day when the graphite rods are ounces lighter.

Composite is made of more than one material hence “composite”. Composite is not the same thing as fiberglass but it can be made of fiberglass....and something else. One example of a composite rod is one made from graphite AND fiberglass.

^^^^ This

Learn something every day. Thanks for clearing me up.

I got a graphite rod FunNsun had on sale this weekend. It is lighter than both of my composite cranking rods. I have not got to catch a fish on it yet, but it can flat out launch a crank bait. I was surprised at the distance I was getting. It is the Daiwa glass rod

Bought the same one. Can’t wait to use it

facts

This is all personal preference. It is like the age old argument between 9mm and .45 caliber. There are good and bad arguments for both.

Kistler FeelnReel rods are a mixture of both.

https://kistlerrods.com/products/fnr-fishing-rod?variant=29630929764400

Concrete is a composite. Stucco is a composite. Fiberglass isn't a composite until it is wet with a resin, Graphite isn't a composite until it is impregnated with a resin. So a rod made from graphite fibers and glass fibers would be a composite but pretty useless unless both were impregnated (prepreg) or wetted out with a resin.

Typically in the recreation products industry, graphite/epoxy is called "composites" and glass/resin is called "fiberglass"

There are many variations of carbon fiber and many types of resins. The advantage of graphite/epoxy comes from the ability to align the graphite fibers in the direction that the mechanical properties are needed, such as unidirectional, woven fabric, etc. Then pre impregnated with the resin system that fits the application. Then they are bagged and cured in an autoclave under pressure, heat and a vacuum to pull out all the excess resin to eliminate unused weight and bulk. Those are net resin systems. In the early days of graphite epoxy wing skins they were called "black aluminum" until the design technology and the fabrics and prepreg systems advanced to the point of taking advantage of the mechanical properties.

There are a lot of graphite/resin systems that are used for many products that are inferior , but are used to give the "composite" look.

So bottom line, be careful when buying products that are marketed as "composites" they may be no better or even weaker mechanically than "glass" if the designer was just after look and a marketing hook. Aftermarket motorcycle fenders, car hoods, bicycle parts etc come to mind.

IMO, this is what you want for a cranking rod.

I like a glass/graphite (composite) rod for square bills and medium depth crank baits. The all glass (non composite) rods that I have tested out have too soft of an action for my liking. Very whippy when making a cast, the tip shakes too much at the end of the cast for my liking. For crank baits in the 6XD to the 10XD size I like an all graphite rod made for cranking.