Parabolic bend????

[yak-aholic]

I have heard a few times the term "parabolic bend" used in referrence to rods. Most recently in response to a post about a rod for the "Alabama Rig." Can someone please clarify exactly what you mean by that?

[duke13372]

When I see a manufacturer list this action as parabolic I think moderate action.  The only rod company that comes to mind is E21.  They listed the Carrot Sticks as parabolic.  I'm not sure if they're trying to take their description to another level or what.  Ultimately I'd assume the rod would respond toward  a moderate action under a load. 

[Bassthumb]

most rods have backbone (action) and tip (speed)--they are stiff from the handle through mid-blank, then get whippy in the tip.  A parabolic action means the rod bends like a parabola (or looks like a letter C) -- the entire rod is whippy and has very little stiffness in the middle.

[beast96z]

Parobolic is the type of blank. The rod loads through the entire blank instead of just the upper half like the majority of rods. You still have your weight and tip speed like a normal rod (MH/Fast) for example, it just loads up a little different.

[-Shawn-]

Guys, Hate to correct you, but a Rod can have a parabolic action and still have Backbone ane still be a faster action.   
All a Parabolic action truly means is the rod Blank will LOAD all the way through the blank, INSTEAD of only loading through the Tip like most of the Cheaper rods on the market.  The Power of the Rod can be Heavy to Light Depending on the Type and Amount of Material Wrapped on the Mandrel.

The Reason you Don't see A true Parabolic In most of the Cheaper Blanks is 2 Fold.  One thing is that for a Rod to Truly Load to the but and still have the backbone takes much more time in R&D.

Second, The Companys that Offer Rods in the Cheaper price Range and also offer a LONG warranty have to build there rod like an iron tank through the back of the rod , to minimize there warranty claims through High Sticking.  This kills the action of the rod and also the sensetivity, But it allows users that are not experienced in rod care to have a rod that will not break as readily and will save companies money in warranty claims.

[yak-aholic]

Thanks for the responses guys. Sounds like what I was thinking was correct. I just wanted to be sure.

[duke13372]

You have a compromise between sensitivity and flexibility.  The design makes this compromise usable in fishing.  Do you compromise sensitivity by making the rod less stiff but sacrificing the action of the rod?  Do you make the rod more flexible by using a glass material but it being less sensitive?  Some manufacturers like Airrus has used more than one material in their rods to make the compromise less.  The old maroon St Croix Legends seemed like two by fours to me but they may have been very sensitive.  I couldn't afford one of them at the time to see.  But there are better materials out there that perhaps can over come poor design.  Gary Loomis was reported to have said that I can build a rod that you can't break but you wouldn't want to fish with it.  I believe there's a lot of truth in that.     

[-Shawn-]

There is a LOT of truth in Gary's statement.
Now you can have a parabolic action with 100% graphite and 0 glass.  It is all in how the blank is wrapped.

[Bass 24 7]

Would a rod with parabolic action be better suited to Lipless cranks?

[-Shawn-]

Yes, The only time I want a snappier rod is if I am ripping traps out of heavy grass.

The More Bend a Rod has when loaded up the more Slack it will keep out of your line when fighting a fish.

[duke13372]

The parabolic or moderate action rod will absorb the shock and runs of the fish which takes the pressure from the line and hook and places it on the rod.  As Shawn also alluded to,  when the fish comes to the surface to throw a lure the rod's action keeps tension on the line and keeps the fish from throwing slack in the line. 

[yak-aholic]

Are you saying that a "moderate" action is the same as a "parabolic" action?

[duke13372]

Pretty much.  I never saw that term until E-21 used it on a couple of their rods.  They had a 6-9 rod that came in a "parabolic" and a "fast action".  They also had another one that was over 7 foot.  I don't know where this term came from but it all boils down to a moderate or moderate/fast action rod in my opinion.  I suppose you'd have to talk to Ken Whiting or E-21's marketers to actually find out.  If you look up parabolic you'll basically find an arch shape with a bend in the middle.  So yes, I'd call it a fancy or different name for moderate.

[-Shawn-]

As I said in my first post, parabolic bend rods can come in any action even ExtraHeavy.  Parabolic equaling moderate is a common misconception that was started because the first marketable use for a parabolic rod was crank baits .

[-Shawn-]

Let me see if I can get a Rod designer to explain it better. 

Taper of the rod determines where the rod bends and where the tip starts.

Fast taper usually means only the tip loads and the bulk of the rod is rigid.

A slower taper loads more of the rod, but can still have a fast tip and lots of backbone.

[duke13372]

Look up parabolic in a dictionary or do an on line seach, don't ask a rod designer.  I have rods rated as moderate by rod designers and it's a stretch.  I'd say ask the marketing department.  I tend to believe it was just a marketing gimmick.

[Sc Bassin]

Here are some industry standards.
Blank Actions.
Extra Fast - Flex in extreme tip.
Fast - Flex in upper 1/3 of the blank
Medium - Flex in upper 2/3 of the blank
Slow -Flex in upper 3/4 of the blank

Power Rating
The standard is basically the amount of force needed to bend a certain blank to its' full flex point held at a 45 degree angle. This is done by locking the blank at a 45 degree angle & weights are applied to the tip until the blank flexes to the theoretical full bend. Once this test is done a rating is applied to the blank that correlates to a line class. This means that a power rated rod should flex under strain using the lowest line weight in that class without breaking the line. The upper end of the weight scale is an estimated line weight that the rod can handle without the blank breaking.  There is some fudge factor built in on the high end by some rod manufactures due to warranty issues.
If I remember correctly the parabolic bend has to do with how the graphite materials and resins are placed to provide smooth taper transitions for the durability and performance of the blank.

[-Shawn-]

I know exactly what parabolic means. I don't have to ask anyone. It isn't a gimmick, but rather a word that was not used with the average angler untill CS wanted to sell a flemsy rod. Loomis has been building parabolic actions into his rod blanks for years. 

All in the world parabolic means is the rod loads the whole length instead of just using the tip, which is what most of the cheaper rods do.

[duke13372]

Done another search on "parabolic rod" and got some more interesting results.  It appears that this term has been used in saltwater and fly rods.  Since all I've done over the last 20 years is bass fishing, this term was not familiar in the terms used to describe a bass rod for me.  As I said before, I heard this term first when Ken Whiting was designing for E21.   It was used to describe the action of the rods.  It was not used to describe the blank content.  Sure, the blank content will give the rod it's action.  As far as design I haven't always thought that the Ken Whiting designed rods were labeled with the correct actions.  This goes all the way back to the original Puls-R's by Airrus.  Just my opinion.  These parabolic rods were suggested as crankbait and spinnerbait uses.  I personally believe that these were labeled parabolic to give it a different term other than moderate.  They were listed in the brochure as:
CLTX691P-C, Parabolic, Med., 1/4-3/4 ounce, 10-20LB line
CLTX 721P-C, Parabolic, Med, 3/8-3/4 ounce, 12-20 LB line

I suppose this marketing did not work as they liked and the Parabolic was dropped from the line along with the original Carrot Sticks.

[-Shawn-]

Maybe I am not making it clear, but Parabolic action means the rod loads throughout its length. It is not used to describe the content of the blank.

A rod can have a moderate action and not be parabolic and a parabolic rod does not have to have a moderate action.

The action of the blank actually refers to how fast or slow it loads and unloads.
The definitions given above more aptly describe the taper of a rod blank.

[yak-aholic]

Clear as mud!

Our maybe clear as the Red before the locks.

[duke13372]

Shawn, I really don't think that in the case that I described that E21 meant it any other way but to describe action.  Perhaps in saltwater or fly that might be the case but in regards to the way it was listed in E-21's brochure I believe that they were trying to describe the rods action.  I might be wrong but if I am they were not consistent with their catalog listings. 

[beast96z]

I stepped out of this after I explained it correctly the first time. It's not hard to comprehend. Parobolic loads through the entire blank, that's the only difference. Standard roads only load through the upper half of the rod, depending on which tip speed you choose.

[duke13372]

In the sense of Parabolic, all rods can be considered as parabolic but when used as a replacement term for an action then you have to look at the intent of the manufacturer.  Please name me rods other than the E21's that are listed as parabolic so that I can take a look at them.  I picked up the E21 and it was no more than a moderate rod at best.  So I'd like to see for myself a BASS rod that bends the entire blank.  As far as I know, nobody makes a BASS rod that bends past the middle of the rod which most call a moderate rod.  Now the power of the rod is what load it takes to bend it to the middle.  Perhaps a saltwater rod might be designed to bend past the middle but this is "Ultimate Bass", not a saltwater board.  Why would a bass fisherman need a rod to bend after the first 50 percent of the rod?   So in response to the original question as it pertains to BASS rods, I still say it's no more than a moderate action rod.  When you stray away from the normal terminology of actions and powers of BASS rods there has to be an underlining reason.  We fisherman always are looking for the new and different.  I think the term Parabolic was just a new hook to catch some fishermen.

[bassn1]

I do not have a dog in this race, however you asked for bass rods other than e21 who sell parabolic
Quantum Tour Grigsby
Quantum Dean Rojas

For that matter most of the Quantum rods have a parabolic bend.