You need to think of your rods in terms of power AND action. They have been labeled and spoken of improperly by so many for so long – for instance, you’ll hear Bill Dance talk about a medium heavy action rod. Medium Heavy is the power category.
As has been stated above, extra heavy will have a very sensitive tip, but it will quickly transition to the backbone. Fast action, a little further down the blank…moderate fast slower yet…and moderate. You see.
Then there’s power. Most will pay attention to the description: Medium Light, Medium, Medium Heavy, etc. This is a fairly standard rating, but every company uses a little different category. Check the line and lure weight rating. That will give the clearest description (although not every company rate them the same). The best way to check if you like the power and action of a rod is to fish it.
Another area that promotes sensitivity is a lightweight, high quality graphite blank. Very important in rod selection. Lastly, and probably most important is a well constructed rod. Of course, I’m a proponent of a custom built rod.
Good luck and good fishing.
