A boat rod is a short, powerful rod used to drop a pirk or bottom rig vertically to the seabed. In this group you will find boat and pirk rods as well as halibut and heavy boat rods. The lighter rods are for cod, pollock and other bottom species, the heavier ones for big fish from deep water.
Boat and pirk rods are the basic tools of sea fishing. They are used to lift and drop a pirk close to the bottom, or to hold a baited bottom rig while you wait for a bite. A short rod is easy to handle in a crowded boat, and a stiff backbone brings fish up even from deep water.
Halibut and heavy boat rods are made for big fish such as Atlantic halibut and large cod. They handle heavy pirks, big soft lures and long fights, and they have a sturdy reel seat for a heavy conventional reel.
Choose the rod to match the pirks and weights you plan to use. Deep water and strong tides call for heavier weights, and therefore a more powerful rod. When rod, reel and line are in the same class, the fight stays under control and your tackle holds up, trip after trip. A fighting belt or butt pad makes a long fight easier when a big fish comes up slowly from the depths.