In fishing context, “both are reels not rods” usually means someone is correcting a mismatch: they’re talking about reels on both sides, not rods. A rod is the pole you cast with, while a reel is the line-spooling device attached to it.

What it likely means

If this came up in a conversation, post, or comparison, the speaker is probably saying the two items being discussed are the reel models, not the rod models. In plain English, it’s a clarification like “you’re comparing the wrong part of the setup.”

Simple example

  • “This Shimano and that Daiwa are both reels, not rods.”
  • Meaning: both are line-retrieving devices, so any comparison should focus on reel features such as drag, gear ratio, size, and line capacity.

Fishing terms

  • Rod : the pole used to cast and control the lure or bait.
  • Reel : the mechanism that holds and retrieves the fishing line.
  • Setup : the rod and reel used together as a matching combo.

In forum shorthand

In angling forums, people often shorten gear talk aggressively, so “both are reels not rods” is just a gear-category correction. It’s not a special technical phrase; it usually means the discussion is about reels, and the rods are separate.

TL;DR: it means the items being discussed are reels , not rods , and the person is correcting the category of fishing gear.