Hi Nathan,

Welcome to the site! Saltwater and freshwater rod blanks may be the same (many times the action of a saltwater rod of the same line weight is a little "faster" than its freshwater counterpart), but the hardware is different. The saltwater rod should have components (such as the reel seat and guides) which are corrosion resistant. The saltwater environment is pretty harsh, even on rods designed for saltwater. As Gadabout said, the guides and handle tend to be oversized too.

Hope this helps.

Karl