[Trumpy]

Hi Guys,

I’m in the market for a new surf-casting rod.

I’m currently using a Fibre-glass Rod that I’ve had since I was a kid, it is 12ft long.

Now, the question that I’m asking is, is there any real advantage in “upgrading” to a Graphite Rod?

I realise that fishing rod technology has moved on quite a bit since 1982, but are graphite rods all they say they are?

Your opinions please?,

Cheers,

Mike.

[yellowfin]

Fiberglass rods have a few things going for them cheaper /very sturdy /cast ok.
Carbon rods are generally lighter and if you put in the same effort in casting them they will enable you to cast further .
down side is they can be a bit more fragile and don’t like being knocked about on rocks etc.

Have a look at http://www.kilwell.co.nz/Saltwater_Rods … Craft.html
for a overview on the kilwell range they all work quite well.

[Trumpy]

Thanks, mate.

[yellowfin]

The other things to consider are the rods length Longer is not always better if you are not tall enough/strong enough to control a 16ft rod during the cast it will be a pain to use.
Also a too short a rod can cause a bit of grief if you fish areas that have a bit of height to the swell with the line getting dragged under by the waves/weed ( that can happen with most rods if the swell/current/weed is bad tho ) Most of the rods on the nz market are in the 13 to 14 ft length and they work quite well for most beachs .

Good quality guides are a must fuji being the number one pick and pacific bay a close second any thing else is a bit suspect imho

Also the hand spacings on rods are not all the same grab the butt section of the rod you like the look of place your hands where YOU want them and go though the action of casting to make sure you have enough lenght in the spacing and wont get jabbed in the gut with the end of the butt after you have cast.

Dont get too worked up over 3 or two piece rods they difference in casting is v slight and the 3 piece ones are easy to transport .

[storm]

i really like my carbon rod but you have to take care of them my one is adjustable so you can position the reel where ever is most comfortable which is a good thing for people with short arms like you trumpy !!!!!
let me know next time youre down this way and we will go for a flick

[yellowfin]

.

[Rodman]

The main purpose of a surf rod is to get the bait out there as far as possible. Bite detection does not come into it as a good fish from the canterbury beaches will bend a rod over so far while its in the rodstand that there is no mistaking that you have a fish. A stiff rod is better to get the fish in tho just about anything will do. There is a difference between playing a fish and playing with a fish as some people want to do a hollywood even with dogfish.
Graphite is the way to go if you want more distance and if the butt is too short to suit you extend it so that it is comfortable for you — there is no “standard length” so make it how you want.
All shop rods need some modifcation to get the best from them as long as its built on a good blank. If they cost less than $120 they look flash but are only junk. The Solaris rod mentioned is a wimpstick only suitable for clean sandy beaches up north with 10lb line and 3oz sinkers.
Some old reels will perform reasonably well — it all comes down to the ability of the user.

If you dont want to eat it put it back.

Rodman.

[yellowfin]

at about the axeon rod? not the reel but rod. i am lookin round at different rod and reel combos as meantioned in another post. kinda wanna get a slimline carbon rod like the axeon or solarias

[Miliwolf]

I believe the axeon rod has a slightly stiffer tip section then the solaris.

I really like my Solaris, and it has worked well for me off the Marlborough and Kaikoura beaches.

[yellowfin]

In Gary Kemsleys words ” about 10% stiffer then the solaris ” Have had a cast with one of his quite nice distance wise but not a hell a lot of bite detection .
Good for bigger fish but smaller fish that wont break out your sinker will hardly show up ( much like the kilwell qt6 I have as well) the 222 is a nice rod at the price but I would import another rod from the uk for a bit more.

[Miliwolf]

My Okuma Solaris ($210), Shimano Backbone elite ($130) and kilwell GGX have done everything I expect from a surf rod and are less then half the price of the highend kilwells. I just wonder what would be gain by spending 2-3x more for one of them. 90% of the time the fish seem to be feeding behind the first breaker anyway.

Kilwell use to have a awesome idiot proof warranty, now they just have a 5 year standard warranty.

[yellowfin]

The ability to cast a bit further and the hard one to define “feel” thats all..
I have a forrest of rods these days and have another zziplex arriving next week the feel during the cast and when hooked up is just better …hard to explain but once you use one you are sold for life ..Sort of like your emblem pro they just feel better.

[yellowfin]

Thought I’d post here instead of starting a new thread. Has anyone ever used a Daiwa Eliminator rod? I was looking at a 13 foot version on trademe, Rated to 40lb, 6oz Cast weight. I can’t find anywhere stocking it either, most places just have the 15 foot models. I’m looking for a new rod, and there doesn’t seem to be anything at any local tackle shops as usual, and I can’t find anything good under $200 online either. I’m looking for something around 13 foot with a cast weight of about 6oz and rod rated to 15kg. Any suggestions?

Found this on Trademe also: http://www.trademe.co.nz/Sports/Fishing … 715360.htm

Never heard of it before. Looks alright, but I’m not sure of the quality for that price.

I’m interested in both the Daiwa Emblem: http://www.daiwa.co.nz/products/DAFOR1111 and the Daiwa Eliminator: http://www.daiwa.co.nz/products/DAFOR1143, but I just don’t know anywhere that stocks them in 13 foot.

[yellowfin]

I’ve got a 15 ft Daiwa eliminator and find it slightly heavy but not too bad, it has some graphite to make it lighter but it’s fairly thick so there’s a bit of resistance from the air when casting.

One rod I’ve bought recently is this model: http://www.trademe.co.nz/Sports/Fishing … 206819.htm They overhype it in their sales pitch, it’s of a fairly average weight or slightly lighter, I don’t think it has a high graphite content, but it’s good for a budget rod, I’m happy with it.

[yellowfin]

I was really looking for something shorter, max 14 foot.

[Author]

Posts