Light lure rod options

[Croix]

Ken L:

The stated lure weight range is wildly optimistic.

Although it's described as havin a fast action with reserve power it the butt, it's as soft as *****.

Ken,

 

I find that's the case with the vast majority of spinning/lure rods that are available in the UK, the actions are really pathetic.

I've had loads over the years from the main UK tackle companies and never been satisfied with any of them.

Now I tend to stick with American rods, mainly St.Croix (if I'm on a budget) or Loomis (if funds allow), properly designed fast action tippy lure rods.

 

The St.Croix PS70MLF2 is a great 7' two piece spinning rod, rated 1/8 - 1/2oz, it can cast the top end of this range with ease and has plenty of power lower down the blank. Reasonable price too if bought from the US, even after taxes.

[Ken L]

Yep, St.Croix make nice kit. My other travelling rod is a St.Croix tidemaster rated to cast a couple of ounces and although it has a through action rather than a fast one, it's a lovely rod to fish with - it wasn't cheap though.

 

BTW, have a lok at Newt's earlier link for some top G.Loomis prices.

[Croix]

Ken, just remembered I have Ron Thompson 'Steelhead' 7' 5-20g rod somewhere, not a bad rod at the price. I can dig it out if you want a real budget rod.

[DJMCJERICO]

I just read this and thought "he can't be talking about the rod i have" and yep the fox preditor(rd 4063, I am absolutly in love with this rod and can't wait to get it out on the bank again, first cast on this rod and i took a near mid double pike on it, i find it great for flicking under overhanging tree's etc, I think this rod and those little rubber pike lures where made for each other.

 

And best of all it's easy to transport on the motorbike

[argyll]

They dont make the 'steelhead spin' any more either. well they do..but they call it the

X-cite spin.

[Ken L]

Dan.

Rod choice is a personal thing but but the Fox rod's butt really is much, much too long. A butt with 6 - 10" of cork below the real seat is more than enough to allow you to get an extra hand to the rod for those occasional bast casts without getting caught up in your clothing. Longer buts do have their place on heavier rods where finese casting along the bank isn't an issue but IMO they shouldn't be on a rod of this weightb and strength.

Much the same is true of a rods action. A stiff rod will let you feel everything and set the hooks with a flick of the wrist. Moving from a rod like the Fox to one that's light weight but stiff is like changing from mono to braid all over again.

Being able to feel what your lure is doing is vital. I recall one early season session when I was working spinners slowly through the bottom of a depression in otherwise fast, shallow water. I was able to feel the lures blade stop rotating as fish mouthed the lure and once I started hitting these bites (with not a pull on the rod tip amongst them), I had a dozen or so perch of beween 10oz and a little over a pound in half an hour. My mate who was fishing an almost identicle lure into the same hole and standing 6 feet to my left caught two !

[Ken L]

Argyl.

 

Will check out the RT range.

Good job I started looking for the old fella's pressie a couple of months before his birthday though.

[argyll]

The Ron Thompson stuff is usually bottom end and carbon composite but they managed probably more by luck than judgement, to make a couple of very nice blanks in IM7 and IM8 carbon. They still do the Gladiator in Denmark but its an uprated version at twice the price (£60-70). good luck with the search.

[Tim Kelly]

If you don't mind making the rod up yourself I think the St Croix blanks, bought through mudhole, take some beating. I have more than I care to count now, and was using a PS60MLF2 the other weekend for shad fishing with 3" grubs and ~3 mepps when a 10-12lb fresh salmon grabbed a grub. Didn't think I'd get it in with a diddy little 1000 size reel and 8lb mono, but it wasn't that dramatic in the end.

The one piece rods have a sweeter action, but the two piece are perfectly servicable, and they all have a proper action designed for the job, not just a cut down of some random blank found in a factory in China!