Surf rods

[goin2fish]

It has been a long time since doing any serious fishing, so I am out of touch with gear quality and so on. I want to build or buy a good quality surf rod. Two in particular stand out - Zziplex's Light Bass and Powertex.

So I have a lot of questions.

 

How different are these rods? Do they really cast as far as some claim?

 

Someone mentioned Ugly Stik's. How do they compare with Zziplex? What would be comparable to the Light Bass or Powertex?

 

I don't really wan't to compromise quality, performance and suitability; are there better rods on the market?

 

Looking forward to your thoughts.

[Norm B]

It has been a long time since doing any serious fishing, so I am out of touch with gear quality and so on. I want to build or buy a good quality surf rod. Two in particular stand out - Zziplex's Light Bass and Powertex.

So I have a lot of questions.

 

How different are these rods? Do they really cast as far as some claim?

 

Someone mentioned Ugly Stik's. How do they compare with Zziplex? What would be comparable to the Light Bass or Powertex?

 

I don't really wan't to compromise quality, performance and suitability; are there better rods on the market?

 

Looking forward to your thoughts.

IMHO all rods are a matter of personal choice. Some rods suit better than others. I think it will be a brave or foolish man who thinks otherwise. I get to test and use many rods and I always state that my review is my personal view as I know others will feel differently. Also, others will be able to cast further with certain rods than others. Look for a rod that 'feels right' in your hands with a reel on. See if you can try the ones you like, some shops allow this, or borrow a friends rod.

I have tried and recommend the following 'Bass' rods. Anyfish, Anywhere Estuary rod, Shakespeare Salt MPI, MTI Bass, Daiwa Supercast Bass. I catch more bass on a 30 year old Daiwa carp rod than any other, because I use it for mullet fishing and get a lot of bass as a bye catch. There are others but obviously I haven't tried every rod made.

[Ken Davison South Wales]

As Norm said nothing would suit everyone.

 

There are some wondrous pieces of kit around now days, the Conoflex Foo Fighter a two piece casting machine which is extremely versatile casting any thing from a bubble rig to an 8' long three hook flapper rig, that was my choice.

 

At twice the price there is a new 15' 6" surf casting travel rod which is even lighter than the Foo but has a £500 price tag.

 

It is truely the age of the tackle tart

[Norm B]

As Norm said nothing would suit everyone.

 

There are some wondrous pieces of kit around now days, the Conoflex Foo Fighter a two piece casting machine which is extremely versatile casting any thing from a bubble rig to an 8' long three hook flapper rig, that was my choice.

 

At twice the price there is a new 15' 6" surf casting travel rod which is even lighter than the Foo but has a £500 price tag.

 

It is truely the age of the tackle tart

Add to the list, the Conoflex Flattie Fanatic, just because it's a flattie rod doesn't mean it won't catch bass.

[goin2fish]

Add to the list, the Conoflex Flattie Fanatic, just because it's a flattie rod doesn't mean it won't catch bass.

Strangely, carp rods were another avenue that I had been exploring, and dropped in favour of the Zziplex because of it's alleged performance. While most of my fishing won't demand distance, there are times when the fish go sailing by just out of reach, and wading is not an option in many cases.

 

Ideally I would like a rod that can go the extra distance, 150 meters/yards or so, while still fishing light - 1 - 3 oz.

 

I will have a look at the Conoflex.

 

In the meantime what sort of distance do you get with your carp rod? What type of reel would you recommend for light fishing, consistent with distance casting.

[Newt]

What sort of cast do you use for distance?

 

http://saltfishing.about.com/cs/surffishin...aa040110a_2.htm

[Ken Davison South Wales]

Strangely, carp rods were another avenue that I had been exploring, and dropped in favour of the Zziplex because of it's alleged performance. While most of my fishing won't demand distance, there are times when the fish go sailing by just out of reach, and wading is not an option in many cases.

 

Ideally I would like a rod that can go the extra distance, 150 meters/yards or so, while still fishing light - 1 - 3 oz.

 

I will have a look at the Conoflex.

 

In the meantime what sort of distance do you get with your carp rod? What type of reel would you recommend for light fishing, consistent with distance casting.

 

ABU 6500 HighSpeed ct mag, excellent casting control for the beginner and night time casting.

[goin2fish]

What sort of cast do you use for distance?

 

http://saltfishing.about.com/cs/surffishin...aa040110a_2.htm

Hi Newt and Ken.

 

I'm only familiar with the overhead cast; unless were talking fly fishing. I can't say I've given it a great deal of thought - what ever worked on the day. A bit of extra reading will be helpful!

 

After a bit more research, Purglas rods, in particular the 4000 (13' 2" 8kg 3/4oz - 3 oz) seem to be in the ball park, and may be more flexible weight wise for my purposes.

 

The Ugly Stik has an inner helical or coil layer, which minimizes distortion under load. I was wondering if this is common to the high end rods also? I see the Kiwis use the technique. Is this standard practice these days?

 

I'm not being very specific, but as I narrow the course down, I'm leaning towards a fixed spool reel, so that I can work light weights also 1/2 - 3/4. But I still want to get the distance with heavier weights - 3oz. That's why I'm leaning toward the Purglas.

 

I understand that overhead reels are better for distance - once the initial resistance of the spool is overcome - not sure. So to what extent does a fixed spool reel affect casting distance, all other things being equal?

 

I haven't completely ruled out carp rods, but I'm a little closer to making a decision.

[H.A.]

Hated my Zzippy Powertex Bass. Too sloppy!

 

The best value and quality I've see is this one -

 

http://www.anyfishanywhere.com/estuary-rod.htm

 

Shop around and you might find one for £100.

 

[Norm B]

Hated my Zzippy Powertex Bass. Too sloppy!

 

The best value and quality I've see is this one -

 

http://www.anyfishanywhere.com/estuary-rod.htm

 

Shop around and you might find one for £100.

 

I had one of these, just got to get it back from my son.