Snowbee "Tarpon Rod"

[Ken L]

Snowbee have a new travel rod out that is allegedly custom designed for tarpon. Their advertising blurb indicates that it has the power to stop a GT (Giant Trevally - Tropical bruisers that can weigh in at over 100kg's) from heading for the coral. The rod is 9' long, weighs 9.1oz and is said to be designed to cast 60 - 100g.

 

Now I haven't bought this rod but if it lived up to the hype, I most certanly would have. It was bought by a mate who posted it to me to have a look at and this it pretty much the opinion that I posted back to him. Bear in mind that we fish together in tropical freshwater as well as in the salt:

 

 

 

I took the "Tarpon Rod" up the local park for a play this afternoon. Paired it with an 8000 size Stradic (This is what I would normally use for coastal fishing in the tropics) and tied on a trace.

Got a blast of nostalgia as I pulled the knot tight because the line was covered in salt from my last barramundi hunt : )

 

First thing to strike me was that the rod is to long. I've thought for a long time that somewhere between 7 and 8' is about the optimum compromise between lure control and casting power in a fairly heavy rod and just holding this rod in my hand proved that point. It wasn't just the overall length that's wrong either, the butt is 3" to long and is going to be a major pain in the bum when you're fishing an overgrown river swim or sat in a small boat or coracle trying to pass the rod around your body.

 

On the whole I like the fittings. The reel seat uplocks so you don't have the screw interfering with your ability to feel bites and the rings are fairly robust and big enough so they won't create the sort of friction that cuts casting distance. An obvious omission though is a keeper ring. There's no excuse for this, the rod is allegedly custom designed for lure fishing and hooking lures up to the butt ring is a sure way to take off the paint and start it corroding.

 

I started throwing lures about and had deliberately selected a 50g Creek Chub Pikie, a 60g swmbait and a 70g (actually 68) swimbait so I could find the optimum power range of the rod.

The 50g pikie went out fine but the sloppy middle and butt sections of the rod made directional control a little difficult. On the retrieve, employing any sort of subtle lurefishing techniques was pointless because the rod was so soft that any little jerks or twitches that I made to impart action to the lure were simply absorbed by the rod.

Next up was a 60g swimbait. The 60g lure loaded the rod up fully with an effortless lob cast and propelled the lure maybe 65m out into the lake with the sort of casting power that you could use all day without tiring. I tried power casting but it was pointless, the lob was fully loading the rod and any more oomph was counter productive because the rod just locked out. Again directional control and lure presentation suffered because the rod is to sloppy, and when I did get hit by a fish, all I felt was an increase in resistance - a far cry from the ability to feel everything that I've got used to with my StCroix rod. On striking, there was a healthy bend in the rod and being unused to the feel of the Snowbee, I was expecting to see a much better fish than the little Jack that surfaced a minute or so latter. If the rod does that with a little Jack, the chances of it controlling a big tropical sportfish are about nil.

The 70g swimbait was clipped on after the Jack was released and I was rather alarmed when I made a moderate cast because I felt the rod lock up about 2/3s of the way through the casting arc. The lure went out but because the rod locked up every time I put even moderate power into the cast, I don't think the lure went more than 50m.

I did briefly (and carefully) try an 85g spoon but it was scary and as it isn't my rod, I wouldn't attempt more than a lob. I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that attempting a power cast with 80g or more would break the rod, maybe not first time but certainly within the course of a day's fishing.

 

On the whole, I thought the rod is a nice tool for the sort of chuck and chance (OK, so there's a bit of thought goes in) lure fishing that we do in India for Barramundi and you could throw those 40 - 60g lures effortlessly all night.

But:

If you need to "work" a lure at distance to get takes or you need to cast lures greater than 70g or so in weight or you need to control a big fish (or even a moderately sized one), the "Tarpon Rod" simply isn't upto the job. It doesn't do what it says on the tin and the lack of reserve power in a rod thats allegedly designed to stop tarpon and GT's is worrying to say the least..

 

 

Truth be told, he'd already taken the rod out for a day's fishing before posting it up and had come to prety much the same conclusions. His rod is going back to the dealer as soon as it arrives back in the post from me and having ruled out the Snowbee, I've just ordered an ABU Conolon Pro Travel Boat rod that I'm going to have modified for fixed spool use. It's 7' 9" and rated as 15 - 30lb class so it should do the business.

 

We did contact Snowbee about the rod on the off chance that there had been a labeling problem and sone of their "Deep Blue" travel spinning rods had been accidentally given the livery of the "Tarpon Rod" but a week on and they haven't even bothered to respond to my e-mail.

Edited November 5, 2006 by Ken L

[coarsefish-torbay]

Do you think it would stand up to a mahseer then Ken?

I'll stick with my carp rods for spinning for them, bit of a Philistine, ain't I?

[Ken L]

Steve, it would probably stand up to a moderate sized Mahseer but there are better tools for the job. Your carp rods would certanly be a better tool even if they're even longer than the tarpon rod.

BTW. Scott felt that his Shimano Exage had more power in the butt and that's only rated to cast 50g and costs half as much as the Snowbee.