MC9 wrote:
Morning guys,
I decided to buy the Akula Big Ed( 15ft 2inch 5-7 oz)and try it anyway. Most of my fishing is done with a 4-6oz rod so the Akula is an "occasional use" type of rod when conditions require it. Accordingly, I didn't want to break the bank so I was happy with the R2300 price tag from Bilimoria who ordered it in for me.
After two sessions with it I can say that it's a solid rod that casts a 6oz and big baits beautifully and has lots of backbone with a wonderfully soft top section. I've only caught an 84cm kob, which the rod handled easily as you would expect, and some shy sharks so I can't give a true review of its pulling power yet.
All in all, I'm happy with it so far and can't wait till I hook into something with some power!
I too have bought the Big Ed and have now used it well. Here's my 2c: It comes standard with k-series guides but no bionic finger/casting aid.
Mentally, the rod feels heavy because of the massive 15.2ft length but once you slap it on a scale you will find its +/- 1000g. The weight is comparative or even lower than some high end rods (yes, I was surprised too) in the same class. Paired with a Daiwa BG6500 Magseal, the balance is perfect for me (Sliding setup) or the Gosa SW14000 (spin casting setup).
My initial planning was to use it as a rod to cast a 7oz as far and wide as possible to slide livies (which it does perfectly). I then started to use it to cast a 6oz with with bait into our Cape SE wind (the 2 - 4oz Bluefish is just a bit light weight for a 30km/h + wind with some undercurrent) which it also did perfectly.
Now the cons if you can call it that: The tip is quite thick, so you will feel it in very strong winds and the Big Ed as the name implies is better suited for big fish....
The reason I say that, is that I have caught some decent size lesser sharks and Kob in the 6 to 8kg range and it hardly gave the thrill of a decent fight. If you are into sport fishing and enjoy the fight, make sure you target big fish (that's what this rod was made for as the name implies).
Hope this helped someone.Tight Lines.
