LOOKING FOR SOUND ADVICE

[Ben REINERS]

Maybe I am chasing a "ghost" that does'nt exist, but until I have my fellow anglers/fundis input, & I can ease my mind, then maybe I will put it to rest, although if I get no news, my quest will continue to haunt me......

I have a semi Question/looking for some serious sound advice, tips, hints, & any positive contributions which will be much appreciated.

I hope my search will yield positive results & that my requirements of the rod's expectations/specs are not right down not possible, or a lost quest.
We all at times look for something impossible, but one will only know if you ask questions, do research, speak to the guys in the know etc.
I trust that the guys who has had a few 10 -11' spinning rods, field tested them extensively & rod builders, will be able to help me here.

Pse understand that I am not "blank" against info on rod/reel balance, line choice & qualities, rod qualities etc & do not want to spend 4-6k on a spinning rod......no no....

My Hunt - I am seriously looking to buy a good, reasonably priced 10/11' spinning rod.
I currently use an Assasin Rock Hopper 11' originally meant to be paired with a KP, not slinning, but it does the trick 50%. It was my last resort.....
My target species.....Shad, GT (Average size), garrick, kob, snoek & whatever feels like "chomping" my lure on offer on the day.

I have my lighter 7-9ft & my heavy 14' spinning outfits.....but I want only 1 medium spinning outfit.

My Requirements/Quest ;

It must be able to handle at least a 20/25g to 2oz lures, both with comfort, without compromising to much on either the lighter lures ie. a Rapala/CID 170 Slim minnows, lighter CID spoons/poppers etc, or the heavier 1,5 to 2oz lures/spoons, & the rod should not buckle or under perform either on distance & or a lure hanging like a brick bending the rod in a arch with a 2oz lures.
It should handle the lighter lures just as well as the heavier ones.
I've heard guys saying that they carry from 2-3 outfits due to the various issues ito lure weight/distance etc etc.....its a no no....not for me.....I am sure there is a all rounder out there or a blank that can be built up to suit my requirements or at least a rod very close to my requirements.

I accept that the lighter lures will for obvious reasons not get the same distance as a 2oz, but the rod should be of such that it will handle both weights, yet still give one the feel of a light weight rod getting revved by a small shad/GT of say 1kg or so & enjoy the fight as much as a 1kg bass on a 6' rod.
I know that targetting anything above 20 or so kg is putting the rod through its paces & its qualities, but thats not the idea.

I have actually hand held the ff rods, & these are my views ;
ASSASIN Amia & Sierra - They feel like broom sticks & will not handle lighter lures in my opinion. Neither will they give me the fight of 11'rod feeling like a 8/9' spinning rod.
They might be awesome ito qualities, handling heavier lures ets, but they still have a very stiff feel to them.
The reel seats are far to high for my liking.

The Daiwa Exceller 10'6 - Will it handle a 2oz plug/spoon comfortably without feeling like the brick hanging from the rod ? ?
Will they handle 20/25g lures with ease & obtain great distance ?
Their real seats are far to high.
I love the front fast tapered section.

I've heard of the ff. rods being used, but have not yet had the chance to hold/handle them nor get reviews/feedback on them;

DAIWA Exceller 1st Edition,  Saltwater then Elite models 10'6 (x 3 models)
DAIWA SALTIST SPINNING 10'6 (30-100g)
DAIWA Saltist 11.6 spin rod 1- 3 oz  (2017 Edition)
SHIMANO Schimitar 11" Spinning ?
SHIMANO Aerocast 11' Spinning ?
TURBULENCE Shoregame Blanks 11'
ASSASIN Spin ?
SENSATION DC Oval 11 ?
ASSASIN  (1oz-2oz)

With that being said.......who is willing to put the pudding on the table ??

Thks guys.

 

[Enigma]

Shimano Technium Spin 9'10" with Technium Spin rod with a Technium FE 4000 or 5000 Spinning reel or the Sahara500FE Spinning reel. Have the 9'10" and it is tippy and able to cast really small weighted lures but has a lot of backbone to handle 2.5oz lures. Won't back down on a 15kg Garrick if it takes the lure. I fish my Shimano XTR10'000RA Baitrunners on this rod and love the combo.

Shimano Beastmaster Spin 10' or 11' (both 20-100gr but will take more) with same reel options as above

Okuma Archipelago 10' with Okuma RTX 55 (I have the 11' with Azores 40 and in love with the Setup and fish everything with it from Bucktail to Stickbaits to Sinker and Bait (bit heavy for lures below 45gr)

[/b]Custom Built S2 Shoregame by Tackleholic with RV (or KR)Layout and Stella Twinpower 5000 is a one rod covers all applications setup.

Will do everything you queried[/b]

The DC is a 1-4oz rod so out of the class you are considering.

 

[Ben REINERS]

Hi there Craig......I am so happy to see there is s.one that understands my quest.....at leadt I am not insane......though you never said it.....

A huge thks for the info given.....that puts me into a position to go hunting to hand feel these babies petsonally.

Thanks again for yr valued input. Much appreciated.

 

[Haroldg]

Interesting post Ben...I will definitely be following this closely so let us know what you eventually settle for.

This is Craig's stomping ground so you can take what he says as Gospel. However to extend this post a bit allow me to share my search for a spinning outfit in the range 20g - 84g (3oz).

I have the older 10' Aerocast with cork grip and this will serve your requirements very well.

I often use the 11' Sierra but won't go as far as calling it a broomstick but share your other sentiments.

I would have loved to have held one of Tackleholic's or Craig's creations but this never materialized. Having shopped around and tested MANY outfits settled on the Daiwa Exceller 10'6" 1063HFS so I can answer your queries with a definite Yes it can.

I've fished KPs in the 70s and as you know the butt finishes just about flush with the reel base - then progressed to multipliers for spinning so you can imagine my discomfort with the long butt on the grinder setups. Don't get too hung-up on this as you get a lot more leverage when casting the heavier lures.

I have a few spinning outfits in the shorter versions but as you say carrying a few outfits around is not an option. I have a gifted 10'6" Exceller 1063HFS with the tags still on so if you are interested let me know.

Many of the outfits you mentioned will function in the 20g - 56g (2oz) range. What you need to establish though is how much effort do you need to put in to get the lighter lures out. In my search I found that the outfit had a sweet spot at say 45g and you either had to bust your gut to get the lighter lures out or the heavier lures hung like a brick as you say.

One thing I've learned during this exercise and having made a few costly mistakes is you definitely need to try out the outfit first otherwise you could be horribly disappointed and end up trying to flog it at a huge loss. There are many guys who would be willing to let you have a throw or two with their outfit if you ask nicely

Good luck...

 

[Ben REINERS]

Morning Harold,

Once again a huge thks for yr input.
Having posted the thread, I'd hope that Craig will respond with his load of knowledge & experience as he did & am always greatful for all info received as you now also provided.

I have not seen or held Tackleholic's version & it will be an honour to do so to get that 1st hand feel of the rod's action & attributes.

I quite agree with you on the costly issue....hence the post & looking for the 1 rod only.....so hopefully I will end up with only 1 & not 3 in my cave.

If I may ask the Exceller rod you have, was it the 1st or 2nd edition produced ?
I am most defniely considering yr offer.....Thks very much for that offer.

 

[EugeneC]

Two rods come to mind for me, both are "pricey", but you didn't mention budget, so I'll throw it in the mix anyway.

1. Black Hole Cape Cod Nano 10'6" - my workhorse rod for R&S spinning, a rod I love and know can get the job done. From throwing 1 oz lures for medium shad to throwing 4 oz lures and fighting 20kg + jacks, this rod does it all and then some.

2. RH Customs Surf S7 - parabolic action, not my favorite (prefer the S8), but throws a huge range of weights very effectively, easy on your back during a heavy fight and plenty of backbone in reserve if something big comes along.

I think Jigstar Africa can probably get the Black Hole for you if you're keen, the RH Customs you'd have to import I guess, I don't know of anyone bringing them into SA.

 

[Enigma]

Tackleholic is currently re-laid and changing guide types.of 3 of André, aka ifish's Sierra's.

His impressions are that the 1-3oz is the one to have

Using the same Dummy lure, braid and reel he took the factory standard rod cast from 90M to 1123M with

 

[Enigma]

Tackleholic is currently re-laid and changing guide types.of 3 of André, aka ifish's Sierra's.

His impressions are that the 1-3oz is the one to have

Using the same Dummy lure, braid and reel he took the factory standard rod cast from 90m to 123m with a KR layout and then added another guide and took it to 128m... 27% increase

Shudder to think of what you'll get with the RV layout that he did for Adile's rod that was published in the Rock Surf and Deep and Adile hit plenty GT with the rod on his maiden trip with the rod.

CTS also has some awesome blanks but crazy expensive when importing.

 

[Ben REINERS]

Thks guys......it is a lot of very usefull info to process & then go out get to see....feel & handle the rods if I can lay my hands on some of those custom rods.......
As said by Eugene I did not exactly give a budget, however I dont want to overspend & not get the true value out of the rod.
I did say I do not want to exceed
4-6k.......but I can still close my eyes in the region of 4 I suppose.......

 

[derash]

I have a Saltiga 11ft 6'' 1-3oz rod.
I believe its the same blank and layout as the Saltist you mentioned but the Saltiga
has K series guides.

Its a bit stiff and is best for gully , rock and surf , sinker and bait.
I suppose you can cast out a plug for GT'S ....that should be fine, very strong backbone but for the type of rod that you are looking for ....the Saltist 11ft 6'' is not the one for you.

Just my 2cents.

 

[Tackle-holic]

The SG that Craig mentioned impresses me each time I build one and "have" to of course test it in the park, just to make sure all is ok.

I should actually build myself one, from me to me.

It throws the lighter stuff really well and copes easily with heavier lures.
The 1st test I do with it is a 20g Storm Flutterstick then I pfaff around with other lures normally maxing out with 2oz GT Ice Creams.
I have wrung its neck with 2 3/4oz and 3oz distance sinkers over water, you can't even see the sinker hit the water.

It is easy to load and doesn't require the reflexes of a magician to get the timing right.
Fit it with a nice 5000 sized reel and you will love it. It is really "take one rod to the beach" stick.

 

[Ben REINERS]

Are you referring to the S2 Shoregame custom built ?

 

[Enigma]

Ben REINERS wrote:

Are you referring to the S2 Shoregame custom built ?

That he is

 

[derash]

Price on blank of S2?

 

[Enigma]

http://cds-angling.co.za/page14.html

S2 is a different blank being referred to here

The ShoreGame (SG) is the one being referred to the S2 is a bit of a brute in comparrison

 

[Dr halibut hoffman]

I have a "style f" exceller 9'6" xxxh, think it is the first model. Needs new eyes by now, but had the butt extended slightly quite a while back and new front grip and replacement of the reel seat which was loose after one fish too many. I can't complain, that rod is my trusty light stick and has caught more species than I can remember, it has fed me more times than I can remember. It is now abouts of 10ft but has a lighter action than the 10ftxxh blank and has great backbone. With a custom there are more options.

Also what line to you intent using. You are not going to get much distance with a 25g lure and anything but ultrafine line. A 2oz might be too heavy for that line?
And also to put a spanner in the works, my light rod fishes a bunch of different lures, throws bait sometimes for gallies and blacktails or steenies on the beach...but most of the fish it has caught and most of the species were caught on the same type of 1.5 oz lure.