Rod Recommendation
 

After 58 years I've discovered baitcasting reels (where have I been all these years?? ) and bamboo rods. I fish saltwater exclusively (boat and shore) and I've got some reconditioned vintage Penn Squidders (Model 140 and 145) and Penn Model 200 Surfmaster reels in A-1 condition. Now I need to buy a modern rod (or two) to use with these 18 ounce vintage conventional reels that are spooled with 30# test traditional Greenspot braided Dacron line.

I'm looking for a 7 foot (+/- 12 inch) conventional baitcasting rod with a pistol grip, for power casting 1.5 ounce to 3.0 ounce bucktail jigs and other lures from a boat (while standing up) and from the shore (sheltered water-not exposed surf. A knowledgeable friend and Striped-Bass.Com member has suggested an Ron Arra 11 foot conventional rod for surf fishing with these reels).

Anyone have a rod suggestion? I'll be at the RISAA show on Friday evening.

Thanks, Guys.


Bill Brett

Westwood, MA 02090

Any muskie rod would fit the bill. ST Croix makes a line of conventional plugging rods, 6-8 ft that most tackle stores carry. But the reels you propose to use with them are going to be too heavy and unbalanced. For many years predating their International line, Penn made a line of 900 series baitcasting reels years ago that are asthetically very nice(I have a 920 but that's small) that are better suited to 7 foot muskie tackle, as are the older abus 5500-6500. You can also buy excellent Fish Eagle graphite IM6 blanks from Cabelas for short money (about 35 bucks) that make superb plugging rods for conventional boat casting.

Hey Bill,

I have a 7ft St. Croix Premiere, it's a great rod. Use it for both the saltwater and largemouth. It has an Abu Garcia C3 reel on it, I actually saw the same setup being used for musky in the most recent edition of On The Water.

Billy B

I have an 8' St Croix musky rod that I use for SB, and here's my 2 cents.

These rods are great from a boat or kayak, but you would be better served with a cork-tape-style rod for surf use. The butt section of the musky rods is not long enough to get the proper leverage for surfcasting. Also, balance is waaay more important from the surf. I use an abu 7000 on my st croix in the kayak with no problems, but I'd never do that from the surf.

Don't worry about these musky rods being up to the task physically, they are STIFF. I knew a guy who used one for deep water cod

If it were me, I'd rather use a rod with a longer butt in a boat before I'd want to use a shorter butt on the beach - if you were only going to buy one rod for both.

If you want to go old-school, maybe have someone wrap you a glass rod with the previously mentioned surf butt length?

Thanks, Guys. Good advice, which I will follow!




Bill Brett

i checked out the gear at Bass pro shops they have a series called Offshore Angler they have a some decent stuff check out the website