Arra 1205 - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

cardnial77 · 10-21-2007, 02:36 PM

I am Considering getting a 1205 for casting 2oz+ plugs and eels from jetty's/Rocks with. currently I have a gsb 1081m and a 1201L. any input on how this Blank would preform would be great.

hyefisherman2 · 10-21-2007, 02:54 PM

from what ive heard it is a real beefy rod, and has plenty of backbone to stop a brute in a current.

this rod does not only have a nice soft tip for tossing and working the plugs, but it can also throw 3oz jigs and crippled herring as well.

as far as 2oz goes im note sure. i think its sweat spot is 3-4 but probably could throw 2. deff. much better then the 1203 and 1204.

iron mike fishes this rod with a vs 250 and has brought in many cows to date. including a few over 60. this tells me something about this blank. how about you?

heres the pic:

luds · 10-21-2007, 02:56 PM

How do you like the GSB rods you have for plugging? I can't comment on the Arra but if you are considering the 1205 and also like the gsb series I would definately say that you should consider the gsb 1201m.

hyefisherman2 · 10-21-2007, 02:58 PM

yes as luds says the 120 '1m is also a very good rod for tossing heavy plugs and big eels. i might build one this winter

BigFish · 10-21-2007, 03:03 PM

I use a 1205. Spinning rod. It casts 2 ounces great....its what I cast most 2-3 ounce wood...sometimes a bit bigger! The tip is far from soft! It is a stout, beefy rod.....and it can get the big girls heads up no problem. I highly recommend it!

Pete_G · 10-21-2007, 03:07 PM

I'm a 1201m fan too.

I have a Arra 1205 but it doesn't see a lot of use these days unless I need just a little more lifting power.

If you'll never use the 1205 for eels it might serve you well but if you want to throw eels from time to time give some serious thought to the 1201m.

BigFish · 10-21-2007, 03:09 PM

I have thrown eels with mine.....its a chore! What Pete G. said!

cardnial77 · 10-21-2007, 03:09 PM

i like the GSB rods. since i have started tossing eels alot, i figured i would weight my options on the next rod that i have built. one reason i am considering the 1205 is that i have read that it is a versitle rod. quite often i fish out of my work van and only have room to fit one rod in there. i may take a ride down to CMS and see if they have any premade that i can handle. before i decide. Oh and how bout dem PATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

spence · 10-21-2007, 03:29 PM

I had a 1205 and sold it...like th 1201m much better...

-spence

numbskull · 10-21-2007, 04:08 PM

I've got a 1205 conventional and I find it a substantially better rod for plug fishing (2-4oz) than my 10ft KennedyFisher (which is a similar action to the 1201m as far as I know). I suspect it is too fast an action to throw eels well, but that isn't an issue for me.

mikecc · 10-21-2007, 05:12 PM

You guys might want to look at the Lamiglas SSU series rods. They make 3 different actions in 10' blanks.

striperondafly · 10-21-2007, 06:26 PM

I have a 1205 for the big stuff but my 1084 gets used much more as 2 ounces seem to catch best in my area

t.orlando · 10-21-2007, 06:31 PM

Got a 1205 Conv. Love it for eels, sweet spot for plugs is 3-3.5oz. My favorite rod.

Krispy · 10-21-2007, 07:05 PM

I have the 1205 conventional too. Wont give up that rod, very nice for casting big eels to big fish

Trunky · 10-21-2007, 07:19 PM

I'm using the arra 1205 with 1-3oz bucktails in current, I can cross eyes and turn fish with this rod. I like it.

NIB · 10-21-2007, 07:25 PM

The 1205 is one I don't have.It felt kinda stiff to me.
If i have to thro heavy I use the 1322 or the gsb 132 1M

DaveS · 10-21-2007, 11:02 PM

I have a 1205 factory, nice stick. Throws 3oz well but a tad heavy for every day plugging/eeling. Only take it out for certain spots, (NIB would know where

)

keeperreaper · 10-22-2007, 03:46 AM

I have a 1205. Beefy nice rod with some balls. Definitely a nice rod to turn big fish in a current with. 3 oz. is a real nice plug size for this rod or large eels.

Back Beach · 10-22-2007, 06:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Krispy

I have the 1205 conventional too. Wont give up that rod, very nice for casting big eels to big fish

Same here. Have the 1205 in both spinning and conventional.

Saltheart · 10-22-2007, 08:01 AM

2 OZ would be the lower limit. Will cast 2 to 4 OZ fine. I have done 5 but i think that's too much for this rod for every day. It should be fine for big eels (about 3 OZ) but not shoe strings. Mine is a conventional with a BG 7000CL and its my canal rod. A great rod and very versatile.

SeaWolf · 10-22-2007, 08:36 AM

iron mike caught his 60 on a old arra 1204/now 1203 custom. not the 1205.

the 1205 is a great pure plugging or jigging rod. some of my customers absolutely love this rod, but only for plugging. they will eel if they have too, but as some have mentioned it's not the best application for this rod. however, some find it works for them. i dont normally suggest it if eels will be throw often.

a better and more versatile rod is the gsb1201m. it handles the same range, but throw eels much better.

as mike mentioned, the new lami ssu-series is also a consideration. this series was built for braided lines. they are a composite blend of materials. not to be confused w/ the lami tri-flex series, which were glass tipped. the 1m or 1mh is ideal in this series.

Pt.JudeJoe · 10-22-2007, 09:07 AM

I have a 1205 and it is a great rod! I have thrown smaller metals(1.5 oz.) with it just fine. It is ,as others have said, really good for the heavier ones. I use it for bait fishing too and it throws a mack or pogie chunk with a 2 or 3 oz. egg sinker perfectly. A very good rod for my fishing.

zimmy · 10-22-2007, 11:07 AM

I love my 1205 in spinning. I even throw unloaded redfins on it (they just don't go very far

). I threw eels with it for the first time the other night and it worked well with the larger ones. I like it for jigging too. Have the 1201m in conventional and it is sweet too. Take your pick, I guess. I think I like the faster action of the arra overall.

Mike P · 10-23-2007, 02:13 PM

I have a lot of 10' graphite blanks. I'd rate them power-wise from top to bottom, as follows:

All Star GSW 1209--extra heavy power, fast action, 4-10 oz.

All Star GSW 1208--heavy power, moderate-fast action, 2-5 oz.

Lami XRA 1205-----medium-heavy power, moderate-fast action, 1-5.5 oz

Lami GSB 120 1M--medium power, moderate action, 1-4.5 oz

JK Fisher 8720-----medium power, moderate-slow action, 1-4.5 oz

Lami GSB 120 1L---light power, moderate action, 1-3.5 oz.