Canal Rod

[Vision]

Would like some sugestions on a new canal rod ? I will be matching it up with a Newell 235. I like to plug Jig and chunk, I would prefer the lightness of a grafite and the power to lift a big fish off the bottom! I'm confused about what length to go with? I fish with a 10' 2 pc. grafite rated for up to 6 oz., but finding it hard to cast at high tides on rocks! I know I'm looking for a wonder rod!, just seems there should be a rod shorter in length say an 8 footer that can cast a plug to the middle and lift a keeper off the bottom with a jig or chunk. One more thing does anyone use braided line on a non-level line reel for plugging? I'd like to try, but was wondering about damaging my thumb while laying on the line to thh spool? THANKS FOR ANY ADVICE! P.S. ANY CUSTOM ROD SUGESTIONS?

Can't help with the rod but put tape on your thumb to reduce wear.

[JohnR]

Most of the guys on the Canal are using 10' custom rods for jigging. Alot are getting the 11' Lamis cut down to make a meat stick for jigging. More recently, there has been a subtle switch to the All-Star blanks for this purpose. Mike Thomas at <a href="http://capecodtackle.com" target="_blank"><!--auto-->http://capecodtackle.com</a><!--auto--> has been building alot of these Ditch sticks for the local canal ratts down there. He has actually written a very detailed article on custom canal rods for the site but I'm waiting for the pics to come in before putting the article up. I can't help you with the braid as I only fish 20-30# Big Game...call me an old fart I guess...

Do you really want to drop all the way to an 8 footer???

[Saltheart]

I now use a loomis 108-30 for my canal rod. Its a 9 footer and is a "stick". It casts 3 and up very well. I was using a Sabre 1089 until I broke it 3 weeks ago (It didn't break , I broke it!) . That's a great canal rod too. Not as stiff as the 108-30 but still stiffer than most. Its more sensitive and will cast 2 better than the 108-30. For shear power to fight the fish , the 108-30 is excellent. I wouldn't go less than 9 feet. You got to get the jigs etc over that lip at the edge and the longer pole helps. Mike T at capecodtackle will make you up a custom Sabre 1089 for about $160 and he does an outstanding job. The loomis 108-30 is $80 to $100 more and much more powerful a rod. (which is hard to believe cause that Sabre 1089 is pretty powerful!!)
I use a levelwind with Cortland Spectron line. This line is rough and with a non levelwind , your thumb will take a beating if not taped up. For the Newell , the 50 LB Spectron or the 65 lb Whiplash will work well. I would use the 50 lb Cortland Spectron.

[Mike P]

One all-around canal stick is a difficult order. After 30 years of trial and error, I've decided that the optimum length for versatility in a Canal stick is 9-1/2 feet. I have an 11' Ron Arra plugging rod--it's great for tossing plugs on the low slacks, when you can stand on an exposed mussel bed and have nothing behind you. At high tide, with brush behind you--fugeddaboudit<img src="/Images/Happy_Face.gif"><!--e1-->. I also have an original (plum) Sabre 1088, cut back about 2" from the tip, for an overall length of 8'10". It's only marginal, however, for the Canal--I'd hate to have to wrestle with a 30#+ fish on it. Between these two extremes, I've tried many rods. Right now, my current favorite is a Fisher 8720, originally 10', shortened to my ideal length of 9'6" from the butt. However, that rod blank has been out of production for a few years.

Many of the 9' rods lack the power to lift a heavy fish off the bottom, or even to keep one from heading there after it crashes a plug. Those that have the beef often cast plugs poorly. My suggestion would be to talk to Mike T or another competent rod builder, one who knows the Ditch, about shortening some 10' blanks. I suspect that if you took an All-Star 1208 blank, trimmed the tip back to a size #10, and took the balance of 6" from the butt, you'd have a nice 9-1/2' that'll do most of what you want, and do it better than many of the existing 9' models.

[Canalratt1]

I would definatly stay with at least a 9 to 10 foot pole. Mike T. is the man to talk to for a custom stick. Some guys I know that jig and plug alot swear by Fireline. The drawbacks though are if you get stuck DON"T pull back against the reel! If you do the line will dig in under the line on the spool creating the biggest backlash or it is an overrun Mike P? that you will see on the next cast. These birdnests are impossible to untangle. If stuck wrap line around an old plug and walk back till it parts don't try it around your hand this line can cut!

[Vision]

Wow! great response! Thanks John, Slipknot, Saltheart, and Mike P. I sure got alot of diffrent viewpoints! John I'm looking forward to reading Mike T's article on Canal rods! With so many new products coming out, you realy need to keep up with what's available out there. As far as wanting to fish with an 8 footer, I'm still looking for that Wonder Rod that can do it all? Probably will never find it? Thans Again&lt; VISION &gt;

[Mike P]

Hey Tony, what you get when the line hits that spot where it's dug in and everything stops dead in its tracks is definitely a "backlash". No spin doctor can make it anything else <img src="/Images/Happy_Face.gif"><!--e1-->

Some braids have more of a tendency than others to bind like that when you break off. I've come to expect it with Spectron, and am ready to stop the spool--I just give it an easy cast the next time after I bust a stuck jig loose (or off). So far, it hasn't happened yet with the 65# Whiplash I have on my Penn 525 Mag--but, that might be a case of me being able to get better thumb pressure on the spool when pulling back to break off, due to the lack of a top level-wind bar. It's also important to wind braid on under tension. I use a Berkley line spooler to spool up, and after a night of plugging, I'll make some casts with a heavy jig to tighten it down.

All the braids will cut your thumb if used on a non levelwind reel--eventually. The question is when. Spectron is tough stuff, it'll do it inside of 10 casts. It takes a lot longer with the more slick finished stuff like Whiplash and Rip Cord Si. Wet hands, and having your thumb on the line when you set the hook and the drag slips a bit, will hasten cuts.

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this, but as any Canal guy knows, snags are inevitable--when you snag a jig or a sinker when using braid, don't attempt to pull it free with a bend in the rod. Use a lighter leader (I use 30# mono with 50# braid and 40# mono with 65# braid) so that breaks instead of the braid--usualy, it'll break at one of the knots. Point the rod tip at the snag and pull straight back.