Canal Stick

[cableguy]

After losing the 2 biggest fish of my life this week....I'm thinking about upgrading my Canal Rod....I want to get a spinning rod...anybody got any suggestions? I know Mike isnt doing them anymore.....this is probably going to be a next year thing...I have a conventional set-up that works great so, that will do for this year....but thinking ahead here

I lost the fish on my current Spinning gear.....just not enough backbone to turn those fish in that current....

[texican]

Couple of ?'s that will help people chime in with some suggestions. Plugging or jigging and what weight plug/jig you will be using.

[chefchris401]

i got a custom lami wrapped by a guy in RI, i dont want to post his info here and break rules.

His prices are great, lifetime gurantee, custom anything, built to spec. he blew away the competoirs prices when i was shopping it around this winter.

I used an ISU blank, lowrider guide set up, shrink tubing grip.

the thing is amazing!!! its rated 3 to 8oz, but will throw 1oz bucktails just fine. I was throwing a 4.5 oz pencil all day at the ditch with no worries.

lots of backbone and very responsive. you can feel each bump and every wiggle of the plug..

i throw everything for topwater, eels. bucktails, shads, etc.

The down side is its not the best pencil rod, but the best all around rod ive ever owned.

[pmbrac]

If I could only have one canal stick, I would chose the xra 126 1mh.. Love that rod!! very versatile for the canal.

[mag minnow]

Question...What is your current setup that you you plan to replace?

[cableguy]

my current spinning set up is a 9 1/2' Team Diawa rod and a Shimano Stradic 6000....its my favorite set up...works fantastic of the beaches and in the bays, I can throw plugs a long ways with it but I just got overmatched in the Canal, lost a couple really big fish last week......I mean ......like the biggest fish I have ever hooked into...

I want to be able to throw anything from shads to Sebiles with it...

[Nebe]

how about a Lami SB-1213M ? mine can launch a 9" shad to the moon.. its a bit whippy, but I see this as a good thing when using braid and a tight drag.

[mag minnow]

What is it rated for? I do not see a 9.5' if I do a search but the 9' is rated 1-5oz.

[angler229]

For an all around canal rod I would go with a GSB1201m it can handle anything you want to throw and stop a good fish.

[bigbuck28]

To master the canal rod you pretty much need 2 rods.
rainshadow 1209 for jiggin
ron arra for plugs


With that said i have used the 1209 for sebiles,shads,plugs and mainly jiggs. The 1209 still throws a plug pretty good.

They run for 200.00 and have all th eback bone you need to turn those big girls

[Saltheart]

I use a XRA 1205. Will cast jigs to 5 OZ and land any fish. The 1209 recommended above is a good canal rod if you are using a spinning reel.

[Mike P]

If you can find one, a St Croix Mojo 10'6" in length and rated 2-6 oz is an excellent all-purpose Canal rod. Costs $240 which is a good $100-$150 less than a custom built on a 126 1MH blank.

It has plenty of backbone. It isn't as good a jigging rod as a 1209, and it isn't as good a plugging rod as an Arra 1322, but for having one rod that can throw plugs to 4 oz and jigs to 5 oz, and fight a decent fish in current, you can't beat it. Even the stock reel seat placement is ideal for me. $240 for a rod that can serve both purposes, as opposed to $350 or so for a 1322 and $280 for a 1209, from CMS.

You're way undergunned with a 6000 size Shimano reel, too.