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This is a repost of what I put in the main forum. On second thought it fits better here.
Here are my thoughts. Keep in mind that body size and casting styles differ.
I used a GSB 1081L blank wrapped conventional and paired with a 6500 as my primary rod for about 10 years when I first started surf fishing. I didn't know better, got bad advice from Sauerkraut (he should have told me to get the 1081M for what I was doing), but I loved the rod and it served me very well. I would throw every thing from .6 oz Slivers and small needles to 3.5 oz Gibbs bottles and big BM darters with it and it did fine.
I know better now, and don't use the rod much anymore, but do have a spare 1081L blank in the cellar. This am I set it up spinning with a Shimano 5000 reel. Put a NPS 18 seat with the stem at 19 3/4 " from the butt (light slow action rods cast nicely with shorter butts).
Taped on BMNAG 25-16-10-8-8-8-8-8-8tip. Distances from the tip are 5 3/8, 11 1/8, 17 5/8, 24 3/4, 31 5/8, 39, 47.5, 59. This puts the 25 collector 29 1/4" from the reel stem. Took to the nearby beach and threw a 5/8 oz smackit, 1.5 oz little neck, 1.75 oz pencil, 2.25 oz polaris, 2.75 oz pencil, 3 oz BM wad.
The 5/8 oz plug is too light. It goes somewhere but doesn't load the rod. From 1.5-2.25 oz the rod was very happy. At 2.75 -3 oz I could power the rod as much as I wanted (I am 5' 8" and not strong) and it threw the plugs easily and comfortably but took its time doing it. The distance gain over 2.25 oz was minimal which tells me the rod has past its peak range.
As BillWetzel points out, you are not going to be powering large plugs into a 25 knot blow with this rod. Like all GSB blanks, it unloads slowly as you increase the weight and your casts take a leisurely arc rather than a bullet straight line. This, however, is a big advantage if you fish the rod at night and cast a lot. It does not take much effort to load the rod and the work to throw 3 oz isn't much more than the work to throw 1.5 oz, maybe less since your stroke will be slower.
If you want a rod for .5 to 1.5 I think you can do better. If you want a 9 foot rod 1-3 to whip metal by day into the wind, I think you can do better. If you want a rod to throw 1-3 into the night over and over and be able to think about fishing rather than casting, the GSB 1081L paired with a mid-sized reel is a good option. Just find somebody who knows how to build it lightly. I can't imagine using this blank with 30 and 40 mm collector guides (even the 25 seems oversized to me but you need the height) and a full sized reel. If you are looking for power and want to throw 2.5 - 3.5 oz stuff mostly with a full sized reel this is not the blank. For that I'd get a 1081M.
I will mention that several years ago there were reports of a bad bunch of 1081L blanks with tip breakage 18" down. My older blank has withstood unbelievable abuse and gouging, however. Take it for what it is.
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