Saragosa 18000...which rod ?

[whittley580]

Hi guys,

Am new to the forum (but a long term viewer) and I must say the information/expertise available here is as good if not better than even the best tackle shop.

I am looking for a rod to match to a Saragosa 18000 with 65lb braid. I will b using the rod from a boat on hopefully a variety of applications but primarily livebaiting ,bottom bouncing, lure casting and trolling. Bit of an allrounder rod really.We target kingfish mainly on inshore reefs (I am located in Sydney) , but will also use the rod for bottom bashing in up to 100m of water (snapper leads up to 12oz).

I’ve searched around the forums and visited a few tackleshops and the rods that seem to fit the bill all seem to fall into that jig spin category, namely (and in no order of preference ) :

WILSON LIVE FIBRE RLFSSTXVS350G DEEP JIG VENOM SPIN ROD

DAIWA MONSTER MESH MAX MXS531-250 SPIN JIG ROD

SHIMANO T CURVE DEEP JIG 200 SPIN ROD

Crystal Blue Power Tip CB-601JSH 6’ 1 HEAVY 25-30kg JIG SPIN

Fin-Nor Offshore 80lb Overhead 6' 37kg

Saltist Demon Blood DB 56-6/8 Spin 167cm Heavy Regular 210-350g PE 6-8

The rod cannot be soft in the tip as dangling 350 gram leads can be an issue…

I want a rod that can put some serious pressure on a decent king (with the rod doing the majority of the work and not me !!) and to be able to bottom fish as well. Im thinking of something around the 6 to 6.5 ft, some of those jig spin rods come in at around the 5.5ft (168cm) .

I would appreciate your expertise on this as I am going around in circles.. ..Am I completely off the track with the above rods ? Are there better/more suitable rods that will fit the bill ? Possibly a rod more appropiate to spinning/popping ..??

So I guess I am asking for your opinions on what you think would be appropiate.. (let me know if I have left out important info)

My budget is up to $400 approx..

Thanks in advance …

Kev

Edited December 11, 2011 by whittley580

[Twinfisher 4.9]

I had a similar dilemma when I bought a Stella 18000, but went for the Shimano 200 gm and have not been disappointed. Have used it frequently in Perth for the Sambos over 40 kgs and have no issue with it for value for money. You can spend a lot more, but the question is what is the incremental value.........the 200 works and unless you are a weight lifter, doubt you could apply much more pressure.

[rod1448]

Last year I purchased a Saragosa 18000F that I spooled with 50lb braid and matched it with the Crystal Blue Power Tip CB-601JSH (heavy), mainly due to the price of the rod ($139). I mainly use this rod for livebaiting and bottom bouncing from my boat. For the price I'm very impressed with the outfit. Have had kingies to about 80cm on it and worked a treat, I'm sure it would handle plenty more with minimal effort.

Cheers

Rod

Edited December 12, 2011 by Rod1448