Rod to pair with Stradic FL

[RegentHoneyEater]

Hi there,

Can anyone recommend a rod that would pair nicely with a Shimano Stradic FL 2500?

have been looking at the Jewel rods?

What do you think?

[kingie chaser]

Spend whatever makes you happy but simply if you want to pair a rod with a 2500 reel then all you need is something like as 2-4kg line class rod.

As simple as that, all the rest is marketing!

Edited November 23, 2019 by kingie chaser

[Rebel]

Have a look at Dinga Fishing, he has good prices and freight free around Australia.

[blaxland]

Horses for courses  eg shimano 662 3-5 k will give good casting with low fatigue. or an ugly stick they are unbreakable but heavy and do not cast as well. I use a very soft ugly stick for squid and still get distance can strike without fear of ripping the squid to pieces and the shimano for casting small lures at aussie salmon etc.

[anthman]

Agree with the 6'6 or 7' in 3-5/6kg range rod.

Having said that, if you want lighter, I'd got the Shimano raider 1-4kg 7' - really nice rod with some useful range.

[RegentHoneyEater]

Thanks for all the replies guys, 

much appreciated!

having a look at all your suggestions.

 

[JonD]

I quite like the Daiwa black range, was flicking lures catching salmon with a wicked weasel yesterday.

[slurm]

I have a Daiwa TD Black Wicked Weasel and a Shimano Raider in 2-4kg. My 2500 Stradic sits perfectly on both.

Cheers

[bluefin]

Wild and Wicked !!!!!! love them. My river Jew rods !!!!! Howard.

 

[RegentHoneyEater]

Thanks!

having a look

[nutsaboutfishing]

On 11/24/2019 at 8:48 AM, Rebel said:

Have a look at Dinga Fishing, he has good prices and freight free around Australia.

Definitely, definitely +1.

 

Plus they'll beat any lower Australian price by 5%

 

Look at the Shimano catana or raider rods 2-4kg

[RegentHoneyEater]

Had a look at the rods in store,

I like how the Jewel and raider rods feel.

[DerekD]

What line are you thinking of putting on the reel? Braid, mono or fluoro? What weight rating. For a reel in that size (2500) I'd personally be using 4lb (up to 6lb) in braid but you might have something else in mind. What are you thinking of fishing for with it?

The line rating will have an impact (albeit minor) on the recommended rod.

Do you have a budget in mind?

Edited November 27, 2019 by DerekD

[RegentHoneyEater]

Hey Derek

I was thinking of around 6lb-8lb braid. I would be fishing in freshwater at rivers, lakes etc.

Would be fishing for small to medium sized fish, or really whatever the reel could handle. There’s no specific target species.

budget would be around $150

thanks!

 

[DerekD]

Hi RHE,

Braid generally over tests so my advice would be to go lighter as you will notice the difference in casting distance and if you get your knots right the strength is pretty impressive. For example I've been using Berkley X5 in white recently on a couple of my reels. While the American rating on the box is 4lb it also lists the rating under the Japanese testing system as 11lbs.

In your case I'd probably fish a skinny 6lb braid. A couple of my mates are loving the Daiwa J-braid. I haven't used it but I have set a couple of mates up on the Shimano Kairiki (about $30). I've landed kingfish to 70cm on this gear (2500 reel with 2-4kg rod) so once you learn how to fish it you'll be pretty impressed at what it is capable of. One of my mates was really surprised at the difference a lighter braid made on casting distance. I was out-casting him by 3 to 5m. Might not sound like a lot but if I multiple this by 40m (20m to the left and 20m to the right of where I stand) I'm potentially fishing another 120m² to 200m² more area than him. When you spool up make sure you have sufficient backing so that the braid sits just below the lower lip of the spool.

For years I've been recommending the Shimano Raider Bream Finesse 762 2-4kg 3-12gm and at a price point of about $100 if you shop around (try site sponsor Dinga). Recently I have been trying the Frogley Atomic ArrowZ range of rods and been impressed at them. Suggest you look at the Estuary Series and in particular the AS-270UL VSSM 7' 2-piece Spin 3 - 10lb 3 - 14g. Currently I've been seeing them at around $140. A few of my mates are using the Jewel range and really like them. I prefer a short butt as the longer one bumps up against my arm when I am fishing lures with the rod tip down. 7 foot or longer for tip speed and hence casting distance. 1 guide for every foot length of rod plus one more. For example a 7 foot rod should have 8 guides. An ergonomic handgrip as you will be doing a lot of casting.

Just some things to think about.

Regards,

Derek

[RegentHoneyEater]

Hey Derek

Thanks for all the information, extremely helpful. Will definitely be checking those rods out. Didn’t know about those ratings for braid. I’ll definitely be using the lighter ones in that case! Once again thanks a lot!
 

 

 

[DerekD]

Hi again RHE,

If you haven't come across it yet have a look at YouTuber Sand Flat Fishing Australia and especially his top water fishing such as whiting.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJszBDEnd9m7siqN7QE67dQ

As you are in Queensland it sounds like the fishing you have available will be similar to what he is doing. He often mentions the gear he uses (e.g. Atomic ArrowZ, sugapens, etc.)

If you haven't discovered them have a look at the Sugapens or similar. Top water surface fishing is pretty addictive. We have been using these on the sandflats as well as freshwater for bass and redfin. Early this year I had three big strikes in three seconds on the sandflats and hooked up on the third. Turned out to be a very nice salmon. The big splashes as the fish just missed the lure got the heart racing.

Another Queenslander with a YouTube channel worth looking at is DrewM.

You can blame me for the additional gear you might decide you need to buy after watching these channels. I don't mind.

Regards,

Derek

Edited November 27, 2019 by DerekD

[solarbear88]

Google search for Shakespeare Ugly Stick Elite rod and reel combo.
The rod is great all rounder.  Sell the reel or keep it as a spare.

[RegentHoneyEater]

Hey there Derek,

will give top water fishing a shot! Looks fun, I guess I’ll need Sugapens and an Atomic rod,  😶 thanks!

I have been watching DrewM, just checked out Sand Flat Fishing, looks quite nice!

I’ll go in store and have a look at what Atomic Arrowz have to offer, and also the additional gear lol.

Thanks!

[DerekD]

Hi RHE,

Out of curiosity have you recently made the decision to get into this style of fishing or are you upgrading from your current set-up?

Depending on the answer I may be able to help short-cut your learning process (although working stuff out for yourself is extremely satisfying).

BTW - no offence meant to SB88 but I'd avoid the ugly stick elite rod. The beauty of the graphite rods these days is that the sensitivity and response is phenomenal when compared to the older fibreglass or fibreglass tipped rods. While the Elite might be a nice all rounder it would be wasted on the Stradic you are thinking of getting. It would feel spongy. Kind of like putting a sports racing bike on knobbly off-road tyres. The fibreglass rods are great boat rods and will take a bump or ten. The graphite rods bruise if bumping up against say the side of a tinny. I've got graphite rods I've been fishing hard for 10 plus years but I don't abuse them. I don't bang them around and at the end of the fishing session they go back in their rod cases. I believe more rods probably get damaged by poor handling than through fishing. BTW the graphite rods conduct electricity so keep them away from power lines and lightning storms. They are strong but don't high stick well.

Regards,

Derek

[RegentHoneyEater]

Hey Derek,

I needed a setup for freshwater. I do finesse fishing however I want to branch out and try different styles. I’m relatively new to lures etc. 

Any information will be extremely helpful.

Thanks!

Edited November 28, 2019 by RegentHoneyEater

[savit]

If you are interested in a light/finesse freshwater fishing then try to first check freshwater rods from your local retailers.  Their equivalent (weight/rating/action) in a common estuary finesse range  will cost $100-200 more. 

My (US model though) Elite Ugly Stik looks and feels more like Pflueger Trion i.e. totally  different from 'traditional' Ugly 'noodles' due to higher content of graphite in the composite blank. Recently I noticed Elite combos in local Aldi  and did not like the rod at all.

 

[RegentHoneyEater]

Hey there Savit,

will have a browse around the retailers and see how the rods feel.

Thanks!

[DerekD]

Hi again,

I can see this thread going on for a while longer. If you go with my recommendation for the 6lb Kairiki or Daiwa J-braid before you spool it just pick it up and have a good look at how fine it is. It looks stupidly skinny but don't let it worry you as it is amazingly strong. If you try breaking it by gradually loading it up between your two hands I'm pretty confident it will cut into your skin before it breaks. I want you to have a bit of faith in the line selection and not get panicky and decide you need to go up to 8 or 10lb.

I'd recommend getting some leader for shock absorption, abrasion resistance and an easy way to handline up the fish at the end of a fight (depending on how big the fish is). Depending on what I am fishing for with the outfit you are putting together I'll use between 6lb and 10lb leader with 8lb being my go to. I like Nitlon as it feels pretty supple for a fluorocarbon.

Length of leader will come up as a query. Some people recommend X rod lengths of leader. I'm of the opinion about 80cm is sufficient. My leader length is selected to ensure the knot does not pass through the runners. If you can feel it passing through the guides there is some stress in the system. I know there are knots which are slim profile but I've heard first person before where it has still damaged the guide. Not likely but still possible.

I started with Berkley Fireline Crystal in the 4lb many years ago. It is a fused braid and was one of the better value lines out there but it had its issues (fluffed up and weakened over time). The knot Berkley recommended for joining the main line to the leader is the double uni knot. I got very good at it with extremely little line wastage. In time I found out that doubling the braid up resulted in an even stronger knot. I've heard it referred to as the double double uni knot.

A knot that is gaining a lot of popularity as one of the strongest out there is the FG knot. While I could tie it and have seen a few methods of tying the FG knot I stayed away from it as it was a pain to tie (most require various ways of keeping the tension in the lines) and usually had a fair bit of line wastage.
 
If you are prepared to take the time it is worth learning. One of the Fishraider posted a method of tying it that turned the concept on its head and that is the method I now use. It can be found in this video. I use one or two half hitches to lock it up but then use a different method than the multiple half hitches shown and you will see that in the second link:

Now the finish of the knot can be found at a little after five minutes on this link:

These days I can manage to do it with the really fine lines (4lb braid and 6lb leader) but that has taken a bit of practice. With 10lb braid or heavier it comes up a treat. Generally my leaders are 50% to 100% more than my main line. The braid should be skinnier than the leader as it needs to bite in.
 
Regards,
 
Derek
 

Edited November 28, 2019 by DerekD

[RegentHoneyEater]

Hi Derek,

I plan to go with your recommendation of 6lb Kairiki or the J braid with the 8lb leader. 

I think I definitely need to learn some new knots, I currently use the palomar or double palomar knot. Will have a go at the FG knot.

Thanks for all the really helpful information!