7ft 4-8kg

[Chippymoon]

I’ve just got given a abu Garcia salty stage 7ft 4-8kg spin rod, just curious as I’m new to this I’ll be using this rod for flathead I’m just wondering can I match this rod with a 2500 reel? I would prefer a lighter rod like 1-4kg or 2-4 but this is what I got, I just want to know if it will affect performance and if I should go bigger in reel size? Cheers.

[Green Hornet]

Welcome to the site @Chippymoon.

A 2500 reel will be fine on your 4-8kg rod. There’s far more important things to consider than perfect balance, like taper and guide size/spacing.

When you think about it you can have the perfectly balanced outfit but as soon as you hang a lure or sinker off it, it becomes tip heavy. When you start retrieving a lure it becomes tip light.

As long as your in “the ball park” you’ll be fine and your 2500 reel will also match a lighter rod like you mention, should you choose to get one later on.

 

[Chippymoon]

Thanks mate @Green Hornet

what should I look for when purchasing a rod in regards to Taper, guide size?

as I said I’m new to this so I apologise for beginner questions, just trying to learn everything I can.

[Green Hornet]

An apology is totally unnecessary @Chippymoonthe great thing about Fishraider is we’re all here to help each other where we can and you won’t need to filter out the BS that you’ll get on social media.
Rod taper really depends on whether you intend to mainly fish lures or bait. Generally for lures you’re looking for fast taper rod with a high modulus graphite and for bait a slower, softer taper with a lower graphite or graphite/fiberglass blend.

Most 2-4kg rods will have guides to suit 2500 sized reels. In particular, pay attention to the diameter of the stripper guide (the one closest to the reel). Some 1-2kg rods are designed around a 1000 size reel and will have a smaller diameter stripper guide. If you have the option with a 1-2kg rod, go for one with the larger guide as it will improve your casting distance, though only slightly.

I strongly suggest if looking for a new rod, take your reel into a specialist tackle shop and talk to the experts. You may possibly pay a few dollars more, but they’ll sell you something that suits your needs and not a “lemon” you could possibly get from a large, department store.

[Fab1]

39 minutes ago, Green Hornet said:

An apology is totally unnecessary @Chippymoonthe great thing about Fishraider is we’re all here to help each other where we can and you won’t need to filter out the BS that you’ll get on social media.
Rod taper really depends on whether you intend to mainly fish lures or bait. Generally for lures you’re looking for fast taper rod with a high modulus graphite and for bait a slower, softer taper with a lower graphite or graphite/fiberglass blend.

Most 2-4kg rods will have guides to suit 2500 sized reels. In particular, pay attention to the diameter of the stripper guide (the one closest to the reel). Some 1-2kg rods are designed around a 1000 size reel and will have a smaller diameter stripper guide. If you have the option with a 1-2kg rod, go for one with the larger guide as it will improve your casting distance, though only slightly.

I strongly suggest if looking for a new rod, take your reel into a specialist tackle shop and talk to the experts. You may possibly pay a few dollars more, but they’ll sell you something that suits your needs and not a “lemon” you could possibly get from a large, department store.

Great advice mate.Now what taper does my head need to be to catch fish(I have a fat head with no taper)  and what guides do I need to show me how to catch that bloody Yowies fish?😂😂

[Little_Flatty]

 @Chippymoon!

Lots of help to be found here, as @Green Hornethas said.

Can you tell us the kind of fishing you hope to do, the species you wish to target or if you don’t know, the areas you are likely to fish? This will help us help you.

The gear you use is generally determined by your target species, location and methods, but if you have a rod already we might be able to help you understand where to use it.

[Chippymoon]

@Little_Flatty I’ve always fished fresh water so target species being Murray cod, trout and golden perch but I would like to get into saltwater a bit more also as I travel to Narooma a few times a year, mainly targeting flathead for the most of it. I currently have a Abu Garcia veritas tournament 7ft 2-4kg with a Shimano stradic 2500, I’m running 6Ib Berkley X9 braid I use this for my trout and perch and it’s perfect. I was given a 7ft 4-8kg salty stage as a birthday present and I love it was just curious whether matching it with a smaller reel and using it for my lighter fishing, I know a 1-2kg or 2-4 would be a better preference but this is what I got, and like I said I love so I just want to know whether I should use a bigger reel or it won’t matter. Cheers mate.

[Green Hornet]

@ChippymoonYour 4-8kg Salty Stage will be good for throwing larger, 4-5 inch plastics for flathead and the 1/4 to 1/2 ounce jig heads you fish them on. The larger, heavier lures  are good for days when the wind or current are too strong for lighter presentations.