what was/is your favourite rod and why?

[Jungle Jim]

I'd be interested to hear about peoples favourite rods and why they liked them so much.

maybe it was an old glass rod you used as a kid or still use....or a bamboo stick that was passed down to you....

maybe it is a custom rod you’ve had made up....or a bargain find that’s worth it’s weight in gold.

Of course not forgetting the latest generation rods that’ll cast a lure or bait a mile.

I’ll get the ball rolling –

Mine is a SAGE SLT 690-4 fly rod which is simply perfect for the type of fly fishing I do in NZ. Can still make delicate presentations or punch into howling nor-westors.

Look forward to hearing from others.


JIM

[reggy]

Hi Jim
Mine is a Live fibre 20kg black bass. So light, yet so strong.Great for extracting critters from coral reefs. Best part is, I found it in a small ag-co-op store, had been sitting there for years, so I got it for a bargain.
cheers
Reggy

[Jungle Jim]

Hi Reggy

thats the exactly sort of stuff i was hoping hear about. Everyone's got a favourite...

Sounds like a real good find.... must have been your lucky day

P.s nice pic too.

cheers.

Jim

[Pete62]

Hey Jim, thought u had dropped off the planet, how r u bud? been gettin any fish? My boat hasn't been in the water since Mondy but hoping to rectify that this weekend and unwrap those little Jitterbugs u so generously gave me.
Are u planning another trip north? I am thinking early Febuary if the fish are playing, just going to wait till the reports come in and then bolt up for a 3-4 dayer.
How did u go with the prop repairs? or shouldn't I mention that.
BTW my fav road is one that is doubled over and haemorrhaging line;D

Cheers, Pete.

[rockfisho]

Mine is my heavy surf rod / jewie and snapper rod. Although i havent caught much on it yet and i catch much more on my other outfit, it is the first rod which I built myself, which makes it my favourite. Its built on a snyder Ft5162 and can throw a big bait, like a fillet of mullet, a mile.

cheers

Owen

[FNQCairns]

I still have my first rod given to me when I was 5 or 6, solid glass, cork grips, shorter now than then but timid to say the 37kg T curve I bought on super special a few weeks ago is very nice to use -extreeeeemly nice actually, trying very hard now not to become a tackle rat:( ;D;D

cheers fnq

[jtpython]

I recently bought a Shimano Taipan that i have found handles the punishment of bottom bashing and has some nice whip in it equipt with a Tynrons 30 is really one of my favourite set ups . And for spinning have a Okuma EPIX 80 on a diawa saltish incredible spinning stick and reel for chasing Spano's and Tuna
JT

[kevvie]

I have to toss up between 3 rods...

2-4kg Pflueger Supreme
1-5kg Egrell S1
4-7kg G-Loomis Greenwater 7'9"

All 3 rods are a pleasure to use and absolutely perfect for my fishing style.

[TimiBoy]

I have a Wilson Texalium Gold 10-20kg 8 footer with a TLD 20 II speed. For floating baits with 50lb mono it is sweeeeet.

Cheers,

Tim

[Astro]

My first new fishing rod in 1997, Shakespeare Ugly Stick GB 1706, unbelievable rod, the quality and the feel of the rod were awsome for its time, and I dont think there were any better back then. I still have it and used it up until I bought a Wilson Texalium 37kg rod, which was to heavy and put aside for my new Shimano T-Curve 200.

[Tetsuo]

My fave is my Smith bayliner. It's wicked hooking up on something so light. I just got a smith expedition which will be my favorite if it lands me a jack. I'm also pretty fond of my egrells and a few others.

[roydsy]

Without a doubt my new Egrell S10 heavy..... great rod for twitching plastics outside...and handle some heavy load.... I hooked a massive queenie up fraser a few weeks ago.... it tore of 200m of braid in about 6-7 secs then got air bourne and straightened the hooks on my tournament nitro 3/4 oz jighead..doh!..

I matched this rod up with a Daiwa heartland 4000 and 30lb nitlon braid...... awesome setup :P very happy.

[MeePee_99]

Loomis dsr8200 and 820 and the bear b6-6. Awesome rods

[Chamelion]

My favourite of all time was a rod my Dad had custom made for me. It was 11ft and matched to an Alvey light surf reel... Fantastic rod. Some bastard stole it from me. :(

Favourite currently is my Penn Slammer 7ft Graphite composite... Cheap as chips, but very nice to use.

Matt.

[PlasticFantastic]

My fave would be my Daiwa Catalina Nabura 6'8. I've got a Certate Hyper 4000 on it with 50lb braid and I use it to cast 1/2 heads at Long Tail Tuna, jig 1 - 1 1/2 ounce with plastics offshore, i've trolled with it live baited with it and also I've done alot of jigging with 180gm jigs on it for Kingfish up to 10kg.

I cant find another rod that'll do all those things so thats why it's my favourite.

PlasticFantastic

[Hecle]

Saltiga are my fave rods. 68s for 3500 hd certate. 63s for 4500 very nice. but the 80tn is a real standout all rounder.

[bassfan]

My first new fishing rod in 1997, Shakespeare Ugly Stick GB 1706, unbelievable rod, the quality and the feel of the rod were awsome for its time, and I dont think there were any better back then.

Hey Astro, I've got a GB1706 ugly from the mid nineties, and they are one strong & versatile rod. Suited to either heavy duty overhead or spinning reels, I have currently got a Pen spinfisher 850 on it and my best capture was a massive GT off Cairns years ago. Was recently thinking of upgrading to a more modern rod, like a live fibre, but then thought .......no need as it's still a great pole.

[Noelm]

hhmm let me see, I have two, and they were special for two different reasons, one was custom made for me by a mate who has since passed away, so pretty obvious why that was special, and another is a Beastmaster that I had, it had a very light tip, but very strong down the butt, I used to take it on trips to QLD, one rod, but two reels, an 850 spinfisher and a TLD25, covered just about every type of fishing you could think of, but unfortunatly, both were stolen in a house breakin a long time ago, one of the members here has one the same, and I have chased him to buy it, but so far, no luck!!

[tunaticer]

Geez it took a while before someone owned up to having an Ugly Stick as their favorite rod!!!

My fav baitcaster is a seeker CLB604 custom built for anything thats catchable on 6kg.

My fav spin rod is a 2-4kg 5'6" Sabre custom built for 2kg hardbod work or a 7' Berkley Dropshot 2-4 for SP work. Entirely different rods and actions but perfectly suited to my styles.

Most sentimental rod is a SnyderGlas MagJig i cut down into a lure tossing mega barra rod 15kg baitcaster. Helluva setup.

Jack.

[tropicrows]

Not my favourite these days, but pretty close. It sure brings back some memories, a yellow Butterworth 9144 coupled with a deep spooled 6 ½” Alvey. Close to 35 years old. A heavy surf & rock rod but this one got a workout pulling 3kg salmon up 20 meter cliffs around Port Lincoln. It’s still in the shed and will never be sold while Im alive.


PS, don't have the mussles to lift it now.

[Horse]

I have a lot of rods that hit the spot but my favourite would probably be my 20 year old MagSurf. It is a totally different taper and feel compared to new ones but it can pull fish

[champion]

Good to see so many guys with the Old Gear !! would of thought with all the new technoligy we would have new (better?) toys.

mine is the Egrell S10, just love SP fishing in 100m of water.
Pulled some big snapper & kingies up and just to see the bend in the rod.
Love it ;D

cheers joe

[Mrs Ronnie H]

Hi all
My favorite rod of all time would have to be the one my dad bought me when i was about 5. A little green fibreglass rod about 4 ft long with a wooden handle and a plastic reel with red handles that you had to pull the line out to cast it and hope you didn't get a tangle. Still have it.
Today and don't laugh guys but it would have to be a 5'5 rex hunt signature series, caught more flathead than anything I have ever owned.

Ronnie

[reidy]

My old original model Shimano Taipan 2-3kg spinning rod just love her.Imparts a loverly action on rapalas and good old Tassie cobra style lures (a tad light for a 13gm lure but they run off the old Taipan something beautiful.)
Still use it to this day (but only in the fresh stuff)
Cheers
Reidy

[WalFish]

I was searching for some info on Shimano Beastmaster rods and came across this old thread.

My favourite rods are my old man's surf rods. They are a 10'6" and 12' rod that he made from a Len Butterworth blank. These were his first and only attempt at making a rod from a blank, and he did a bloody good job. They are still catching fish of the walls of the Clarence a good 30 odd years since he made them.

They are my favourite cause Dad made them, but I have great memories of my first mackerel trip in a 12' tinny off Woodgate near Childers with these rods. We had been out the one day and been busted off as soon as any baits hit the water with our 10lb mono, so we called it quits and headed back in for the night. Next day, out with the big guns - the surf rods with the Alveys and a couple of kilos of pillies.

I was only about 10 years old and didn't know wether to laugh or cry when I hooked up to the Doggie Mackerel - the awesome thought of a big mackerel made me laugh, but the burn of the mono and the smashing of the Alvey handles on the knuckles for 'drag' brought a tear to my eye. That trip is still spoken of around the fire now some 25 years on.

Cheers
Wal

[Chamelion]

My current favourite rod is my Mojiko 6-10kg bait caster. It has a fantastic blank, it's as light as a feather and it's just a pleasure to use.... Since I bought it my Berkley Dropshot Tournament Pro, valued at over twice as much as the Mojiko, hasn't seen much use at all.

Matt.

[gr hilly]

my favourite rods are my snyder glass i have 5 of them all 20 or more yrs old i love them all

gynn.

[bundylundy]

My favourite rod is a Shimano Steve Starling Calcutta Heavy matched to a Shimano TLD5 and 4 kg Platypus pretest. I have used this rod to catch many a fish over the last fifteen years from tuna to spannish to even coaral trout. For an off the rack rod under a $100 it is an excellent rod with a nice working curve. Usually the first rod to go in the boat when going offshore sportfishing.

Jeff.

[LostNearBribie]

My favourite would be my Egrel Bear S2.
Got it from an Ausfish member for $180 in perfect condition.
I have kept it longer than any other rod in the past 10 years and have no plans of ever letting it go.
Has caught everything from Whiting to my PB snapper.

[Adam_G]

An old solid glass rod with timber rear grip, cork front grip and tiny old Alvey handed down from my uncle 20 years ago. I've never come across another rod that catches whiting so well. Don't get to use it much these days, too busy chasing snapper.

[Stik-ugly]

Mine would have to be a custom Len Butterworth "Black Queen" in solid glass. I t was a Christmas present when I was eleven,forty years on I still use it on the odd occasion .Great rod ,caught lots of different species and unfortunately ,like its owner starting to signs of wear and tear.

[BigE]

Mine a bit of unknown it is an old Daiwa Eliminator Boat Model EL-701MLRS 12-30lbs it does look much but matched to a BG60 it has caught everything from bream - 30lbs jew and gold spots and the odd nanni and red with out a doubt the best rod in my boat ............ unfortunately it's HERS and i rarely get to use it. I'd but I would buy another in a heart beat if I could find one.

BigE

[PNG1M]

Last year I bought a 5' 6" 2-pce 'Barra Mauler' 5-8kg Shimano Raider Rod (designed by Ian Miller) to take with me - as a spare - to Lake Murray PNG.

It ended up becoming my favourite rod there. We had a darn lot of water around us and not too many fish & there was vast amounts of casting done.

When matched to my Curado DS-V 300, with 20kg Jigman x8 the rod absolutely cast a mile and with ease. There were six blokes in our group, each with their trusty favourites and this set-up outcast them all both in distance & accuracy.

It especially cast poppers very well. We used poppers when chasing saratoga in the late afternoons. Over the week I did manage to haul in a few black bass with it too and it managed well.

I bought it at Fishhead Tckle as an afterthought. It was the only 2-pce rod there in that category and when put together it had a very solid feel. I tried to walk away from it a few times but the voice in my head kept telling me to go back.

I haven't had the chance to properly use rod again since Lake Murray (apart from a few flicks around Biggera Creek) but it was a favourite on that png trip.

[hangar]

i love my butterworth fish hunter medium action surf rod.got it at a fishing expo for $35.00 years ago still in great condition and plenty o fish to credit its my fave nothing fancy but will put up to 6oz out no prob & has a heavy but section for anything big & fast taper on the tip section. ive always used it with my abu 7000 but im sure it can handle smaller reels and eggbeaters and alvies

[DHM77]

Mine would be an Egrell S4 which I bought second hand. The only rod I have that you can catch whiting on, and then take offshore and throw plastics for snapper. It feels great to use and I have 100% confidence in it when I am using it. I have a Bear S2 the same as Lost Near Bribie which would be a fairly close second for its all round versatility.

[trueblue]

I have a black tiger Ugly Stick, 8 to 22 kg 6 foot stick that I have just used, and used, and used, coupled up with a TLD 20 with upgraded drag, and 80 lb braid.

It is very soft in the tip (too soft really) and it has recently been christened the 'noodle' rod.

I keep threatening to replace it when it breaks, but I think it is going to have to be accidentally caught in a car door before that happens.

Has caught everything from small reefies up to big cobes and kingies and amberjack and a jewie

lots of good memories with that rod

cheers

Mick

[vertico]

bloody noodle rod....!!!!

[Chamelion]

I should probably mention my Jarvis Walker Redbone 8ft 2-4kg rod... It's a cheap piece of crap, it deserves the name "noodle rod" more than most others, it's horribly unresponsive to use but at the same time has problably caught me more fish in its life than any other that I've ever owned. A 58cm cod was probably its PB.

No, it's not my favourite, but the stupid old bastard deserved a mention.

[sleepygreg]

PMSL Matt. I can relate to that.

My favourite rods in years gone by were a custom built FMT 72L white blank...which was rated to 3kg....but i fished 2kg test on it and caught everything from flathead bream and whiting in the estuaries, to mack tuna, stripys and small kingies offshore. The other was a Len Butterworth Ebbtide....a 2 piece 12' light beach rod that I was given for my 12th birthday.....lost count of the number of fish I have caught on that rod...from aussie salmon and tailor off the beach, to jewies, big flathead, even a 15kg eagle ray in the big river systems in northen NSW. (has been rebuilt three times..but the blank is STILL going strong....and I am 51yo.)

My current faves are a 8kg Shortstroker, built on a sabre 55L blank, trimmed to my specs, and built by Campbelltown Fishing Scene. I use this for trolling for Marlin off Moreton, and also for reef fishing the close reefs. Using the Wilson Shoreline 10'6 for light beach fishing and shore based estuary fishing.


Im a tackle junky....so I could list a number of favourite rods....each for their own reasons and applications.....most of them are in the medium/lower end of the price spectrum.....but then I am a basic angler.

[trueblue]

bloody noodle rod....!!!!

I knew you would bite mate. That rod cost me $120, 7 years ago

Most of my PB's were on that rod, and you put me onto quite a few of my PB fish in your boat..............

cheers

[TimD]

My favourite rod is my Egrell S2, although i like my Egrell S10-H just as much


Both these rods have pulled up decent size fish with ease


cheers tim :)

[diabolical]

Boyhood favourite rods seem to go hand in hand with Len Butterworth rods. I had/have a Tara Deluxe 9' , perfect for unweighted pillies.

Latest favourite is a Tcurve Lucanus pe2-3 on which I run 30lb Fins on a 4500j Capricorn(Catalina or Saltist when it dies). This thing will throw a 3/8 plastic a good distance and will jig 200gms and fish 30lb to the max.

[reggy]

Boyhood favourite rods seem to go hand in hand with Len Butterworth rods. I had/have a Tara Deluxe 9' , perfect for unweighted pillies.

Latest favourite is a Tcurve Lucanus pe2-3 on which I run 30lb Fins on a 4500j Capricorn(Catalina or Saltist when it dies). This thing will throw a 3/8 plastic a good distance and will jig 200gms and fish 30lb to the max.

one of my older rods has JS9 on it .It is about a 15kg rod. it`s about 6ft long and is yellow blank.
i think it is a butterworth. nice working curve right through.

[PNG1M]

I lived on the NSW Central Coast (at Norah Head & Budgewoi ocean side) from 1993 to 1998.

During that time I did mega-loads of beach fishing targeting tailor; aussie salmon; jew and whatever else was biting.

I tried a few surf rods but my favourite was a Wilson INAZUMA 12' graphite.

I don't own the rod anymore but I wish I'd kept it as I've never seen them available again since then.

The rod was a brown colour with a sand spike. It was just so light and easy to cast but it had plenty of muscle. The balance was good and the overall feel of it was just right. I matched it to a Penn Spinfisher 6500 & 17lb mono.

Has anyone out there ever heard of the Inazuma rods??

[fanplastico]

Have a Fenwick LB1206 which I made about 20 years ago. Still take it out occasionally & it's still an awesome rod for high speed spinning off the stones. Use it with a Shimano Speedmaster & can throw metal 100m+ all day with it. Caught heaps of tuna, bonito, kings, salmon etc in its time.

Got some hight tech Loomis, Egrell, etc now but still have a soft spot fot the old glass stick.

Les

[sleepygreg]

Reggy that would be a JS980X blank.....very versatile and could be trimmed to anything from 10kg to 24kg....came in white, yellow and brown.....my first custom 15kg game stick was built on that blank..very reliable. I built quite a few game rods for mates using that blank.

Greg

[Noelm]

me too, built many JS980's, the numbers mean JS = Jig stick, 9 = 9 wrap, 80 = 80" long and the X will mean extra hard, still got an old one I built many many years ago, caught everthing from Kings to Marlin on it, but to answer the original question, probably my most treasured two rods (both stolen now by the way) was an old Iron Glass jig rod made by a good mate of mine who has since gone to the big fishing spot in the sky, and another is an old Beastmaster spin rod that I got a long time ago, very whippy tip and as strong as all buggery in the butt, I used to take it when I went on holidays, one rod, but two reels, a Penn spinfisher, and a TLD25, used on the same rod to cover a heap of fishing situations, a fellow Ausfisher (longboarder) has one the same and I pestered him to sell it, but he has never come good yet!

[reggy]

Reggy that would be a JS980X blank.....very versatile and could be trimmed to anything from 10kg to 24kg....came in white, yellow and brown.....my first custom 15kg game stick was built on that blank..very reliable. I built quite a few game rods for mates using that blank.

Greg
wow, didn`t know they came in white. i had mine re bound about 2years ago and took it to the swains recently. caught everything on it with 50lb braid.

[Jarrah Jack]

I brought a Gary Marsh Goodoo which is a loomis blank about 16 years ago. Great barra rod and very strong. Just getting some guides replaced now as they wern't suited to braid. Wasn't much around then.

[sleepygreg]

Reggy, My first one was a white blank. Trimmed it with black and gold thread, and an eagle chevron butt wrap in black/gold/silver. Was the envy of the guys at the club (at the time), which led to the requests for building them. (plus the fact it caught many fish). I am going back to the late 70's early 80's though.

Greg

[Noelm]

yes, indeedy the JS980 came in white, the one I have at home is white, there was also a few black ones made, along with the yellow, I have made them as is for heavy spin configuration, as is for 10KG Game, and cut down the tip a bit for 15KG game.

[Noelm]

I do believe that the old Butterworth "Jig King Deluxe" was made on the JS980 blank as well.

[reggy]

Reggy, My first one was a white blank. Trimmed it with black and gold thread, and an eagle chevron butt wrap in black/gold/silver. Was the envy of the guys at the club (at the time), which led to the requests for building them. (plus the fact it caught many fish). I am going back to the late 70's early 80's though.

Greg
sounds nice Greg. This is a pic of mine with a couple of my other heavy rods

[gr hilly]

my self i have 5 snyderglass rods all diff but all something any fisho would fall in love with the youngest one is 20 yrs old and gese they still amaze me tight lines glynn

[reggy]

my self i have 5 snyderglass rods all diff but all something any fisho would fall in love with the youngest one is 20 yrs old and gese they still amaze me tight lines glynn
yes, i always wanted a snyderglass rod when i was younger. i had a nice mitchel rod and an abu duet zoom which i bought in singapore in 1987, but a fenwick was really desirable.never got one.

[Alex The Angler]

My fave is my Smith bayliner. It's wicked hooking up on something so light. I just got a smith expedition which will be my favorite if it lands me a jack. I'm also pretty fond of my egrells and a few others.

Sorry I'm a bit behind here but which model Bayliner do you have? I have been eying one off recently.

[NAGG]

Gee .... I've had lots of nice rods over the years (customs) & I usually carried multiples for the task at hand ( be it Tuna / Marlin fishing , LBG , mulloway .... through to fishing lures for bream & bass ..... on to barra.
In all that time - I never had a favourite ( one that I would pick up in preference to all others). .... Well that all changed early this year when I bought a Samurai Reaction 451 (12-20lb) for impoundment barra ...... This is a real pleasure to use , light weight , ergonomics are ideal , a sensational action which is ideal for casting plastics & Hardbaits ........ & with a fish on its sweet being powerful enough without being a broom handle.
lots of really nice traits ....... but you know its a favourite when you cut a lure off a GLX Loomis or Loomis SBR & tie it on ..... :P
I certainly can see myself buying another & the lighter 351 ...... when I get the coin.

Chris

PS ..... A rod is enhanced by the reel that it is used with. :)

[aussiebasser]

yes, i always wanted a snyderglass rod when i was younger. i had a nice mitchel rod and an abu duet zoom which i bought in singapore in 1987, but a fenwick was really desirable.never got one.


Yeah I've still got an Abu Zoom 0, Zoom 1 and an Atlantic Zoom 4 from the early 1970's. They were the top of the tree back then.
These days, my favorite Bass outfit is this Daiwa I'ze combo. If you think it looks good, you should try fishing with it. An amazingly smooth reel.

[reggy]

Yeah I've still got an Abu Zoom 0, Zoom 1 and an Atlantic Zoom 4 from the early 1970's. They were the top of the tree back then.
These days, my favorite Bass outfit is this Daiwa I'ze combo. If you think it looks good, you should try fishing with it. An amazingly smooth reel.
now that`s a pistol grip! very nice indeed.