Best Travel Rods

[Blythy]

Hey everyone,
After my recent trip to Norway I have discovered a need for a couple of decent travel rods, not that i didn't enjoy having my saltiga game rod and wilson venom jigging rod there but at close to $400 to get the rods there and back it took a bit of the sweetness out of it.

At this stage I am looking at a rod in the 2-4kg range to match up to a 2500 stella, and a rod in the 6-10kg range to run a 4000 tiera, mowt of the time i fish with soft plastics but you never know what you will do with these.

What are peoples experiences with travel rods and any recomendations?

Thanks,

Blythy

[PNG1M]

I had a 5'6" PENN travel baitcaster a while ago and it was a great little rod. Even used it on PNG on black bass. It held up well.

I don't own it anymore and I'm buggered if I know what became of it. It was purchased from Campbells Pro Tackle several years ago.
I did a bit of travel rod research at the time and it seemed a good buy for a mid-range budget.

Currently I have a 10' St Croix surf spinning travel rod (ordered from the USA) and it's also good value for the bucks. St Croix travel rods are more exccy than the Penn ones.

Even though the two travel rods I've mentioned aren't the same specs as the one you're after, I reckon Penn and/or St Croix might be worth a suss.

If you want to spend more $$$ then Loomis have a good range of travel rods too.

[Blythy]

Thanks,
I have been looking at the Loomis rods online but would like to get one in my hand before buying one, anyone used any of these?

[Champilly]

If you want the best you would have to consider Nitro.

Consistently been written up as the best in Australia over the last few years. Not cheap.

[Sevric]

Thanks,
I have been looking at the Loomis rods online but would like to get one in my hand before buying one, anyone used any of these?

I have 2 of the Loomis Escape rods and find them quite good although expensive. They have proven to be very durable over the years as well as versatile. These days there are some others worth considering and they are the Shimano and Daiwa range. I do have one of the light Shimano rods which to this point has been good although obviously lacks the quality of the Loomis. As mentioned in a previous reply the Nitro range also have a good reputation.
Do not be concerned about comments from many that Travel Rods are flimsy or do not have a good working curve. Today they are brilliant and travel so very well.

[Bad_Bubby]

For something cheapish I'd be looking at a Raider Mexican Fire, for something decent I'd go a T'Curve travel series, for something top shelf go a Nitro! Those older Penn travel baitcasters (ultragraphs? from memory) were pretty good! but rare nowadays.

[llourd]

i just bought the shimano tcurve bluewater travels. i got the 10kg and the 24kg and took them over to Exmouth for the week. they are 3 piece travel rods but they dont break down quite small enough to fit in your suitcase. i wrapped them all together, stuck them in a camp chair bag and carried them on in my backpack with the tops sticking out - no problems with that approach.
performance wise, awesome. i fished the 10 kg with a 4000 stradic and it handled well everything from inner reef species on plastics to 10kg tuna on slugs. the big one matched up with a penn 8000 and handled the pressure of popping and stick baits for big gt and red bass - love them both. have had the fire stick raider in the 2-4 kg also, took it to the US and fished the largemouth bass it tto was a great light action rod marched with a stradic 2500.
moral of the story, all of the ian miller travel rods have impressed me under very diverse conditions. got mine at jones tackle on the north side of brisbane - great place and they had some others to compare as well.