Looking for opinion on Popping Rods

[EdBerg]

Hi guys, I am looking for a heavy spinning popper rod approximately 7'9" to 8'2" in length in a 2 piece PE6 to PE8 spinning, the reel I will add to it is a Penn Spinfisher SSVI8500LL (X'Mas pressie from the Wifey , I have been looking around and very few stores have any to look at (and none that are local to me) so I have to buy one sight unseen. Looks like I will have to get one based on specs and other peoples opinions. Price range about $300 approx. Has anyone got any recommendations or used any of the following rods which I have shortlisted, any likes or dislikes on any of them. As these rods are fairly specialized I need first hand experience only.

I do have an 8ft popper spinning rod based on a Calstar graphfighter blank but it is more suited to my 6500 sized reel and not the 8500 sized reel, also it is one piece so traveling with it will be a pain hence the reason for wanting a 2 piece.

Penn Ocean Assassin OA-822xxh PE6-PE8
Daiwa Saltist Hyper rod ST82XH PE8
Daiwa Demon Blood 82XH PE8
Shimano Terez TZS80GT 50-80lb

Cheers
Ed.

[Ducksnutz]

Hey Ed, where are you located? I know of a second hand Smith Komodo Dragon that’s going for not much more than your budget, maybe a little heavy though being more suited to PE 8-12 lure weights Max 300g. It’s a 2 piece at the butt.

[EdBerg]

Thanks Ducksnutz, but way too heavy for what I want, thanks anyway.
Cheers.

[Out-Station]

Ed, if it helps i have a demon blood 792xh with a 10000 gossa on it. I rate it as handy heavy spin/pop (50 braid) for seq and and the bunker group type fishing. Stout rod for stickbaiting spaniards, yellowfin and the like but not a crazy broomstick mega gt job. Mine a 2 piece, my brother has the same rod in the 4 piece travel version, nice rod to, bit a bit more sloppy than mine given the 4 piece. Mine also doubles for the floater way out back when i'm bottom bashing! Good rod that i like, all my other favourite well used rods i built myself (allot on calstars) but the demon blood is good value i think.
scott

[EdBerg]

Thanks Scott, That Demon blood rod I had on my list is a lightly longer version of the one you have so yours is still a possibility, however as usual none of the stores local to me have these in stock to look at. I have found another potential rod, it's an Okuma Pressure Point Spin PP-S-792H and yet again not one in stock. Might have to ring Tackle Tactics and see if they have them in their Brendale showroom where I can bring my reel in and fit it. But even if they do have one they still might not be able to supply to the stores for me to buy.

The virus and problems with China have affected a lot of suppliers so will take a while before the stores are able to stock up again. Unfortunately as much as I would like to build myself another rod I just don't have the time to go around and find all the parts required and then assemble it, I won't save any money by building one but at least I can use top notch components as against the store bought ones .

I want this one purely for popping as I have heaps of other over head rods/reel for floating and bottom bashing/jigging. It would be nice to walk in a store and just compare several different brand popping rods against each other but I don't think that will happen any time soon. Where do you get your Calstar blanks?

Cheers
Ed.

[CT]

I fingered the Ocean Assassin in the shop, but it didn't feel "crisp" enough for me. My local tackle guy handed me his venom with a slammer on it to use for a few hours. I handed it back and placed my order at the same time!

[EdBerg]

CT: Found one of the 8ft Ocean Assassins in the Outback Adventure store today, I didn't like the reel seat on it, seemed very fragile to me seeing as it is supposed to be PE8-10, so I might rule that rod out too. Is that the Wilson Venom you got?

[Out-Station]

Ed, try Charltons at Redback for the demon blood stuff, normally carry healthy stocks of daiwa, probably suffering from stock shortage like everyone but worth a call i recon. All my calstar stuff came from Mudhole, also a bit in Aus through Ross at rodworks from time to time. Probably a bit old school now but i lover the graphiters in 6 foot M and H's for all round offshore rods, also have a couple of 7 footers i made as spin rods.
Scott

[EdBerg]

Hi Scott, what is "Charltons at Redback"?

[shortthenlong]

Redbank not Redback
https://g.co/kgs/1RBFrP

Tackle Warehouse at Cooparoo have always been good to me on Diawa gear.

Matt

[Out-Station]

Sorry Ed, whoops, what Matt said!!
Scott

[EdBerg]

Thanks for the link but it won't open on my computer, either way Redbank is on the other side of town so to far to travel, I am in Ningi, I am going to drop into Allround Angler at Caboolture and also to Tackle World Lawnton to see what they have got in stock. If nothing suitable I may just start looking at doing a custom as a last resort.

[CT]

CT: Found one of the 8ft Ocean Assassins in the Outback Adventure store today, I didn't like the reel seat on it, seemed very fragile to me seeing as it is supposed to be PE8-10, so I might rule that rod out too. Is that the Wilson Venom you got?

Yes mate, Wilson Venom.

http://www.wilsonfishing.com/Product...ppingStickbait

[EdBerg]

I had a look at the Wilson Venom's this morning at Allround Angler but the price ruled them out as they were north of $600, he had 2 other cheaper rods $150-170. the first one was a Shimano Revolution but it was a bit softer than I wanted PE4-8 and I wouldn't feel confident fishing with it with a lockup up spool, the second rod had the guides out by 180 Degrees to where they should be, so ruled that one out automatically (that is a pet hate of mine). Going to Tackle world on Thursday as they have a few different popper rods there and they will also try to get the Okuma rep to bring in 2 Pressure point rods for me to look at.

Failing that if I can't find one there I may have to contemplate building a custom one from scratch.

[EdBerg]

Problem solved and I have success at last, went down to Tackle World Lawnton this morning and had a look at all their popping rods under $400 including the 2 Okuma Pressure Point rods they got in for me, so in total about 6-7 rods. The lighter PE 6-8 Okuma I ruled out as the guides were out of position in regards to the backbone, (and you know what my thoughts are on that subject) the second Okuma PP-S-792XH PE-8 was fine and I short listed it to number 2 spot, and the one that was most suitable out of them all for my SSVI8500LL reel, and which I bought is the Shimano Anthem SW Stick bait GT Spin 792 GTPE8-10 Lure weight 100-250gm.

Only negative issue to it is it doesn't have a rod gimble cap on the bottom, but that is an easy fix so will change it soonish when I get the part in after X'Mas. The RRP was $349 and got it for $325 so still within my price range. Now I can stop searching and relax .