What to use as a spinning rod

I have read i have been told but i am still lost.

What lenght should it be and what reel.

I found loads using carp rods 2.5 test last summer and they all swore by them i also witnessed big fish being taken on them.

I had a 7ft end of pier rod cheap and chearful but one lad let me chuck his carp rod and it was wow distance and alot more fun.

What do the forum members use and think. also looking on ebay and going cheaper than i paid for my wee thing.

what is the difference between a carp rod and a match rod.

i know this is sea angling forum but looking rod for rock and spinning

Bought a 3 piece 12 foot Abu Garcia Enticer Carp rod, test curve of 2 3/4 pounds. Teamed it with a mitchell something fixed spool loaded with braid and feels to be a very useful outfit. Unfortunately, I havent christened it yet but thats a matter of time....... :D It was bought primarily for plugging for bass and rock work for Pollack. The extra length afforded is very useful when trying to stop the crash dives. Price of the 2 together was under €100 believe it or not from the angling centre at the (magic) roundabout in Cork. Couldnt go wrong at that price. Think the rod came in at 49 euro or so.

depends on how much you want to spend....

I would go for something in the 9-10 foot range (3 metres), anything longer can prove problematic if you are going to use it in cramped areas, rock marks or bushy river banks plugging for pike etc. If you are seeking bass in open terrain, you might look at up to 12 feet.

My old one was a Shakespeare, a cheap but decent enough brand, never let me down until the dog bit through it! I've replaced it with a travel rod, Shimano Exage STC 300-330 - there is a detailed review on the forum... use the search facility and the word "exage". Truth be told I will probably buy a standard two piece spinning rod (10-11 foot) as a direct replacement - after I work out how I can get it past the financial controller! :lol:

I bought an okuma zircon 50 reel from Veals for 29.99 GBP (around 45 Euro delivered) and it is an ideal spinning reel for this size of rod - only one quibble which is that the winding arm can work loose on occasion.

It is a very good idea to balance the reel and rod (in your hand) as an unbalanced rod / reel combo is hard work and very tiring over a day.

Okuma are a decent brand, although you can look at more expensive ones - if I had to recommend one it would be Daiwa - they are expensive but virtually indestructible - have a 30 year old model as it works as well now as the day it came out of the box, mind you it does look like a relic!

One thing about buying reels online - make absolutely certain that it can handle salt water conditions. The salt and sand corrosion can be fierce.

Hope this helps...

Kieran,

only one quibble which is that the winding arm can work loose on occasion.

A quick wrap with one or two turns of PTFE tape on the threads will stop the handle (or rather the 'screw' that goes into the spindle) bit coming loose.

Shimano beastmaster spinning rod, or uglystik 9tf spinning rod, with Shimano 4000 or 5000 reel does the trick for me. Though I have been using an Abu baitcaster for spinning since I got a left hand wind. Getting the hang of the casting with it now, but still prefer the shimano 4000.

Personally I find carp rods too bulky for spinning. - they're for Carp !!!

i use a couple of daiwa spinning rods myself and they do the job for me - nothing pricey either - vulcan x 11ft and a 9ft sensor spin.

I Bought A Daiwa Vulcan X 11ft 6 Bass Rod 3 years ago casting weight 2-4 oz i think its a great rod for spinning and light Estuary work As far as i no they are,nt making them anymore,Another great rod would be a Shakespeare Odessa Bass it has the same casting weight and Height there around the €100 mark.As for a good reel the Penn Prion series is a good match with 8 BB.

Hi,
I use a carp rod for plugging & spinning. 2.5lb test curve - superb. it is all you need.
Cheers
JK

I use a 2.5 test carp rod and have had some great sport on it never had a doube figure fish on it. Has anyone thats uses one taken a big fish on it and how did rod hold up after all they made to pull big fish from lakes cant see why it wouldnt do same at sea.

Enjoy feeling every dive and turn of fish so would say go for it and i got my one from ebay too and it was 5 pound and 4 postage so a bargin.

Has anyone used one to float fish with as thinking of getting another one.

Pookie,
I use my carp rod for float fishing for wrasse and it works fine. IMHO carp rods are great and I use them lots for spinning, float fishing, most pier work and light beachsasting. There so versitile it makes them super value especially for the money you paid :D .
However if I was looking exclusively for a spinning rod I think there a tad long, it just makes them more arkward when traveling/exploring rocky marks. Good luck.
Col