Rods... And Reels.

Has anyone used any of the following, and how did they find them for casting?

Daiwa Supercast Power Multiplier 13ft
Abu Suveran XP
Shimano Aspire Surf 13ft
Penn Viper Evo1/Sidewinder

Who's using what at the minute?
I'm seriously tempted by the 525 Supermag as I can control it well.
But what about the:

Abu Mag Elite
or CS Rocket?

Whats the general Reel used for tournament Casting etc?

I'm looking to blow all my pay on something worthwhile this weekend.

How about a bungalow beside the lighthouse

Hi mate whats up with the k2 rods.

As for reels i have and iam still learning how to use th 7ht i thought it went like stink until i tried one of the 7ht turbo. If looking distance i think will be hard to improve on.

May look a bit funny (colour) and not have as much of the wow!!! as say the penn reels do, but tackle is for getting fish not winning beauty comps.

My opinion as a newstart only but if i can use it that says a lot lol

if you have fixed spool set ups why not stick to them??
there seem to be more anglers going back to fixed spool outfits as they are generally more user friendly and easier to use in more different aspects of angling?
dont let the multipliers brainwash you!
chances are if you get your casting technique right with the fixed spool you will cast every bit as far with it as u will with a multiplier....if not further!
dont get me wrong, i use both but for distance fishing i normally always go for the fixed spool as you can get really stuck into it without any fears of blowing the reel up!
plus if you want to flick in close with light leads etc its also much easier to do with a fixed spool than a multiplier!

K2,

I have just bought a Penn 525 SuperMag and had my first few chucks with it - well impressed :D :D

I added at least 20 - 30 yards on my cast with the same effort. I have been using a pair of Abu 6500 CT Sportsmags for the past 7 months - they are good also but the Penn is a lot more sturdy.

I even managed to save the Penn from 'birds-nesting' after a 'crack off' yesterday :shock: :shock:

I would agree with Phils sentiments on the fixed spool - it can be a bit of a safety blanket at times :oops: :oops:

GG

Thanks for the thoughts guys...
I think I want a more tradition UK style Rod... Continentals are all well and good until you want to learn the Pendulum (EVENTUALLY!) lol
We'll see what comes up at the weekend...

no need to learn the pendulum if you use the long rods with overhead thumps, remember you are going fishing, not tournament casting, you have good fishing rods, master them first!
just look at the match circuit, at certain venues distance is required for dogs etc, this is easily acheivable by overhead thumpo with long rods, they are taking over rapidly for alot of sea angling applications!
if you need to but a rough ground rod, well and good, i just wouldnt waste money on a new multiplier rod and reel because you got a bit more distance with one at the weekend!just keep practicing with the long rods and fixed spool with otg or oht. and you will gradually get more distance for beach venues etc.
mind you a good 13ft rod for mixed or heavier fishing is a useful tool also if a lot of weed appears in front of you. buy a big shimano ultegra fixed spool or something similar for your k2's instead and it will help add yards to your casting perhaps also!!

[IDPearl]

If you want to look at what is happening in distance casting, have a look at Keith White's site http://www.myfishcasting.org/casting_forum/index.php Keith is developing the X-Cast which is giving him better distances. They do discuss reels, rods and fishing too, but most is towards the long distance work.

As for the reels you mentioned K2, the Abu Mag Elite is a seriously good reel and can be tuned well, but for a good all-rounder with good distance, good gears and good drag to drag the stuff back - 525 Mag or Supermag. Unless you've got 250 quid - then go for the Shimano Trinidad TN40 which is by far the best reel I have used!

Last edited by IDPearl on Wed Feb 08, 2006 7:47 am, edited 1 time in total.

hi k2...at the minute im using the diawa supercast and its 1 hell of a rod in my opinion and matched with a abu mag elilte it goes well and you can manage a good pendulum with it to...jonny

K2, is it a rod for tournament casting your looking for or a fishing rod that can serve both options well?

At present I'm using a 14 ft Zziplex vmax F2 reel down and a supermag with 5ozs of lead, and boy can it throw it, and it fishes well also. :wink:

I was watching a video last night on simple surf casting (Phil Hyde). Sad person that I am :oops: The wife was working. :wink: He states a fishing rod doesn't cast properly unless it is looking like it is 90% broken. So let yourself go and see if you can break a few rods :lol:

The problem is rods are like computers, today they are state of the art, tomorrow they are out of date and there is something on the market that is supposed to be better? :roll:

Excuse me, if there is one person in this whole wide world you should not take any notice of regarding building rods or casting rods its Phil Hyde.

There are plenty of good videos out there by people who talk sense and have knowledge gained by doing it, he is not one of them. He makes a fishing rod or building one sound like a rocket science, its not!

That sounds just like one of the stupid remarks he would make, 90% broken my ass. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Sorry to pee on your cornflakes :) :)

Tom.

Fair point Tom, I thought 90% was a bit extreme myself :?

What video's/DVD's do you recommend to watch over my soggy cornflakes? :lol:

NG,

That guy comes out with some real corking remarks, he'd be funny if it wasnt for the fact some people think he knows what he's talking about.

He doesnt speak to me (Im heart broken) for pulling him up about the crap he tells people or worse still the claims he makes :oops: :oops:

If its good fishing your after then the stuff that sky puts out is as good as it comes. For casting and learning a good technique I think Neil Mackellows videos/CD's are as good as you will get. Neil has not only "been there done that" as a caster, at one time he worked in the factory for Cono-flex and later for Zziplex, his knowlede of casting, rod building and blank making is IMO second only to Terry Carrol.

Neil...if your reading this, spell my name right on the cheque :lol: :lol:

Tom.

Cheers for the info Tom. :lol:

This is 1 video I'll keep my eyes open for. :wink:

What he (Hyde) possibly means, is that most powerful stiff tip rods like what tournament caster would use, or anglers for long range work will in time soften up a bit in the tip region. This is just with the fibers in the rod coming loose from the resin in the blank. it will make such a rod into a better (for bite detection) fishing rod.

Before anyone starts a panic to sell their old rods, hold up :lol: this will not happen so as to notice it, like "I bought this last year and now its floppy"
it takes a long time and a lot of casts to soften a rod, you or me will not be able to tell. And would I buy a 20 year old Dream Machine, at the drop of a hat I would.

Just trying to figure out why a person would say such a thing, then again even a Parrot will recite the complete works of Shakespeare if it hears them :lol: :lol:

Tom.

The Suveran is great, for me, it is good over heavy ground but yet the bite detection is good with small fish.

I love the ABU sports mag for clean groundbut retriev is too slow, Ian (IDPearl) is hopefully helping with that. I hope to buy a Supermag and sl20sh for rougher stuff when money is available.

Thanks for the interest and Info lads, All views taken into consideration. 8)