Smith Komodo Dragon & Smith Tokora 60

[Leo Sorbello]

Hi All,

I've got a lucky opportunity to acquire either of above mentioned subject rods by Smith to use for stickbaiting & poppers in weight ranges of 140 g to 230g.

Lures would probably be the likes of Orions bigfoot's 140g to 230g, Nambas 170g & 210g, Crazy Dogs 140g & 180g, Monster Pop 150g & 210g, T-Rex 150g, Carpenter Gamma 140g Diablo, Gamma 160Hg, Gamma 200g & Pandorra 155 + 30.

I'll be very interested from forum members with their experience/responses which of the Smith rods being the Komodo Dragon or the Tokora 60 would be regarded as the all rounder for stickbaits & popper work using PE10 line please.

There could be also the slight chance of using either of these rods in NZ for the big top water kings too.

Appreciate your replies.

Regards 

Leo

 

[Sami Ghandour]

Hi Leo,

The Tokara 60 is an awesome rod and i wouldn't hesitate for a second to have it in my arsenal, it has better reputation then the Komodo dragon.
I see no problem working stickbait of that size with the Tokara.
we used it for Bluefin tuna in the past and performed very well, no issue to report what so ever.
Good luck, you will like it.

 

[Darius Smulkstys]

Hi Leo,

I never used the Tokara but I owned the Komodo Dragon. It's a very nice rod. Will work big stick baits and poppers with ease but remember that its not a good casting rod. To cast and work big lures all day is really tiring. I never managed to use the rod for more than an hour/hour and a half a day. Its just too tiring, for that reason I sold it. But you're fit enough and don't have to cast very far, it is an excellent rod for big fish.

Darius

[Brandon Khoo]

Both the KD and Tokara are GT rods, not kingfish rods. I really don't think either would be much good casting and working a 50-60g stickbait.

[Mark Harris]

The KD is an absolute legend of a rod in GT circles, and it used to be regarded as one of the finest all-round GT rods you could buy.  A bit old-fashioned these days - I keep mine for lots of great memories.

[Brandon Khoo]

I used two Tokaras for a number of years and replaced them both with the Komodo Dragon. I think it just reflects different tastes between different anglers as I liked the KD a lot more than the Tokara.

[Leo Sorbello]

Hi Guy's,

Sami/Darius - Thank you for your application insights on both rods and this helps with my decision on one of these GT rods.......and yes, I'll can see either rods be tiring to use for long periods with their ratings to PE12.

Mark - The KD has been around for while. How's the saying go....It's an oldie but a goodie !.

Brandon -  Don't see where I mentioned 50-60g stickbait weight ranges for my plan to use with either of the rods in consideration and of course those weights will be very difficult cast....... I've got a Hots 711MH for those smaller stickbaits.


Regards

Leo



     

[Brandon Khoo]

You mentioned kingfish, Leo but I'll leave it at that.
The Tokara will be about as suitable for Gammas as a UHL so good luck there

[Mark Harris]

Leo, as ever, try before you buy if you can.

Popping rods are so personal and you will get divergent opinions on any choice. Nobody is right and nobody is wrong - it's just personal preferences.

Personally, I would put the KD in a whole different league to a Tokara, and especially so for the all-round purpose that you state.

Further to that I would not be buying either today when there are so many other better options.

[Leo Sorbello]

Hi Mark & Others  ,

O.K. with some consistent thoughts from members here and others I've received outside in regards about other better/newer model options, would then the the Hots range fit my lure & model weight ranges mentioned in my initial post here earlier;

1. Hots Gipang Tidelez GT77XH - PE6-10 ? Can this be fished with PE 10 consistently ?
2. Hots Gipang Tidelez GT77XXXH - PE8-12 ?

So, main focus at present is still using PE10 line with casting distance of at least between 50-70 mtrs & working the weight ranges of the lure stickbait/popper models mention before. I know it would be overall about compromising...........with a GT rod in regards to casting, fighting & using it to it's capabilities etc.

Appreciate any thoughts about the two models mentioned as an update.

Regards

Leo


 

[Trevor Skinner]

Leo,

The GT77XH is a really nice rod, especially for the price, but not a candidate for PE10 in my opinion. It's much better suited as a PE8 rod 

The GT77XXXH again is more a PE10 rod than PE 12. Even though they're rated at max 230g and 250g respectively I don't think either is suitable for 200g poppers. The 77XXXH may be OK however but have not used it with poppers that heavy, the 77XH definitely not. On the other end of the scale the 77XH can work stickbaits nicely down to about 130g.

Any half capable caster should be able to fling a lure more than 50 metres with either of these.

Regards,


Trevor   

[Mick Cunningham]

Hi All ,

I do own a Smith Tokara 60 rod myself...

I used to play with popper on the Tokara 60 but i find it that didn,t work out right so i had to do some homework on the gear/lure myself trying to find the right suitable for this Tokara 60 while i switched the lure over to stickbait and find them performed very well to myself and catching nice GT . so i thought the Tokara 60 is more suitable to stickbait over the popper myself .. so i would say the komodo would work the best with popper job ( just my thought ) .

Cheer Mick <"((><