Popper rod recommendations

[Doug Mac]

Thanks again for the info Guys

I am just trying to get it all straight in my mind
Yes you are right there always seems to be some form of compromise when making a decision on any rod  be it for bream or GT's"!!
Sounds like the Race point has its merits all be it a on the short side at 7'5"
The Ripple Fisher sounds like it slots in between the MH 80 & the MH 79( would that be a correct assumption?? )
The question I have to ask now is how does the RF & the Race Point compare in fighting qualities against the Carpenters?? IE: at the anglers end & I assume they will all work pretty hard on the fish's end.
Apologies again for all the questions but I am struggling a bit with the concept of buying a rod without being able to bend it first.

Doug

[Barry Kurten]

Hi Doug,

I cant really comment on the Carpenter fighting qualities, but from what i can gather they are very much finesse rods (if i can call it that) .. Light , slower taper blanks for working stickbaits better and make for better casting ... From holding a few , those are the qualities i can see in them which i like and why im buying one, but as mentioned , i will be using it for stickbaits mostly. 
The Racepoint 250 is a really strong blank and plenty stopping power, if you look at the diameter of the blank where it joins at the butt , you can clearly see the walls of the blank are a lot thicker then most if not all other rods going around, at least all that ive seen.   

In short it is a brute of a stick designed for stopping big fish in their tracks.

As you mentioned it is a bit on the short side at 7ft5, but i find it easy enough to cast, if anything ive found i just use a slightly shorter drop off when casting and that works a treat to load the stick.

Cheers
Barry

[Mark Harris]

Doug, your situation is not uncommon for those who live outside of the areas where tackle stores carry serious popping gear and you will need to either travel to hold a rod or rely on opinions.

As for certain brands of rods being better for fighting fish or better for whatever, you will find a lot of differing opinions.  You will also find a lot of brand loyalty, especially right at the top end.

I remember well my first serious popping rods which were Smith and Patriot Design. I then moved on to using Carpenter and Ripple Fisher about equally and then became very much a Carpenter user with a Ripple getting an occasional outing. That does not mean that there is necessarily anything wrong to my mind with Smith, PD or Ripple rods.  It is just that like quite a few others in our sport, I do believe Carpenter are the best rods... at least they are for me and my fishing styles.

For your chugging rod I don't think you would be disappointed with a Hammerhead Faube M+, a Smith HIIB Rocket or a Ripple Fisher FS 79H. I just personally prefer the Carpenter equivalents.

Also, I kind of assumed when reading you have an Ultimo, that you were looking for a high end chugging rod. Should also have said that there are some very good value for money mid-priced chugger rods out there like the Kaiser El Toro 150 and 180, and Yamaga Blanks Atlas 76/8.

I have never held a Race Point rod so cannot comment on that option.

Both the Monster Hunters and the FS79H are all tough rods with heaps of power, but they are manageable by a moderately fit and strong, normal human being, i.e. they are sensible rods, certainly not over-heavy or too stiff.

Barry, Carpenter certainly make what you might call "finesse" rods for stickbaits (eg the EP range, Coral Viper 79/40, the TBL range).  Neither of the ones suggested in this thread are that - Monster Hunters are rods primarily for chuggers or massive stickbaits, with huge power down low.  I do use Monster Hunter 80H for stickbaits, but only 200 grams or heavier. It does make for a good all- round rod, but I don't think anyone would choose to use MH80H for stickbaits lighter than that. As for MH79XH, you would need to be truly desperate to put a stickbait on that rod!

[Doug Mac]

I understand there is a bit of brand loyalty goes on , a bit like Saltiga vs Stella but I am trying not to let that influence my decision.
Mark, you sound like you have had the pleasure of using more high end rods than I have actually seen, you were also correct in assuming that I am after a high end chugger rod but I am willing to look at all the options before taking the plunge ,  the Smith is one I will have to have a bit of a study up on .
Sounds like the Race point may even stop me in my tracks if I wasn't carefull!!
Current short list of :MH79XH & RF79H

[Luke Wyrsta]

Hi Doug,

What lures do you think you will want to use?

This could perhaps help us pick more specific rods, because after all, there is a big difference between working a CraftBait GT3 190g and Hammerhead G Cup for example. Some heavier lures have smaller cups with less commotion and some have bigger, different materials and compositions yield different results. We may find there is a rod perfect for a specific lure you will use most of the time.

Is casting distance important in the areas you fish? Are you a skilled caster?

At the end of the day, even with the latest developments in blank and rod technologies - I believe dedicated "popper" rods should be relatively fast action [read: stiff] (possibly bordering progressive), they also tend to be shorter in length for this purpose (there are exceptions). The slower a rod is, the more saturation you will also have to contend with as you fish heavier lures.

A "prime" bloop from one of the true chuggers is going to hurt anyone and beat-down their endurance and stamina over the course of the day.

Luke

[Doug Mac]

Hi Luke

I generally try to use the minimum size lure i think I can get away with at the time it all depends on weather conditions , casting distance required etc . I suppose if I was to generalise the lure size and profile it would be approx 115gr - 160gr with a medium cup face so not exactly huge chuggers , but wouldn't mind the rod to be capable of working the odd larger lure even if It was to saturate a bit. Casting distance can be a factor, but I don't mind putting a bit more into it if I need to.
As for casting skill , we all like to think we are OK , but I would consider myself about average!
So far its looking more & more like the MH79XH so what would you consider the action of this rod to be??

Doug

[Jon Li]

Hi Doug ,

For the lure weights mentioned , SP80M is ideal .

Jon .

[Mark Harris]

For chuggers of that size I would not go for MH79XH - overkill.  MH80H is more appropriate.

Jon and I do not disagree often , but  I would contend that the top end of that chugger range 115 to 160, is too much for SP80M.

[Doug Mac]

Thank you all for your advice, I appreciate it very much.
I have the option on a 2nd hand MH79XH for a reasonable price and think due to my location etc that I will take the chance and hope that I wont be disappointed!!
Mark you are probably correct in saying that the 79 is a bit of overkill but from what I have picked up from you guys is that it should still be nice to fish with and should still be reasonably comfortable to fish down as well as up in the weight range (I hope?)
Thanks again

Doug

[Mark Harris]

Doug, it is definitely not a bad rod to fish with!  If you have a good deal and are happy with that, then go for it.

[Doug Mac]

I can only hope!!