Topwater Caranx Ignobilis: Giant Trevally (GT) > Tackle & Techniques

Popper rod recommendations

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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.  :P 

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

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