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

Big guns: Tokara vs WV

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Kasey Leong:
Hi guys,
Okay here's my dillema. At the moment, I have a Wild Violence 80XH that's mine, and a Tokara 60 that a mate's lent to me. I will be bringing both to Exmouth to fish with. The catch is... I can only keep one, as I can sell the WV and hold onto the Tokara.

Now I've fished with both, and both are awesome. For a beginner like me, I am still far from harnessing the full potential of either rods, but I am beginning to question whether the Wild Violence is truly beyond me. After 6 full days of popping nonstop at New Cal, the Wild Violence was really beginning to kill my arms. Picking up the Tokara and casting with it felt like a breeze.

On the flipside, and I hope someone with more experience can back me up or contradict me on this, the sheer amount of pressure you can put on a fish with the WV eclipses the Tokara. It really is a wild thing.

I will make up my mind after Exxy, but in my restless state I would also like know what anyone else might think  ;D

No, there is no option of keeping both, I think; otherwise byebye return trip with LPB...

Brandon Khoo:
Kasey, to be realistic, only you can make that assessment overall on what you are comfortable fishing with.

I don't think that there is any doubt whatsoever that the WV is a stronger stick than the Tokara. To me, the WV is a true PE12 stick whereas the Tokara feel very much to me like a PE8-10 with 10 really being the maximum range of the rod.

If anyone wants to disagree, please do. I fished two Tokaras for a number of years so I am very familiar with the sticks. As many of you will attest, you are carrying Komodo Dragons today primarily because of me. I carry one myself and while I love the Smiths, I am also strongly of the view that PE10 (130lb) is the limit of the KD (or maybe just beyond), just like it is for the Tokara. The rod is just over-saturated when you really load up on PE12. With a rod like the WV or SP78UHL, I have no fear of that - it's load it up to the max on PE10-12.

You need to take into account the size of the GTs you want to chase. If you locale is New Caledonia, stick with the WV. On the other hand, if it is Exmouth and the GTs are smaller (sorry guys but I don't know - Exmouth GTs may be huge), you may find the Tokara a more suitable stick.

All of that said, a strong young bloke like you should persevere with the WV. If you can load up that OH55XHS of mine on a good samson, then you can handle the WV.

If you go for the Tokara and you're in New Caledonia and you hook the GT of a lifetime . . . . .

Sachin Chaudhry:
Thanks for the information Brandon. I have not used my WV 80 yet as I am waiting for a trip to one of my favourite popping spots before I put it through its paces. I was quite comprehensively "schooled" by a monster fish on my Kaibutsu DM there a while ago so I am hpoing to turn the tables around this time.
I was also deciding between a Komodo Dragon or a Super Popping 78 SHP UHL to couple up with a new Stella 18000 HG in a couple of months. I need a rod that can truly handle big cupped poppers. What is your opinion on the Carpenter as opposed to the KD?

Kasey Leong:
Hi Brandon,
Thanks for invaluable advise as always. The way I see it, the WV is an 'extreme' rod, and I will probably have to get something a step down in the future (hmm.... Coral Viper maybe?  :P). I feel I need one 'medium heavy' rod, for 'take a break' purposes, and perhaps also for more effective stickbait work. It might just be me, but the WV does not seem suited for all stickbaits, only heavy sinking ones like the BigFoot.

I already have a WRC80P/35 and I have newfound respect for this 'beginner light newbie' rod, although of course I feel it maxes out at around 80lb, so I doubt it will see the shores of New Caledonia.

Also, no doubt I loaded up that OH55XHS with a decent bend, but it was not painless!
Ken Konishi must be another deceptive Japanese gentleman (like Okubo); not a huge mountain of a man, but immense power. Your encouragement to 'tame' the WV has given me confidence, and I'll make up my mind in two weeks.

To those that may be interested, a lovely looking Tokara may be on the market soon...

Cheers,
Kasey.

P.S. I will have a Fisherman CC Monster 72 R10 pass through my hands, again with the option to buy. Can anyone, Luke maybe, offer some feedback from experience? I have been given a really good price, and it may just be a matter of instant noodles and an egg for dinner for a couple of weeks...

I know I know I said I was broke, goddammit  >:( >:( >:(

Kasey Leong:
Sachin,
I think that the action and stiffness of the Carpenter you are talking about is very different from the KD. But I will leave it to those with more experience to elaborate.

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