Saltiga X

[Chris Toops]

I've been looking to buy a quality but still mid priced popper rod. There doesn't appear to be a lot around that meets this requirement.

Popper rods tend to be high quality expensive Japanese made rods or quiet cheap but likely dubious quality rods.

However the new Saltiga X range of rods to be released summer 2016 looks promising as my budget is in the $400 to $600 price range.

 http://daiwafishing.com.au/products/saltiga-x/

[Mark Richie]

Hi Chris,

Daiwa rods are definitely well built and tough however I find that they put too small guides on it making for some truly horrendous wind knots when you start putting 200lb+ leaders FG'd to pe10 through them. Another important thing to note is their lure ratings. I've used the pe8 Demon Blood and Extreme and both had too small guides and would over saturate the blank while trying to cast and work 150g Cuberas.

I would recommend looking at 2nd hand rods or add another $100~ to your budget and you should be able to pick up something in the next level up. Something like a Black hole Cape Cod, FCL UCB, Temple Reef Reefer, Swage etc.

if you aren't able to stretch that little bit more, I think you may as well settle with a Shimano GT Special. They're a lot of rod for the $$'s and can land big fish. At least that way you can get out on the water with confidence while you save some pennies to get something in the next level up.

[Mark Richie]

There's actually a RF GT79R just posted on the classifieds on this page. A steal for $500.

[Chris Toops]

Hi Mark

Thankyou for your advice.

I didn't even think of the Shimano TCurve GT Rod.

I'll look at the classifieds too.

Ta.

[James Crichton]

Another option is the Shimano Ocea plugger bg range

[Chris Toops]

Cheers James thanks I'll pop onto the Shimano website to have a look at the Ocea Plugger range now.

[Cameron Mundy]

Hots makes a range of very good rods I've seen many big fish landed on them without issue and they are far more pocket friendly than the other Jap brands, Sami's Range of rods is growing steadily and the same applies to them not cheap but fantastic rods quality wise.

[Pip Theobald]

I bought the Saltiga x 802S and used it last week.  It is too soft for large poppers. The 150-300gm weighting is too high.  As mentioned the guides are possibly a bit small. I did have an issue where I cast and somehow the FG knot caught on the second guide and ripped the lower foot out of the binding. The lure disappeared over the horizon!  It was a 132gm stick bait. I was using PE8 and 140lb leader with FG knot.  I cable tied the foot back to the rod and kept fishing. Next day I bound the foot back on with braid.

It worked 120gm Cuberas ok, 182 Stick Shads well.  I'll be looking for something stiffer to throw poppers/chuggers.

[Brandon Khoo]

The comments on the 802S are no surprise at all, Pip. Daiwa have never gotten their act right on their GT rod offerings over a very long time. To me, it is a simple fact of not having testers who know their stuff on this sport as the rods they continually churn out are just not quite right.

Check out my guide to GT rods. It will help you with working out what you want notwithstanding it is a couple of years old now.

http://gtpopping.com/forum/index.php?topic=1374.0