GTPopping.com - Giant Trevally, GTPopping, Topwater & GT Fly-Fishing Resource
Topwater Caranx Ignobilis: Giant Trevally (GT) => Tackle & Techniques => Topic started by: Sydney Neal on March 06, 2011, 08:50:08 PM
-
Hi new to your site just purchased a fisherman monster cc72gt to fish out of a boat.
Not really sure of its specs as in pe class or lure range any suggestions would be appreciated cheers
-
First thing you've gotta know about your new rod is its actual length ;) The 72GT is actually about 6'10". When I checked with Fisherman why is my "72" rod 6'10" they replied saying 7'2" is the total combined length of both sections of your rod ??? Next, the recommended "fighting drag" for the 72GT (Rated for PE8) is 6-7kg (input from Fisherman staff) so don't button down on your drag too much. Also, don't expect great distances when casting because the 72GT is terrible at that :-[ The color scheme is just about the only thing I like about my 72GT. Still wondering why I bought it in the first place ;D
-
LOL. That's a brutally honest review Mike!
-
Might be brutal but the cost of setting yourself up when entering is huge with gt even with lbg i didn't stint on gear and before that ( and both my wife and 2 kids love their fishing, too much gear lol). rather i had some brutal advice straight up at the moment still trying to pick a rod for heavy poppers
Mike like your honesty
cheers
-
:) hope I didn't offend any die hard FM fans here!
-
mmmm, I wonder why my 77R10 is 7'10" long then?! :o
-
LOL that you've got to ask FM because they've got the funniest way of rating their products. Even my BG86RS is about 8'2" when assembled so it's not just the Monster CC range that suffers from the "shorter than spec" syndrome
-
I actually quite like it.
All my other rod gear are over eight foot and growing up on five foot six rods casting a seven foot two (mine measures true) rod is a no brainer give an eight footer a run for its money.
What I wanted to know was what weight/type/ poppers stickbaits this rod can work
Cheers
-
Sydney if you can cast a 7 ft 2 rod far enough for GT fishing then definitely stick with it. You have a large advantage over those of us who need to use longer rods.
It is only ever a general guide, but on the Fisherman website this rod is rated to PE8 line class and a surprisingly massive 300 gram lure weight. That's more than a Wild Violence 80XH for example.
See here: http://www.gt-fisherman3.jp/r10.htm (http://www.gt-fisherman3.jp/r10.htm)
I don't really understand Fisherman rods at all, but all this seems to imply that it will handle very large chuggers without issue. I have a feeling that such a short rod will not handle stickbaits at all well though.
I hope there is someone here who has serious experience with this rod and who can expand on that a bit.
-
Thanks Mark
That's the kind of info I'm chasing. Not to worry about the stickbaits I've got other rods, I just wanted one to work in a boat, its not nice to dangle large lures with matching hooks in peoples face when you do a panic cast
I only fish out of a small boat
-
I actually quite like it.
All my other rod gear are over eight foot and growing up on five foot six rods casting a seven foot two (mine measures true) rod is a no brainer give an eight footer a run for its money.
What I wanted to know was what weight/type/ poppers stickbaits this rod can work
Cheers
Pardon me for asking but is your 72GT a R10 model? It will be really odd if 72GT comes in two different lengths! Anyway my regular 72GT works best with 150-200g plugs and loads better with a long dropper. Have tried flinging lighter lures like the dumbell and can't really feel it loading up. Anything over 200 and the rod will feel sluggish. IMHO there's a lot of better casting under 8'ers out there.
-
Hi mike
You say there are better seven footers
What are they and are they available in full custom cause the off the shelf thread work don't impress me for the dollars
I enjoy building my own rods but can't find exotic two piece blanks to build on, thus the buying of fisherman and ripplefisher rods.
I have come across race point blanks but don't know how they load up
-
If threadwork is your consideration, then very few GT rods excel on that front. Indeed many go to the opposite extreme - the ultimate anti-bling rods like Carpenter :). I suspect Mike was referring more to performance.
You can have a number of the leading Japanese GT rods custom made but be prepared for very long waits and huge prices.
-
Off hand I think the Smith Keyolhu, Komodo Dragon, Tokara 60, Black Devil 300 casts a lot better for heavy class sticks. It's true though, FM rods have one of the best finishes on the market. Do note that the epoxy coating is rather thin and will crack at the guide feet after a trip or two. Water will start sipping in and corrosion will set in at the guide foot. Since you are a rod builder I'm sure you know this should not happen if enough layers of epoxy is applied. Hope I'm not getting on your nerves by saying all the negative stuff about FM. I'm not anti FM and do own a few of their rods.
By the way is your 72GT a R10 model or off the rack piece?
-
No mine is a full custom order
Fisherman monster cc72gt (ran my tape measure over it seven foot one and a bit) my missus bought it for me so she got the I love you stuff over it and my name in Jap and English.
Some rod builders use a different resin that's more flexible I use jack erskins stuff never had a drama but I have come across the two layer job where under binding is done first then the top binding holding the guide feet.
But on my fisherman its done in the one hit, maybe layered,has a decent enough coat on it, did they paint the grinding on the guide feet I can't tell guess I'll find out later
But it looks pretty schmik.
My build time was pretty quick considering what I was told at start of build.
I was told carpenter do full custom-built sticks too is that true
-
Ahh... No wonder. I think you are a lucky man to have a wife who puts in the extra mile to get you a custom Fisherman Monster CC72GT!! Hope you land a big GT on it and the two of you can pose for a photo together with your prized catch soon! :)
Regards to Carpenter doing full custom jobs, I'm not sure if they still do it now but I had three full custom jobs 7-8 yrs ago. Had an orange/white Long Reef 86, a yellow Super Popping 78UHL and a red Wild Violence 80XH. The thread work and epoxy coating on those were PERFECT.
-
I was told carpenter do full custom-built sticks too is that true
Jon Li is the man to confirm that, but I believe they still do if you are patient enough and your pocket runs to it. Same goes for MC Works, Ripple Fisher and I am sure other leading Japanese rod makers.
Personally I love the understated look of a standard Carpenter and would never want anything more than that.
-
More bling the better if the fishing is slow I can always look at the shiny stuff
Me birthday coming up so need a new rod looking at something in the nine foot length for landbased work small poppers/metals/stickbaits for small GTs 5-10kgs mackeral and long tail tuna
-
By the way I feel the 72GT works better with diving/swimming/bubbling type lures like the FM BigMouth 150HP Tail & 170 because I couldn't get those loud bloopers to "pop" as loud as they usually do with my 72GT. Swimmers like the BigMouth tend to flip out of the water when you work it too hard with stiff rods. With fast sweeps of your 72GT lures like the BigMouth will dive, leave a long bubble trail and create a low frequency gurgling sound. The FM Long Pen 150 gave me the best casting distance and is easy to work with the 72GT. To get the best distance out of your rod, lower your plug till it's almost on top of your reel. Somehow with the long rear grip it's almost impossible to load the 72GT properly with short droppers and quick flick style of casting.
-
More bling the better if the fishing is slow I can always look at the shiny stuff
Me birthday coming up so need a new rod looking at something in the nine foot length for landbased work small poppers/metals/stickbaits for small GTs 5-10kgs mackeral and long tail tuna
Check out the 2011 UFM Mid Shore for land based fishing. The older versions had an ivory white blank and red trims/grip. Current model has a stealthy black look.