rod for 18000sw

[Luke Ryan]

hey all

i need some help on getting a rod for my 18000sw, i wanna run pe6-8 and use it for stickbaits and smallish poppers, iv already got a dogfight on a smith keyolhu running pe 10, i want something around the 7'6 to 7'8 foot if theres anything around that.

any suggestions??

cheers
luke

[Brandon Khoo]

We had a similar query recently, Luke and my suggestion was that a Coral Viper was ideal. I'm your case, I'd probably suggest a RF40. If the poppers you want to use are say 120g or less, a Carpenter Blue Lagoon 711 RF35 would do the trick. You could also look at a Ripple Fisher Ultimo 80 in the PE8 model.

If you like a longer rod, the Ripple 82LC is suitable too.

I'm struggling to think of options from other manufacturers primarily because an essential characteristic for a stickbait rod is the soft tip. Some people think that a slower more progressive action on a rod makes for a suitable stickbait rod and it is certainly more suitable than a stiff tipped fast action chugging rod but there is more to a good stickbait rod than that.

[Greg Burt]

The small brother of the Zenaq FC83-7, the FC76-7, fits your criteria quite well and Duncan usually has them in stock.
 http://fishhead.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=99_118&products_id=1038

[Duncan O'Connell]

Thanks Greg,

The Zenaq FC76-7 is currently in stock.
http://fishhead.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=99_118&products_id=1038
The FC76-7 is a sweet stick for fishing midsize poppers and stickbaits in the 100-150g range on PE 6-8.
I guess the critical bit is what sort of weights you have in mind for the rod?

Regards

Duncan

[Luke Ryan]

hey duncan
yer i was having a browse through your website and came across that, listen iv never used stickbaits only chuggers like hammerhead c cups and fisherman s-pops and thats what i use on my keyolhu so im not too sure as to what wieght stickbaits is the norm, im not sure wheather to run pe 8 or 6 and most of the fish im targeting are 15-25kg maybe bigger so is that the best rod for the job you think.

cheers
luke

[Brandon Khoo]

If you like the Zenaq, go for the 83-7 over the 76.
The other very real option and one I would like to try myself if only I didn't have so many damn rods is the new Daiwa 76GT. The rod needs a bit of work on the butt section to be ideal but any half decent rod maker could do this standing on his head. I had a look at this rod at Fishhead today and it has an absolutely ideal tip for surface stickbaits.

Duncan could organize to get this done easily, I think   

[Duncan O'Connell]

The most popular sizes for stickbaits varies from place to place and also between anglers. On the whole I would say that ~120-150g stickbaits are the most popular. These include various models of  Nomad Uluas and Dogtooths, FCL Squid Pencils and mid size Jais.

Had a bit of a bend of a few rods this afternoon, the FC 76-7 is only a small step down in tip stiffness to the Keyolhu so it may be a little too similar to what you already have. Like Brandon says, the 83-7 has a lot nicer tip when it comes to working stickbaits. The extra length helps, though this does put it outside your preferred length. Both rods are suited to the sizes of fish you mention and 100-150g lures.
The Saltiga S-Extreme will also be very interesting to see when it comes back from it's makeover.

Cheers
Duncan