BEST 8FT UP TO 8FT6 ROD

[Brandon Khoo]

SP80M doesn't have the tip for chuggers much bigger than about 150g. If you want to work ones that size, you'll need to go to the Monster Hunter range

[Michael Adolfsen]

Brandon is on the spot, masterd bomb 135 i think is the limit

[Ben Furness]

SP80M doesn't have the tip for chuggers much bigger than about 150g. If you want to work ones that size, you'll need to go to the Monster Hunter range

Which one do you recommend? I much prefer longer rods.

[Brandon Khoo]

Actually, I really think you would not prefer a long rod if you want to work big poppers.

Very heavy poppers rods don't exist in longer lengths. Have a think about it - if a long rod was going to have a tip that could handle 200g and upward poppers, the reverse leverage effect on the angler would be horrendous. You'd need to built like Arnie to have any chance of holding onto the rod. If you take a look at the true very heavy popper rods like the Carpenter UHL, Patriot Fire Vortex or Fisherman BG Jack, none of them are excessively long rods and in fact, at their lengths, are already hell to hang onto for any period of time against a big fish. I shudder to think about what it would be like hanging onto a rod that was as strong and stiff as a UHL if it was 8'6"

[Ben Furness]

I'm much bigger than Arnie so I should be OK! Which of the MH range would you recommend for 200g poppers max.?

[Brandon Khoo]

well, if you're bigger and stronger than Arnie, you might be right but I've seen some pretty huge blokes screaming in pain on the end of a UHL after ten minutes on a big fish. You're still going to have to convince one of the manufacturers to make one specially for you as they don't exist. Currently, the strongest rod in the MH range is the MH79XH but if you want to pop 200g poppers, it is asking just a bit too much from the rod in my view.

It's not just fighting a fish where a long rod with a stiff tip becomes exhausting. Poping a big chugger for long periods of time would be terribly exhausting work as well.

For a 200g popper, you are going to have to go for something with a really strong tip and they just don't come in long lengths. The SP78 is 7'8", the BG Jack is 7'8" and the Fire Vortex is 7'6".

[Jon Li]

Will try to persuade Konishi-san to revive SP78EXH or UHL when I visit him later in the month , for some reason MH79XH isn't making a breakthrough in chugger only rod market in our region .

As for SP80M , I think it will handle Cubera 150 without problem but I agree , it is not an ideal rod for chugging heavier lures but then again , myself hardly use heavier chuggers  nowaday , it's just too strenuous for an older person like me .

The size of a guy seldom being the determining factor on how long a guy can keep on chugging all day , a well conditioned guy will last a lot longer , in my opinion but yes youth is definitely help immensely .

Jon .