Blackfishing Rods

[bunker dunker]

that's what I did.walk into kevins and asked for a good rod for blackfish.now I own 2,enough said

[Garone Custom Rods]

Gerry,

As far as guys fishing mono goes some guys who use mono are just great blackfish fishermen and know what to swing at, however at times I have seen times when you are just getting scratch bites with braid and you put mono in the water and the rod will literally jump up and down 3'. I have also seen sinker weight make a huge difference in the bites you get. 8 oz may hold just fine but you are getting scratch bites, put on a 10 or 12 oz and drop it down. Next thing you know those scratches turn into monster bites. Do these things work every time, but sometimes it makes a huge difference.

Now when it comes to rods everyone has their personal preference. I know one rod isn't right for everyone or every situation. There are great blackfishing blanks made from graphite, glass and composites. It's all about finding the right blank to fit what the customer wants. A big part of that is the angler actually has an idea of what they are looking for and when they do it makes my job a lot easier.

For some guys who don't have a lot of experience or just haven't gotten the hang of it yet I think a rod that will handle the weight but has a soft enough tip so they aren's swinging at the wrong bites, that is why for most guys an all graphite rod is not the way to go because it transfers too much of the bite from the tip to the hands. I also think a moderate fast bend is usually the right fit for most anglers because it will absorb the shock then a fish surges, but still have the power to lift the fish away from structure when you swing and also to stop a fish when it tries to run back into the structure. Being able to absorb the shock is important because it allows you to fish higher drag without worrying about breaking fish off.

Here are a list of some of the most popular blanks customers have been choosing and a little bit about each. These are all either graphite or graphite E-glass composites. For those of you guys who want to try fishing mono try something a little stiffer than the rod you fish braid with. You need a stiffer tip to pick up the added belly in yout line when fishing mono.

United Composites Challenger Elite 700L
7' Composite construction rated 15-30# Moderate fast action that bends like glass but at a fraction of the weight (the blank weighs under 4 oz) handles 6-12 oz with ease. This is my favorite rod for fishing braid inshore shallow water on a charter or small boat.

United Composites Challenger Elite 700M
7' Composite construction rated 20-40# Moderate fast action a step up in power from the L with a slightly stiffer tip and more power but still in a lite weight package. Handles 8-16 oz and is perfect for fishing deeper water big fish or for those guys who like a stiffer feeling rod. I will fish this one with both braid and mono on the charter and private boats.

United Composites Challenger Elite 800 mega
8' Composite construction rated 25-40# Longer length and has a deeper bend than the 700's. Great all around rod for the party boat or guys who like longer rods. Excellent all around rod for braid both inshore and in the deeper water with 6-12 oz.

United Composited US 70MH, 76MH, 80MH
7', 7'6", or 8' Graphite construction rated 15-30# Fast action with a soft tip great for shallow water early season tog with 6-10 oz. it is available in 7', 7'6" and 8' lengths. Our fearless leaders brother Joey Da Fish landed his personal best 13-3/4# on this rod a few weeks ago. For those of you that like the Seeker Inshore Lite this blank is very similar but lighter in weight

United Composites US 78 mega, 80 mega
7'8" or 8' Graphite construction rated 20-40# This one has a faster tip that becomes a bit more moderate when the rod loads up with a big fish. Great for those guys who like a little crisper feel than the composites but don't want a stiff baseball bat. This is a great rod for both inshore and in the deep, 8-14 oz sinkers and has the power to land big ones. This blank has landed fish over 20# (NY state record Gregg Nardiello) and works well with both braid and mono.

United Composites US 80 mega-bass
8' Graphite construction rated 15-40# with a moderate glass bend and the light weight of graphite. If you are a fan of glass but want to check out a lighter weight option this might be the blank for you. Handles 6-12 oz sinkers

Black Hole Challenger Bank 731M
7'3" Graphite construction rated 20-25# Another great option for those guys who like a crisp feeling graphite rod with a moderate fast action. Light weight and great for inshore drops with 4-8 oz.

Black Hole Challenger Bank 761MH
7'6" Graphite construction rated 20-40# step up from the M and a bit longer light weight. This is great for both inshore and deeper water drops with 6-12 oz.

There are still some great glass blanks but they are getting harder and harder to come by (Lami 1143F ect) and these new composites are able to do the same job at a fraction of the weight. Although you can do the job with a heavier outfit it is a lot more fun and easier to do it with something thats a fraction of the weight. A lot of these rods finished come out of the shop under 10 oz and paired with todays new light weight reels like the new Daiwa Saltiga and Shimano Torium they are half the weight or the stuff available just a few years ago.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Thanks Mike. I'm too am a firm believer, especially Blackfishing, it's not a one size fits all proposition. A lot of it has to do with your fishing style, personal preferences and if you're fishing shallow or deep and and last but not least what you are confident in.

Some great advise Mike.

[kurtisb]

Originally Posted by Garone Custom Rods

Gerry,

As far as guys fishing mono goes some guys who use mono are just great blackfish fishermen and know what to swing at, however at times I have seen times when you are just getting scratch bites with braid and you put mono in the water and the rod will literally jump up and down 3'. I have also seen sinker weight make a huge difference in the bites you get. 8 oz may hold just fine but you are getting scratch bites, put on a 10 or 12 oz and drop it down. Next thing you know those scratches turn into monster bites. Do these things work every time, but sometimes it makes a huge difference.

Now when it comes to rods everyone has their personal preference. I know one rod isn't right for everyone or every situation. There are great blackfishing blanks made from graphite, glass and composites. It's all about finding the right blank to fit what the customer wants. A big part of that is the angler actually has an idea of what they are looking for and when they do it makes my job a lot easier.

For some guys who don't have a lot of experience or just haven't gotten the hang of it yet I think a rod that will handle the weight but has a soft enough tip so they aren's swinging at the wrong bites, that is why for most guys an all graphite rod is not the way to go because it transfers too much of the bite from the tip to the hands. I also think a moderate fast bend is usually the right fit for most anglers because it will absorb the shock then a fish surges, but still have the power to lift the fish away from structure when you swing and also to stop a fish when it tries to run back into the structure. Being able to absorb the shock is important because it allows you to fish higher drag without worrying about breaking fish off.

Here are a list of some of the most popular blanks customers have been choosing and a little bit about each. These are all either graphite or graphite E-glass composites. For those of you guys who want to try fishing mono try something a little stiffer than the rod you fish braid with. You need a stiffer tip to pick up the added belly in yout line when fishing mono.

United Composites Challenger Elite 700L
7' Composite construction rated 15-30# Moderate fast action that bends like glass but at a fraction of the weight (the blank weighs under 4 oz) handles 6-12 oz with ease. This is my favorite rod for fishing braid inshore shallow water on a charter or small boat.

United Composites Challenger Elite 700M
7' Composite construction rated 20-40# Moderate fast action a step up in power from the L with a slightly stiffer tip and more power but still in a lite weight package. Handles 8-16 oz and is perfect for fishing deeper water big fish or for those guys who like a stiffer feeling rod. I will fish this one with both braid and mono on the charter and private boats.

United Composites Challenger Elite 800 mega
8' Composite construction rated 25-40# Longer length and has a deeper bend than the 700's. Great all around rod for the party boat or guys who like longer rods. Excellent all around rod for braid both inshore and in the deeper water with 6-12 oz.

United Composited US 70MH, 76MH, 80MH
7', 7'6", or 8' Graphite construction rated 15-30# Fast action with a soft tip great for shallow water early season tog with 6-10 oz. it is available in 7', 7'6" and 8' lengths. Our fearless leaders brother Joey Da Fish landed his personal best 13-3/4# on this rod a few weeks ago. For those of you that like the Seeker Inshore Lite this blank is very similar but lighter in weight

United Composites US 78 mega, 80 mega
7'8" or 8' Graphite construction rated 20-40# This one has a faster tip that becomes a bit more moderate when the rod loads up with a big fish. Great for those guys who like a little crisper feel than the composites but don't want a stiff baseball bat. This is a great rod for both inshore and in the deep, 8-14 oz sinkers and has the power to land big ones. This blank has landed fish over 20# (NY state record Gregg Nardiello) and works well with both braid and mono.

United Composites US 80 mega-bass
8' Graphite construction rated 15-40# with a moderate glass bend and the light weight of graphite. If you are a fan of glass but want to check out a lighter weight option this might be the blank for you. Handles 6-12 oz sinkers

Black Hole Challenger Bank 731M
7'3" Graphite construction rated 20-25# Another great option for those guys who like a crisp feeling graphite rod with a moderate fast action. Light weight and great for inshore drops with 4-8 oz.

Black Hole Challenger Bank 761MH
7'6" Graphite construction rated 20-40# step up from the M and a bit longer light weight. This is great for both inshore and deeper water drops with 6-12 oz.

There are still some great glass blanks but they are getting harder and harder to come by (Lami 1143F ect) and these new composites are able to do the same job at a fraction of the weight. Although you can do the job with a heavier outfit it is a lot more fun and easier to do it with something thats a fraction of the weight. A lot of these rods finished come out of the shop under 10 oz and paired with todays new light weight reels like the new Daiwa Saltiga and Shimano Torium they are half the weight or the stuff available just a few years ago.

Mike I think you under rate the Black Hole Challenger Bank 731M. I fish 10 to 12 oz with mine all the time, not a problem.

[Mono Guy]

I'll keep it simple as fishing should be
Inshore Tog
mono 30#
Light glass rod
And plenty of belly in the line
The more slack the better
Tight Lines fella's

[SaltLife1980]

Thats for the advise mike im in the market for a new Tog rod and that def gave me some ideas

[rubberheels]

St Croix Musky rod 7'6'' Nice rod and won't break the bank.