[MVP]

Originally Posted by Adrenalinerush

That's what I am hoping for, my thought was fast action with a shorter top shot when I need it and slightly slower action with a longer top shot when I want to fish the rod that way

Going to try to answer this question and the ? about what blackfish rod in one post for you.
Everyone has there own opinion and you need to find out what works for you.
Once you have confidence in the set up you are using you will find that you will catch more fish consistently. When targeting Big fish fast action graphite rods and braid in my opinion are not a good combination.

If you are stuck fishing one rod that is graphite and fast action you will be much better off either fishing straight mono or longer top shot of at least 20 ft.
To much sensitivity with fast action braid set up i think is a bad thing especially on days when bite is scratchy. Being you have very little give or cushion with that set up the fish feels that resistance and will drop your bait rather than finishing it off and giving you a bite worth swinging at. Try not to fish so tight to your line and give yourself a little slack or what some like to call Belly in your line. You can just watch your line jump without fish feeling any resistance. Once you master that feel you will become a much better blackfisherman or in your case blackfisherwomen.
Women sometimes actually make better blackfisherman as they are more patient and will not swing at every little bump or scratch they feel. Once you get that feel you will be able to know the difference between a bergal or scratchy bite and wait for the Right bite to swing at. Not only will you catch more fish but the quality and size of the fish you catch will improve.

I use to fish G loomis, Lamiglass, st Criox and all high end graphite blanks.
Add braid to the equation and now you have almost no give. Did i use to catch fish. Hell Yeh. But what i did find out is that i also was loosing big fish to pulled hooks due to lack of stretch in line and no cushion from my rod when blackfish started bulldogging his way to the bottom.

About ten years ago i came across an old Austrailian blank that many of the Blackfish sharpies from Belmar would use. I later came to find that the rod builders name was Al and had passed away probably about 20 years ago. Not sure exactly when. If you walked on the Mohawk or Explorer they would know right away that it was an Al rod as he had a distinctive band wrapp he we put on rods that where at a certain height on blank that when leaned on rail it would hit that wrapp. Basically an old fiberglass blank that is super light yet very durable. Rod actually bends throught the whole entire blank without any shut off point. When i originally picked it up i thought to myself this will make a great bait rod for fluke which it turned out to be. Being it bent so much i thought it would never be able to be used for blackfish. I tried it out one day blackfishing and was amazed as to how much lead it can hold and how it transmitted the bite to me that was totally different feel than the graphite rods i was use to. I also noticed after several trips that i was not dropping any fish due to pulled hooks as the rod would absorb all that shock. The rest is now history as that rod has changed how i blackfish and has made me a better fisherman. Of the 40 blackfish over 10 pounds that i have caught more than 30 of them have been caught on that blank.
There is no such thing as the perfect blackfish rod as if you ask 10 people you will get 10 different opinions. I would not recomend the rod i primarily use but it works for me as i am tuned into what it is telling me on the other end of the line. When people pick up my rod they find it hard to believe that that rod can catch double digit tog as there is the misconception that you need a heavy stiff rod with fast action to pull fish out of the wreck. Well pictures do not lie

If you are seriously looking to get into blackfishing i would get myself 2 rods
preferably the same blank with different size tips. This way your interpretation of the bite will be similiar based on which rod you are using.

Soft tip moderate bend glass or composite blank. something in the 7-8 ft range based on private or partyboat fishing. I personally like 7.6 ft rod as it allows me the length i need not to have my rod tip pointed straight to the water so i can fish slack in my line as well as giving me the extra length i need when setting the hook being rod has so much give.

My go to set up is my 7.6 australian glass blank
55 lb Diawa Boat braid with 20Ft of Andy mono top shot connected by FG Knot. Smoothest knot i have found to date.
As for rigs i will fish anywhere from 30-80 lbs based on where i am fishing, conditions and bite. If fishing DE, MD, VA i will bump up my top shot to 60-80 lbs and my rigs at 60-80 lbs when i am trophy hunting.

Second rod of similar blank i would cut to somewhere between 10-12 tip based on action and how much weight you want it to handle. This can either be your straight mono rod or you or fish your braid set up with top shot especially if you need rod to handle heavier sinker weight of 10-14 oz.

Probably way to much info but when it comes to tog fishing there is really no right or wrong answers but there are some principles that seperate the 20% of fisherman that catch 80% of the fish. If you can stack the deck in your favor and reduce the learning curve why not listen to what others have to say and take bits and pieces to incorporate into your style of fishing. I have been tog fishing for almost 30 years now. I am always trying to learn new things to help me and others around me become a better angler. Luckily i get to fish with some of the best blackfisherman from RI down to VA and can say that a trip does not go by where i do not learn something. Just over the past 2 years i have picked up several tips that I can honestly say has taken my blackfishing to another level. One of the great things is about this site is that you have good people willing to share info. You can read as much as you want but nothing can substitute being out on the water and putting all that info to hands on use. Best of luck to you on your blackfish Career.

Hopefully some of this will help

Alex
MVP