Blackfishing Rods

[Gerry Zagorski]

I know everyone has their own preferences as far as rods are concerned. I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer by any means and compared other toggers I suck. I have however noticed that while fishing inshore a lighter rod (lighter in weight) makes a big difference for me in detecting bites, especially the more subtle ones.

I think a big part of that when coupled with a lighter reel is the fact that it requires a lot less effort and a less firm grip to steady a lighter set up. This is especially true when you are at the rail, dipping and raising your pole tip to meet the up and down movement of the boat and seas. Since the set up is lighter and you are not griping it as tightly you get more sensativty.

That being said I've seen some guys with much heavier rods and reels that fish mono put on a clinic when everyone else is struggling. I happen to think some of that is they are not feeling all the bites. Instead, they are only feeling the right bites and therefor are not tempted to swing at the wrong ones.

Anyone have any opinions on this???

It guess it all depends on your style of fishing but for me, the lighter the rod and reel the better.

[hammer4reel]

I like feeling all the nibbles and scratches. using a sensitive tip.

I just had an 1143 made and went one size up from the normal tip size I use.
It only lets me feel the right tugs, but I dont like it as I want to feel ALL the stuff going on before the right tug happens.

I think it keeps you more ready to pull the trigger when you should be swinging

[Joey Dah Fish]

My opinion is this. Fish the way you like. I disagree with only some of what my larger less handsome brother has to say. I agree with lighter rod and reel. But yes huge giant but here. Light in the sense to rod weight in your hands not light action. But do disagree totally with the lighten sink comment. I seem to find that heavier weight definitely help me to be sure I'm A on the bottom and B when the bite comes it's tugging on my line harder because it's less apt to move my weight and my line will feel the bite better. Just my thoughts. To each his own just my 25 cents here. I'm no sharpie either but I have been taking lessons and getting better

[Gerry Zagorski]

Yes my older and less handsome brother, a light rod as far a weight is concerned, but it has to have a good solid backbone to get the fish up and out of the snags once you set the hook or you're done.

For once, we finally agree on something, I think

[Joey Dah Fish]

Originally Posted by Gerry Zagorski

Yes my older and less handsome brother, a light rod as far a weight is concerned, but it has to have a good solid backbone to get the fish up and out of the snags once you set the hook or you're done.

For once, we finally agree on something, I think

Hallelujah

[RussH]

I'm a fan of heavy for blackfish. Heavy line, heavy leader, heavy sinkers, heavy reel. I use one of Bogans Fish poisons with an Avet MXL on it as my main stick. I also have a Lamiglass with a Daiwa 300 I don't like nearly as much.

I see the guys fishing noodle rods for blackfish and yeah it looks fun, but it also goes against everything I ever learned. With the 40# braid and the 60# flourocarben leader I don't feel as much as the guys fishing 20# braid and 30# leader and I get less fish, but I'm also not swinging every single time I feel a scratch.

What I will say is it's a LOT easier to cast with one of those fast action super light rod setups. I'm absolutely terrible casting with the Avet. It's heavy, clumsy, and I end up getting minor amounts of backlash that cut my cast short anyway. Fortunately you don't usually have to cast black fishing. And it could just be me being a crappy caster with no anti-reverse.

To me blackfish is so good because it's so simple and yet deviously complex. I also don't need my rod to bend in half on every single fish I reel up.