I Need Some New Rods.... 2024
Captain Shane Procell reply :
Here is the scoop. I have been using Shimano Cumaras since january. Great rods...but not built for snakehead fishing. The snakeheadsd fight all the way to the cooler and then some. I have broken several rods at thew boat. I know a net would solve my problem but I really don't have the room for one. I need a BC rod that is sensative, light, strong and durable. Any recomendations? I was thinking about looking at some muskie rods? I used a buddy's Kistlers and it was pretty heavy gauge but I'am open to ideas.
bassinbrian reply :
I prefer a medium, XF around the 6'10" - 7'. Why the need for such a heavy rod? Price wise around $200? Personally for durability I think St. Croix makes a great rod.
The Rooster reply :
If the Cumara is doing the job but snapping at the boat then most any bass rod will work, no need to go muskie heavy. I'd say drop down a notch or two and get a Compre or Clarus in the new line that Shimano just released. They are very good rods, sensitive, but not as brittle as the Cumara is. They're a lot cheaper too.
ww2farmer reply :
If you want rods that don't break, forget Kistler. Almost all of mine broke, and I got rid of the ones that didn't before the could. St Croix's are bullet proof, light, sensitive, and when they do break, they stand behind them. But really, if your breaking a ton of rods, I would look at how your using the rods, maybe a change in power/action, not brands is needed.
South FLA reply :
Shane,
I have broken two Cumara's while fishing for hawg bass, both I broke while landing the fish in close. High-sticking will break cumaras pretty easily. They are great rods for the lightness and sensitivity, but not really Ugly stick tough. With that said I really like the Dobyn's Champion series, they are about the same price point and have yet to have an issue. Since snakeheads like moving baits you can get away with the Savvy series at a lower price point than the Champions. Also, take a look at the "local" rod of choice Star rods, too! They are a little heavier, but bullet proof. I like the Plasma series.
tomustang reply :
Did you ever look into the folding fish nets?
Fat-G reply :
I would suggest a Dobyns Savvy.
LuckyHandsINC. reply :
On 10/3/2011 at 8:09 AM, Fat-G said:Dobyns Savvy or Champion rods for sure. I like both more than my Cumara. The Champion is more sensitive and waaaay more balanced. A balanced $170 rod will get my vote over a tip-heavy $300 rod ANY day.
The savvy does not come close to the cumaras. Your dobyns bias is sickening. I have a 6.8 oz reel on the 7'2 and when I balance the rod on my finger the edge of my.finger is still making contact with the tiny foregrip. I have a 6.8 oz reel on the 6'8 cumara and when balanced its on the foregrip. Seems good to me. The champion is a push when compared to the cumara and the savvy does not come close at all.
The Rooster reply :
I wouldn't have called it sickening, I would have called it "his opinion".
Fat-G reply :
On 10/3/2011 at 9:37 AM, NYBASSIN36 said:The savvy does not come close to the cumaras. Your dobyns bias is sickening. I have a 6.8 oz reel on the 7'2 and when I balance the rod on my finger the edge of my.finger is still making contact with the tiny foregrip. I have a 6.8 oz reel on the 6'8 cumara and when balanced its on the foregrip. Seems good to me. The champion is a push when compared to the cumara and the savvy does not come close at all.
Notice I didn't compare the Savvy to the Cumara, I compared it to "a $300 rod". Last time I checked, Cumaras were $199.99 - $219.99. The Cumara is in a totally different class than the Savvy sensitivity-wise. It's not even close. My Cumara CUC-72MH is an extremely sensitive rod. Extremely. That was my first high-end rod, and I was blown away.
I have a 50e on my Cumara, and it is a well-balanced combo. It feels great to fish, and is one of my favorite combos. When I put the 50e on a Savvy 734, it is more balanced.
Maybe it was a "push" saying that the Champions are more sensitive than Cumaras, as there is no real way to prove that, but my 735c feels just as sensitive as my Cumara, which is impressive considering it is a straight broomstick.
I don't believe I have a Dobyns "bias". I only have two! The OP asked our opinions on a rod that won't be as liabel to break when fighting a snakehead, and I simply gave my opinion. The Cumaras feel more brittle in hand than a Champion, in my opinion of course.
Either way, it was just a suggestion. Shane, I would get a Savvy 734 for your snakehead hunts. Light, balanced, powerful, sensitive, and down-right fun to fish.
Hooligan reply :
On 10/3/2011 at 4:34 AM, The Rooster said:If the Cumara is doing the job but snapping at the boat then most any bass rod will work, no need to go muskie heavy. I'd say drop down a notch or two and get a Compre or Clarus in the new line that Shimano just released. They are very good rods, sensitive, but not as brittle as the Cumara is. They're a lot cheaper too.
I'm sorry, but I can't let that one slide. Saying any rod isn't as "brittle" as another is asinine. Graphite being brittle is a total and complete misnomer, continuing to spread from posts like the one above. As graphite increases in quality, it increases in stiffness. Think I'm wrong? Call Gary Loomis. The by-product of rods that get stiffer is that they have thinner blank walls, they don't get any more or less brittle, in fact they gain in axial strength as well as compression and strain rate. The increase in strain rate is so sufficient, in fact, that two different strains of graphite cannot be compared on the same scale. They just don't compare to one another. In the same note, Gary will tell you about a customer that he once had that broke a rod and wanted it replaced. Gary took the guy out, tried in five different ways to get a rod to break in the same fashion as the customers rod. What ended up doing it is that he had to kneel on it on the ground, scar the blank and start the splintering process by using the concrete. The guy conceded that it was his own actions, not the fault of the rod. Calling the Cumara brittle is laughable at best. It's likely one of the lightest, most superior rods in the sub-$250 range there is. Comparing the Clarus and the Compre isn't remotely apples to apples, hence the dramatic price difference. Also, the two lower rods don't have anywhere near the blank strength based simply on the graphite content. Not even the new Crucial, which is an IM10 blank with different resins than the Cumara, is close to the Cumara in terms of strength and sensitivity.
SirSnookalot reply :
I don't think there is much need for a super sensitive rod, these fish give a pretty decent bump. A rod with good backbone is what's needed, plenty of good ones out there. I use only spinning gear, the fish I catch are bigger and stronger than most snakeheads, I routinely hoist them up from a jettie, and sea walls, some of the Florida guys know how high the jetties are at Boynton, never broke a rod. If I'm not mistaken you are catching them from a boat, you are already close to the water. I use med 8/17 or mh 10/20 rods, I'd be happy to tell you what I use, send me a pm if interested, I use one of the aforementioned rods, it will fit the bill for sure, but I don't want to be in a debate over brands.
I'd get a 24" gaff, your going to kill them anyway.
Sam reply :
Fun replies.
So now I will really mess up your brains!!!!
Try an Ugly Stik.
You can't break them and you can use them to catch the big ones in Florida.
Ugly Stiks are not cheap anymore. And you will not find one that has 200% graphite in it for sensitivity.
BUT...you will have a strong rod to catch those snakeheads and big catfish and as SirSnookalot says, you don't need a rod with a lot of sensitivity. You will know when they hit your bait.
Just another suggestion to keep the flow of the topic going!!!! 
South FLA reply :
Point is moving bait rods don't need to be as sensitive. High sticking pretty much any rod is a no-no. Secondly, Shane asked for suggestions on rods not a full on debate on Dobyn Savvy vs Cumara.
J Francho reply :
Shane, check out http://www.leveragelandingnet.com/
I first started using them in the kayak, and now in the bass boat. One handed operation.
As far as rods go, St. Croix Avids and LTBs are a good bet. I've landed MANY northern pike, brown trout, steelhead, and salmon up to 30 lbs. with no breakage issues. Leave them on the deck, well that's another story, LOL.
Bassn Blvd reply :
Sir Snook is right, IMO. Shane, go to Sorts Authority or Dicks and look at the Redbone rods by Hurricane. They are under 100 bucks and will fit your needs. Honestly, I don't know how Hurricane can get away selling them as cheap as they do- They are decent rods.
Check out the Loomis line of the new GL2 series. Loomis supposedly upgraded the components and from what I hear they are decent rods and not priced too high. I was looking at them at BassPro the other day and they actually felt pretty good. They are lighter than the Redbone rod but a tad more expensive and I'm sure better made, even if it is a GL series. I sure the heck wouldn't be using my NRX or GLX on junk fish but I would give serious consideration to the new GL series.
skunked_again reply :
SirSnookalot reply :
QuoteSir Snook is right, IMO. Shane, go to Sorts Authority or Dicks and look at the Redbone rods by Hurricane. They are under 100 bucks and will fit your needs. Honestly, I don't know how Hurricane can get away selling them as cheap as they do- They are decent rods.
I did not want to avoid naming exact rods but as long as my bud Baasn' did, I will too. in a prior thread Star rods were mentioned, I'm using a star steller lite 7 10/20, rated for 2 oz, for piers and jetties, targeting bigger jacks, snook and tarpon, excellent rod but personally I think it's too much rod for snakeheads, especially from a boat. Redbone is a good choice I have 6 of them, I don't use mine for freshwater, I'm using a calico jack which is made by the same company that makes redbone, only $55. I use a 7' med 8/17 spinning, I love this rod, but I notice they have recently come out with 10/20 mh, that's what i would buy.
Jiggen reply :
Try the new Pinnacles. I know nobody believes it, but they are as good as some of my higher end rods. Just locate one, pick it up and the rest is easy. Jim
piscicidal reply :
On 10/3/2011 at 3:30 AM, Captain Shane Procell said:Here is the scoop. I have been using Shimano Cumaras since january. Great rods...but not built for snakehead fishing. The snakeheadsd fight all the way to the cooler and then some. I have broken several rods at thew boat. I know a net would solve my problem but I really don't have the room for one. I need a BC rod that is sensative, light, strong and durable. Any recomendations? I was thinking about looking at some muskie rods? I used a buddy's Kistlers and it was pretty heavy gauge but I'am open to ideas.
Shane, in my humble opinion the Cumara is overkill for snakeheads. As you well know, their bite is not subtle and I don't think we need that kind of sensitivity for this fishing. I broke a Dobyns rod on a snakehead also....a 735C that I got back about a week ago. These higher modulus/thin walled rods are going to have issues with a thrashing snakehead on a short line.
I've been doing more snakehead fishing in my golf course ponds, since our conversations at Lox and at the snakehead round up. As I mentioned to you, I think I've killed a couple world record (Bullseye) snakeheads (one 37" and one 38") that I've caught from these ponds. Lately, I've been going out there a couple nights a week trying to get another one of those monsters. I got a 34" Friday night, but the world record still eludes me... 
Anyway, my current snakehead rod is a 7'6" MH BPS Extreme Rod with a Curado 200E7. I've been swinging thrashing snakeheads with no problems with this setup. They sell regularly for $99 at BPS and you can often get them cheaper. I would also look at the Veritas rods. Super light and strong...good for a long day of casting frogs. That rod is a little more fragile, but if you do have any issues you can return it right to the Davie BPS store and replace it instantly. Shimano has a good return policy, but I would rather replace a rod instantly in the store rather than have a 2-3 week down time waiting for a replacement in the mail.
Hooligan reply :
On 10/4/2011 at 9:44 PM, piscicidal said:That rod is a little more fragile, but if you do have any issues you can return it right to the Davie BPS store and replace it instantly. Shimano has a good return policy, but I would rather replace a rod instantly in the store rather than have a 2-3 week down time waiting for a replacement in the mail.
For the record, Bass Pro Shops has an across the counter policy with Shimano, including the Cumara.
Diggy reply :
Mh/h Berkley lightning rod..cost effective..you can buy 3 to 4 for 100 bucks lol
The Rooster reply :
On 10/3/2011 at 1:54 PM, Hooligan said:I'm sorry, but I can't let that one slide. Saying any rod isn't as "brittle" as another is asinine. Graphite being brittle is a total and complete misnomer, continuing to spread from posts like the one above. As graphite increases in quality, it increases in stiffness. Think I'm wrong? Call Gary Loomis. The by-product of rods that get stiffer is that they have thinner blank walls, they don't get any more or less brittle, in fact they gain in axial strength as well as compression and strain rate. The increase in strain rate is so sufficient, in fact, that two different strains of graphite cannot be compared on the same scale. They just don't compare to one another. In the same note, Gary will tell you about a customer that he once had that broke a rod and wanted it replaced. Gary took the guy out, tried in five different ways to get a rod to break in the same fashion as the customers rod. What ended up doing it is that he had to kneel on it on the ground, scar the blank and start the splintering process by using the concrete. The guy conceded that it was his own actions, not the fault of the rod. Calling the Cumara brittle is laughable at best. It's likely one of the lightest, most superior rods in the sub-$250 range there is. Comparing the Clarus and the Compre isn't remotely apples to apples, hence the dramatic price difference. Also, the two lower rods don't have anywhere near the blank strength based simply on the graphite content. Not even the new Crucial, which is an IM10 blank with different resins than the Cumara, is close to the Cumara in terms of strength and sensitivity.
Dude, there is a problem with the Cumara line somewhere, whether they are brittle or not. I wasn't meaning that they are brittle due to higher graphite when they shouldn't be. I mean I've read nearly nothing but that they snap left and right. My brother in law has broken several whereas the Compre rods he has he's hardly had any problem with at all, and he has about 10 of those but only 2 Cumaras, that each have broken repeatedly. It's all over other forums too that they snap easily. What else would you think other than that they are brittle, and again, it has nothing to do with me saying higher graphite made them that way. It has more to do with experience in the Compre line personally, as well as witnessing it from near family members also, they just last longer, period. Cumaras are junk.
Hooligan reply :
On 10/5/2011 at 11:32 PM, The Rooster said:Dude, there is a problem with the Cumara line somewhere, whether they are brittle or not. I wasn't meaning that they are brittle due to higher graphite when they shouldn't be. I mean I've read nearly nothing but that they snap left and right. My brother in law has broken several whereas the Compre rods he has he's hardly had any problem with at all, and he has about 10 of those but only 2 Cumaras, that each have broken repeatedly. It's all over other forums too that they snap easily. What else would you think other than that they are brittle, and again, it has nothing to do with me saying higher graphite made them that way. It has more to do with experience in the Compre line personally, as well as witnessing it from near family members also, they just last longer, period. Cumaras are junk.
That's laughable at best. I have yet to break one in all of my time fishing, and I fish a lot, averaging in excess of 200 days a year. I've fished Cumara rods since their release and have had zero issue. I fish several of them in choice over my NRX. If you're breaking Cumaras under normal fishing circumstances, it's pilot error, guaranteed. When YOU PERSONALLY have owned and fished them, you're free to offer your opinion, but it seems to me you don't own a single Cumara so are going by hearsay...
hookingem reply :
I have 7 cumara's and they are NASTY rods I have caught some big ole' Catfish as well as gar, and multiple 5+ # bass on them. They are still relatively new to me (8 months old), but they have given me no issues WHAT SO EVER. I am a firm believer in the Cumara line and there durability. Oh yeah on a side note if you break a Cumara send it back Shimano!!! They back their rods with the best warranty in the Business. 
Fat-G reply :
On 10/5/2011 at 11:46 PM, hookingem said:I have 7 cumara's and they are NASTY rods I have caught some big ole' Catfish as well as gar, and multiple 5+ # bass on them. They are still relatively new to me (8 months old), but they have given me no issues WHAT SO EVER. I am a firm believer in the Cumara line and there durability. Oh yeah on a side note if you break a Cumara send it back Shimano!!! They back their rods with the best warranty in the Business.
That gar was sweet, what a great fight.
Shane, I can see how a snakehead fighting THAT hard would break a rod. Pretty sure it would break most of the rods we fish with for bass, especially if it thrashed around with only a fott or less of line. I would get a cheap BP rod, the more I think about it.
Jaheff reply :
Fat G, Don't ya think the Shimano teramar is a good fit for what he wants? Surprised you didn't suggest it.
Fat-G reply :
On 10/6/2011 at 5:56 AM, Jaheff said:Fat G, Don't ya think the Shimano teramar is a good fit for what he wants? Surprised you didn't suggest it.
Yes I do, can't believe I didn't think of it. Those rods are BEASTS. I love them.
They would make a great snakehead rod!
pitchinthejig reply :
I snake heads a lot and have tons of fun doing I wouldnt use many of my Steez sitcks for them but I have caught plenty of them on my 7.1 Complie-X and never had a issue but the four setups I use for them when thats my target fish is a Steez SVF-XBD frog stick/Zillion Type R(Tons of power very light and plenty tough) Awesome combo, two Zillion 6.9MHXF/Steez 103's and a Daiwa Light and Tough frog rod 7.4Hvy and a Zillion 100SHA.
The Steez XBD is a big money rod and I bought 2 of them for frogging and flipping matts for Large mouth of course but decided to snake head fish with one once and was amazed at the job it did so it goes with me most the time when chasing heads however I WOULD NOT BUY IT AS A SNAKE HEAD ROD!!!!!
The 2 6.9MHXF Zillions are awesome snake head sticks, Tough, light and plenty sensitive for light biting bass and with the normal Head bite it feels like a bolt of lightning lol...
The L&T Frog stick is IMHO the perfect Head rod its TOUGH TOUGH TOUGH, fairly light and has enough feel to get by with and has GOBS of power and the next time I buy another setup that will be used for just heads it will be another L&T Frog rod and Zillion 100SHA
the rod is 145-150 and well worth it as it will handle them and you wont have to worry about breaking sticks with that rod and it has the power to yank that out of the nasty stuff and also because its a cheaper priced rod and you wont be scared to really lean on it when fighting them.
The Rooster reply :
On 10/5/2011 at 11:36 PM, Hooligan said:That's laughable at best. I have yet to break one in all of my time fishing, and I fish a lot, averaging in excess of 200 days a year. I've fished Cumara rods since their release and have had zero issue. I fish several of them in choice over my NRX. If you're breaking Cumaras under normal fishing circumstances, it's pilot error, guaranteed. When YOU PERSONALLY have owned and fished them, you're free to offer your opinion, but it seems to me you don't own a single Cumara so are going by hearsay...
I'm free to offer my opinion after I've personally owned one?? What you really meant to say there was I'm free to offer my opinion anytime I want and YOU are free to pay no heed to it if you don't want. Now that we're clear on that.....
I wouldn't own one of those rods just based on what I've read alone, but as luck would have it I've also had the personal privilige to see them in use up close with my brother-in-law who owns 2 of them (not hearsay, actual witnessing). They've both broken multiple times, and each time it's been pretty well in the same place, within 10 inches of the tip, and each time he has exchanged them with no problems but it gets old after a while. He was told by the shop owner that he has issues with those rods commonly and constantly doing this same thing and he had no idea why but it happens a lot.
I've also read this numerous times as well all over the internet so forgive me if I don't take your single example of never having a problem over all those other glowing examples of many problems by others, some of which I've personally observed. I do not need to have actually held the rod in hand and fished it to offer my opinion on it or to know that this rod is J U N K.
If it's laughable, go ahead and laugh. I am.
Fat-G reply :
On 10/6/2011 at 8:48 AM, The Rooster said:I'm free to offer my opinion after I've personally owned one?? What you really meant to say there was I'm free to offer my opinion anytime I want and YOU are free to pay no heed to it if you don't want. Now that we're clear on that.....
I wouldn't own one of those rods just based on what I've read alone, but as luck would have it I've also had the personal privilige to see them in use up close with my brother-in-law who owns 2 of them (not hearsay, actual witnessing). They've both broken multiple times, and each time it's been pretty well in the same place, within 10 inches of the tip, and each time he has exchanged them with no problems but it gets old after a while. He was told by the shop owner that he has issues with those rods commonly and constantly doing this same thing and he had no idea why but it happens a lot.
I've also read this numerous times as well all over the internet so forgive me if I don't take your single example of never having a problem over all those other glowing examples of many problems by others, some of which I've personally observed. I do not need to have actually held the rod in hand and fished it to offer my opinion on it or to know that this rod is J U N K.
If it's laughable, go ahead and laugh. I am.
That's the great thing about this forum, you get a lot of differing opinions! I personally don't think Cumaras are junk at all, but that's just my opinion.
LuckyHandsINC. reply :
On 10/6/2011 at 8:48 AM, The Rooster said:I'm free to offer my opinion after I've personally owned one?? What you really meant to say there was I'm free to offer my opinion anytime I want and YOU are free to pay no heed to it if you don't want. Now that we're clear on that.....
I wouldn't own one of those rods just based on what I've read alone, but as luck would have it I've also had the personal privilige to see them in use up close with my brother-in-law who owns 2 of them (not hearsay, actual witnessing). They've both broken multiple times, and each time it's been pretty well in the same place, within 10 inches of the tip, and each time he has exchanged them with no problems but it gets old after a while. He was told by the shop owner that he has issues with those rods commonly and constantly doing this same thing and he had no idea why but it happens a lot.
I've also read this numerous times as well all over the internet so forgive me if I don't take your single example of never having a problem over all those other glowing examples of many problems by others, some of which I've personally observed. I do not need to have actually held the rod in hand and fished it to offer my opinion on it or to know that this rod is J U N K.
If it's laughable, go ahead and laugh. I am.
I know their has been some talk online of the cumaras breaking, however if I were.you I would go check the date on these threads you've read. I'm sure you will see they're pretty old. Also if you have read as much as you say then you would've seen the cumara is widely accepted as one of the lightest and most sensitive rods available and fishes well above its price range. Further evidenced by tackletours best value award. I have three cumaras, all different casting models and love them all. So continue to hate on this rod for whatever reason but you may be the only one .
The Rooster reply :
They're not that old. Some this past summer. One guy I read about broke 10 Cumara's and one Cumulus. He swore off Shimano rods after that and went all custom built only for fishing tournaments. I don't want to say anymore about it though, or provide links, or proof of reading all this, and drag it all out into a full scale war. Y'all will just have to trust me on it or go look for them yourselves. That's my opinion on the rod and that's that. I'm done. I just don't like being called out for my opinion so some of my replies might sound harsh but I really didn't mean to get in a fight or anything. This thread was just another in a line of threads I've read about them breaking so easily, was all.
Hooligan reply :
Oh I'm laughing all right. Laughing at the absurdity of your continued response on something you have NO firsthand knowledge of, when in the past you've gotten on people about the very same thing. If there were a problem with the Cumara, I'd have seen it by now, I will guarantee you that. Do the math, Rooster, average the time I fish the rods and the number of them I fish and I'd have, according to your statistics, broken at least every rod three times. It's positively absurd, what you're suggesting. Newsflash! I've broken 3 NRX this year on fish. One was the first time I fished the rod! There's something wrong with the NRX because I read that some guy broke three of them in a year... Your anecdotal evidence is just that, anecdotal evidence, of which, again, you have zero firsthand knowledge. You don't own any of the rods in question yet you're freely forming an opinion of their quality. Pure absurdity.
Shane, like the guys above said, the Teramar would likely be a really good candidate for it. The West Coast 8' H would be a stellar rod for plugging snakehead, it's wicked powerful with a really, really nice feel for how powerful the rod is. It will also turn a fish with no hesitation at all. The only rod better might be a Calcutta if you can find it. They're getting hard to come by.
Packard reply :
On 10/3/2011 at 9:39 PM, J Francho said:Shane, check out http://www.leveragelandingnet.com/
I first started using them in the kayak, and now in the bass boat. One handed operation.
Cool idea, very overpriced though. I do all my fishing from my kayak and haven't encountered a problem with my frabill rubber mesh trout net. I can even get nice sized pike in there.
SirSnookalot reply :
If I read the OP post correctly I don 't believe this is a rod issue if a net would be a big asset, it's more of how the fish is handled once along side of the boat, a shortish gaff solves this problem. I don't know anything about a cumara rod but I think there are better types of rods available. Just to mention, I have broken only 1 rod that I can think of and it wasn't the weight of the fish that did, the rod was stressed in the first place and was going to break at some point in time.
This is not an issue of one brand against another, this is an issue of the type of rod best suited. I routinely catch larger fish than the average snakehead and hoist them up from the jetties which are about 10 feet high, this is done by springing them up, this is not done once in awhile but daily, no question some fish require a pier net. It's the type of rod I use, not the brand as I use a few different brands. A rod with a good backbone to hold them in place and a gaff is the ticket, I don't care what brand you buy, these fish hit hard enough that a phone pole is sensitive enough.
piscicidal reply :
On 10/5/2011 at 4:05 AM, Hooligan said:For the record, Bass Pro Shops has an across the counter policy with Shimano, including the Cumara.
Jeremy, at the BPS store in Davie where Shane and I both shop, there is a big white sign at the exchanges/returns counter saying that Shimano/St Croix customers must return warranty equipment directly to the manufacturer. The same sign says Abu Garcia equipment can be exchanged in store. I've never challenged that policy, as I've not yet broken any of my St Croix/Shimano rods. However, I have returned BPS and Abu Veritas rods at the store and the process was as painless as could be.
piscicidal reply :
On 10/6/2011 at 3:47 PM, SirSnookalot said:If I read the OP post correctly I don 't believe this is a rod issue if a net would be a big asset, it's more of how the fish is handled once along side of the boat, a shortish gaff solves this problem. I don't know anything about a cumara rod but I think there are better types of rods available. Just to mention, I have broken only 1 rod that I can think of and it wasn't the weight of the fish that did, the rod was stressed in the first place and was going to break at some point in time.
This is not an issue of one brand against another, this is an issue of the type of rod best suited. I routinely catch larger fish than the average snakehead and hoist them up from the jetties which are about 10 feet high, this is done by springing them up, this is not done once in awhile but daily, no question some fish require a pier net. It's the type of rod I use, not the brand as I use a few different brands. A rod with a good backbone to hold them in place and a gaff is the ticket, I don't care what brand you buy, these fish hit hard enough that a phone pole is sensitive enough.
Sir Snook,
Snakeheads are difficult to gaff, even the big ones. In fact, at the last snakehead round up Capt Shane's partner caught the biggest snakehead of the tournament (~35"??). Shane has a video of them catching that fish on his you tube channel and they are struggling to gaff the fish. And this was the biggest of the ~150 fish caught that day...imagine trying to gaff the smaller ones.
They have a hard smooth skin, small profile, and they spin/thrash violently at the boat. Couple this with fishing them in a smaller boat rocking around and you get some idea of the issues trying to gaff these fish. Certainly it can be done, and people do it. But gaffing is not always the most expediant method for getting a snakehead in the boat/on shore.
If I am fishing them from shore, I will swing them up on the bank. The preferred method, if there isn't too much debris, is to just slide them right up on the bank. Use their small, sleek profile against them. Either way, I have had no issues with the BPS extreme rod swinging big snakeheads up onto shore.
SirSnookalot reply :
good point about the gaffing, it was a thought. I'm quite familiar with the BPS inshore extreme which is an excellent rod, probably a close cousin to the extreme.
The Rooster reply :
On 10/6/2011 at 11:22 AM, Hooligan said:Oh I'm laughing all right. Laughing at the absurdity of your continued response on something you have NO firsthand knowledge of, when in the past you've gotten on people about the very same thing. If there were a problem with the Cumara, I'd have seen it by now, I will guarantee you that. Do the math, Rooster, average the time I fish the rods and the number of them I fish and I'd have, according to your statistics, broken at least every rod three times. It's positively absurd, what you're suggesting. Newsflash! I've broken 3 NRX this year on fish. One was the first time I fished the rod! There's something wrong with the NRX because I read that some guy broke three of them in a year... Your anecdotal evidence is just that, anecdotal evidence, of which, again, you have zero firsthand knowledge. You don't own any of the rods in question yet you're freely forming an opinion of their quality. Pure absurdity.
Shane, like the guys above said, the Teramar would likely be a really good candidate for it. The West Coast 8' H would be a stellar rod for plugging snakehead, it's wicked powerful with a really, really nice feel for how powerful the rod is. It will also turn a fish with no hesitation at all. The only rod better might be a Calcutta if you can find it. They're getting hard to come by.
OK, I wasn't going to comment again on this at all, but after reading that you say I've gotten onto people over the same thing I'm supposedly doing now, I want to set that straight right here and now. When have I ever done that?? I get defensive over my opinion or over knowing an outright fact about something and having that disputed, but I've never jumped anyone over their opinion, first hand knowledge or not, and you can't even offer a shred of evidence to the contrary, and if you read that as a challenge, you read it right!
And what are you calling first hand knowledge anyway?? Being there in person and witnessing this happening is not first hand?? That an absurdity in itself.
And it seems you're now suggesting that its like I read one time somewhere that someone broke rods and I formed the opinion that it's a bad rod when I clearly stated I had read it many many times, some of which were people who had multiples of these rods and had several of them break nearly the same way each time, and also I said I had saw this with my own eyes too, on rods I could reach out and touch right in front of me, FIRST HAND.
Here's a newsflash for you now....this is what reviews are all about. Reading other people's experiences with a product and deciding whether or not it might be right for you. If it didn't work and wasn't right then major companies like Cabela's and Bass Pro Shops wouldn't bother printing them in their catalogs or allow posting them on their websites. There are whole dedicated websites for this very thing, but you still want to discount any knowledge gained from reading any of it apparently. So now apparently I not supposed to read what has happened to others and believe any of it, is that what you're saying?? Cause if it is, then that's the real absurdity here, that I should spend $240 on a rod after reading a lot of bad stuff on it while not believing it and have the same thing happen to me too before I can then say, " I now agree with all the others", and at that point finally form an opinion. That's not absurd, that's downright idiotic.
It's also not pure absurdity to form opinions on rods I do not own. Have you ever formed an opinion on anything you do not own, or to go even bigger, maybe about some person you have never met (say the president) based on what you've heard said about that person and any evidence that people might present about that person's actions and words?? Here's another newsflash for you.......the justice system of this country is based on this very thing, forming opinions based on hearing about something that someone supposedly done that they did not see for themselves. People sitting in judge and jury of others whom they've never met before and only just heard things about the person on trial and are presented evidence of what this person is supposed to have done, and then to complicate it the person themselves will deny doing it so then the jury must do what??.......form an opinion, and then this person is sentenced to sometimes LIFE based on someone's opinion who was not there first hand to see what they are accused of. And if it's good enough for something that serious then it sure as @#$% is good enough for me, AND YOU, on much smaller, insignificant things like fishing rods. Now deal with it.
South FLA reply :
I can't believe this thread is still going! Anyway, Capt. Shane have you had a chance to pick up some new rods?
Captain Shane Procell reply :
Not yet...It'll be awhile. I have a full rack of Carrot Sticks and Shimano Cumaras that will keep me untill I try out some rods. I was hopeing this thread would die before someone got their feelings hurt
related Fishing Rods Reels Line Knots topic
most viewed Fishing Rods Reels Line Knots topic
© 2024 - fishing.qciss.net. All Rights Reserved.