[leeeeeeee]

Howdy all! So I'm getting back in to surf fishing and I'm thinking about purchasing a 13' rod with a quality conventional reel. The combo I have now is a 12' Tica with a Diawa SHA 20. It works well, but I need one more combo. I'm interested in suggestions, a lot to choose from out there. Are the $130-$160 rods tough enough to withstand typical abuse, or should I jump up to the $250 range which includes tica, some penn and a few others. Never knew about akios reels till now, Are they worth it?

Anyways, if you wouldn't mind, please feel free to help me build an inexspensive combo for 8nbait that will be more for anyone to throw including my wife and teenagers, not so much for distance. Thank you in advance.

 

[The Joker]

Penn Battalion rod with a Penn Squall II star drag size 12 or 15 will cover all the bases. The Akios reels are great casting reels but are lacking in the drag and power side.

 

[pcbtightlines]

Battalion II or III …Akios Nitron F15 model has all the power and drag you need. It also casts very well.

 

[Fish'n Phil]

Rod: BPS Ocean Master or Penn Battalion 12’
Reel: Daiwa Seagate/Saltist or Penn Squall/Fathom 2

 

[ExcessiveAngler]

Hmmmm!
I gotta ask lol, says you registered 10 years ago and this is your first post?

So, anyway, if you’re looking for decent quality affordably, I would go with a used heaver in the marketplace and If you want new, you can try the Fiblink rods, super cheap, and nice for the price!
They make a 13’ Moon Sniper 8oz rod, 2 pc. 50/50 split!
The guides are basically like your average cheap guides, and only had one break so far on a cast, which I think I banged the guide anyway earlier!
I love my Ticas, which you mentioned, and could go with another one of them, pretty affordably!
Then you have Ugly Stik, BPS Ocean Master, Daiwa all have affordable options now and Penn has a lot of rods too, cannot go wrong any of the Battalion’s and even have the Squadron lll heavers now for under $100
I just saw they released their new Tidal Surf series overseas, but can be bought online around $200 and sent over here!
As for conv. reels, there’s all kinds of cheap reels now or you can do the same thing and go buy a good quality reel used affordably in the marketplace!
You have Penn Squall’s, 525’s, Daiwa SL30SH and Saltist 20-30, Abu 6500-7000, Akios 656-757, Omoto Chief 6000-7000 and Chief Extreme530/630, Mingyang, Piscfun etc. etc.
I’m sure some others will jump in with some more help and ideas, if not, I can name some more of models from those manufactures you just have to pick a set price point and options for level wind or no level wind and do you want some sort of mag braking?

EA

 

[Don B]

Leeeeeeee,

I would keep it simple.

Since you already have a Daiwa 20, I would add a Daiwa 30. You will probably have good parts and service support.

If you really intend to let a broad spectrum of people use your next rod, a 12 foot Extra Heavy Ugly Stik is quite durable.
I did find the handle to be short and used a 12" butt cap to extend the handle by 6". The listed price is under $80.

The heavy version may be better suited to family members. However, the tip section on one did go soft after extended heavy use.

Don

 

[BeachBob]

Omoto Chief 6000 CTM and don't look back. Fantastic quality and superb performance to last a lifetime. If quality, performance, longevity and bang-for-the buck are what you require. The Chiefs were an eye opener for me and they're priced right at less than 6500 Abu's, and they have magnetic cast control! You have a PM incoming about these reels.

As to the rod, I've had both uber cheap and big dollar rods, mostly I roll my own, but I've tested the heck out of the Fiblink surf rods coming out of Asia that are $75 off Amazon and I'm a believer - 13 feet, 2 piece, 4-8ozs, they get the job done.

Amazon.com : Fiblink Surf Casting Fishing Rod 2-Piece Graphite Travel Baitcasting Fishing Rod (Length: 13') : Sports & Outdoors

Amazon.com : Fiblink Surf Casting Fishing Rod 2-Piece Graphite Travel Baitcasting Fishing Rod (Length: 13') : Sports & Outdoors

www.amazon.com

 

[leeeeeeee]

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions, I had time to go through all my fishing tackle, rods, reels and realized I have way more than I thought. So instead of buying an 8nbait combo, I'm going to repair the unusable rods I have now. Before Greg's Bait & Tackle was actually Greg's Bait & Tackle, I think it was portsmouth tackle, they were getting rid of pinnacle surf rods for really cheap, I bought five 11' 2" graphite rods for $25 a piece. But even though they have been stored in my garage for the past 12 to 13 years out of the weather and four of the five have never been used, the guides are coming off when they're touched. So I'm going to learn how to rebuild the rods I have because the one pinnacle rod I did use for years was a great rod, so the graphite blanks must be decent.

And yes, I joined the forum ten years ago🤣. I started my own business at the same time so fishing had to take a seat in the back, I've just now been able to start thinking about fishing again.

 

[leeeeeeee]

Omoto Chief 6000 CTM and don't look back. Fantastic quality and superb performance to last a lifetime. If quality, performance, longevity and bang-for-the buck are what you require. The Chiefs were an eye opener for me and they're priced right at less than 6500 Abu's, and they have magnetic cast control! You have a PM incoming about these reels.

As to the rod, I've had both uber cheap and big dollar rods, mostly I roll my own, but I've tested the heck out of the Fiblink surf rods coming out of Asia that are $75 off Amazon and I'm a believer - 13 feet, 2 piece, 4-8ozs, they get the job done.

Amazon.com : Fiblink Surf Casting Fishing Rod 2-Piece Graphite Travel Baitcasting Fishing Rod (Length: 13') : Sports & Outdoors

Amazon.com : Fiblink Surf Casting Fishing Rod 2-Piece Graphite Travel Baitcasting Fishing Rod (Length: 13') : Sports & Outdoors

www.amazon.com

For $75 I'm buying a 13'.

 

[leeeeeeee]

So I have five of these and the guides are literally falling off when I touch them. 11' 6" lure weight up to 9oz. Worth taking the time to strip the guides off and installing stainless?

 

[ExcessiveAngler]

Ab-sa- freakin-lutely LMAO brother, you gotta be kidding me!!!
Those are very old and very, very good, Graphite rods you got there my friend!
And you got five of them, damn, I would love to get my hands on one of them old Pinnacle’s, that’s what I grew up fishing, along with Silstar and Fenwick too!
I would get some decent guides and wrap a them up quite nicely as conventionals, depending on what guides are on them?
As to my comment about you joining 10 years ago and now posting, a lot of weird crap is happening on the Internet anymore, freaking spam bots, and everything else it’s just crazy!

EA

 

[leeeeeeee]

Ab-sa- freakin-lutely LMAO brother, you gotta be kidding me!!!
Those are very old and very, very good, Graphite rods you got there my friend!
And you got five of them, damn, I would love to get my hands on one of them old Pinnacle’s, that’s what I grew up fishing, along with Silstar and Fenwick too!
I would get some decent guides and wrap a them up quite nicely as conventionals, depending on what guides are on them?
As to my comment about you joining 10 years ago and now posting, a lot of weird crap is happening on the Internet anymore, freaking spam bots, and everything else it’s just crazy!

EA

If you're ever on the east coast of VA I'll trade ya a pinnacle rod for something, don't know what, maybe a used conventional reel if you're interested.

So check this out. This is where a good portion of my poles have been stored for the past 10 or so years and when I started messing around with them again, maybe a month ago, the guides on the Pinnacle’s have turned into complete garbage.

Here are three of the Pinnacle’s. Never been used.

 

[ExcessiveAngler]

Very nice, I also see you one of my all-time favorite Classics in there too, looks like an Daiwa Apollo in there, if I’m not mistaken!
Are those three unused ones, conventional or spinning?

EA

 

[Benji]

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions, I had time to go through all my fishing tackle, rods, reels and realized I have way more than I thought. So instead of buying an 8nbait combo, I'm going to repair the unusable rods I have now. Before Greg's Bait & Tackle was actually Greg's Bait & Tackle, I think it was portsmouth tackle, they were getting rid of pinnacle surf rods for really cheap, I bought five 11' 2" graphite rods for $25 a piece. But even though they have been stored in my garage for the past 12 to 13 years out of the weather and four of the five have never been used, the guides are coming off when they're touched. So I'm going to learn how to rebuild the rods I have because the one pinnacle rod I did use for years was a great rod, so the graphite blanks must be decent.

And yes, I joined the forum ten years ago🤣. I started my own business at the same time so fishing had to take a seat in the back, I've just now been able to start thinking about fishing again.

Ask Greg at the bait shack if he has any 1508 or 1509 rainshadows. Good 8nbait rods, price has probably gone up since Ronnie was building them though. Used to be very reasonably priced for what it is locally compared to little further south.

 

[leeeeeeee]

Very nice, I also see you one of my all-time favorite Classics in there too, looks like an Daiwa Apollo in there, if I’m not mistaken!
Are those three unused ones, conventional or spinning?

EA

All of them are conventional.

 

[leeeeeeee]

Ask Greg at the bait shack if he has any 1508 or 1509 rainshadows. Good 8nbait rods, price has probably gone up since Ronnie was building them though. Used to be very reasonably priced for what it is locally compared to little further south.

Will do, thank you.

 

[Don B]

Omoto Chief 6000 CTM and don't look back. Fantastic quality and superb performance to last a lifetime. If quality, performance, longevity and bang-for-the buck are what you require. The Chiefs were an eye opener for me and they're priced right at less than 6500 Abu's, and they have magnetic cast control! You have a PM incoming about these reels.

And they come is various colors. (Black not shown)

If the least cost possible is priority, Daiwa is the choice.
The Chief's magnetic adjuster does make the 6000 CTM more family friendly.

 

[Don B]

. But even though they have been stored in my garage for the past 12 to 13 years out of the weather and four of the five have never been used, the guides are coming off when they're touched. So I'm going to learn how to rebuild the rods I have because the one pinnacle rod I did use for years was a great rod, so the graphite blanks must be decent.

leeeeeeee, could you expand on " the guides are coming off when they're touched" ?

Do the guides have excessive corrosion ?
Are the thread wraps frayed or rotting ?

 

[leeeeeeee]

leeeeeeee, could you expand on " the guides are coming off when they're touched" ?

Do the guides have excessive corrosion ?
Are the thread wraps frayed or rotting ?

Nothing is frayed and minimal corrosion. If you grab the eye and wiggle ever so slightly, the ceramic will disintegrate and fall apart. Atleast I think it's ceramic, not sure, not a rod builder. The rods haven't moved for ten years so it's really odd. But I look forward to rebuilding. Tonight I removed the the guides and wrap on one of the rods, got down to the blank. Gonna post in the rod building section to get some recommendations on what guides to use.

 

[pcbtightlines]

You may want to talk to the guys at southside custom rods in VB. They do new builds and repairs too I believe.