North Australian FISH FINDER TM forums

I'm in the market for a high end baitcaster rod and I was after some opinions on the best quality rod is. I'm looking for about an 6-12kg, 5'9 - 6'6 rod.

I've been looking at the Wilson Venom 6kg or 8kg, or a Shimano Zodias, but also am interested in St Croix or G-Loomis.

wilson venom all the way

I'm not sure how popular they are in the NT, but Edge rods by Gary Loomis are worth serious consideration.

I have an ISR 606, BCR 665 and BCR 666. The 666 fits your specs but the 6-12kg you say you are looking at is a really big range.

I find the 665 is an excellent allrounder but the shorter 606 is my favourite for casting smaller (less than 100mm) lures.

Cheers,
Rhet

Can't be any happier with my st.Croix premier doesn't hurt the pocket too much light but still has enough grunt to stop fish and feel everything with it

I have 3 venoms and love them to bits. The only thing I dont like about them is they get some small amounts of corrosion at the base of the guides, no matter how much I flush them after every trip. They have caught 120+ jewfish and barra though

I agree with Flickin , I love my Gloomis IMX . I do own a Venom but I find the rear butt way to small ( at least 100mm shorter ) and it would be twice as heavy as the loomis

I brought the Shimano Zodias 6 foot Medium Heavy "1 1/2 piece" (ZOD160MH2) mid last year and I must say it's pretty much the only rod I've used for Barra since. To put it in perspective I have a Megabass Destroyer that hasn't been getting a look in after I brought it. The thing I really like about it is that most rods do only one of the two things they are designed to do very well ie. cast and fight fish. This rod does both very well and is an absolute demon on fish.
Cheers,

John.

G LOOMIS IMX or CBR CRANKBAITS......easy choice if you can spend the coin.
NRX spin rods if you’re going that way as well.

Richie

Music to my ears John, I just ordered the XH 7.5 foot Zodias Swimbait rod.

G.LOOMIS GL3 CR664 CASTING ROD, 5'6", 12-20lb about $320 been around for years originally came out in a dark moss green colour but changed to a black matt finish a few years ago. I have the black matt version, teams up good with my Curado 200HG and 30lb power pro braid

I also own a couple of Edge rods in baitcaster and spin. Beautiful blanks but hate the recoil guides. Meant to be indestructible, but have still managed to break two of them.

Don't know if they still sell them but the Pioneer carbon rods worked just fine and at $60 or so you could sit on them, tread on them, use them to push off the bank, wind them right down to a submerged snag, swat annoying pests with them, stick them in a car door, have them stolen, etc etc and not cry.

My pet hate is runner guides popping out but I suspect that happens with 'em all.

Ended up pulling the trigger on a Zodias 6 foot 10-25lb, bcf had them on sale for not too much.

Anything under 100 bucks. Get a good reel and good line.

I'm guessing they changed the rating slightly to include the boys using 10lb braid but that's the model I have and you will not be disappointed. Let's put it this way I can see a gear sell off in my future and another of these rods is on the list of replacements.