What do you look for in a blackfish rod?

[Jay]

Originally Posted by JerseyCoast

Tough topic to get a majority to agree on. You have 3 types of blackfish rods and fishermen.

1- Soft Tip - rest backbone
2- Fast Action, with progressive/moderate action half way up the rest of the rod
3- Medium, slow action

Most important, is the ability to fish some heavy weights. You want to be able to hold that sinker in place, under rough conditions. Too soft and you will bounce the sinker around, keeping the tog away from your bait.
Too soft and you will be taken into the hole almost every time. Me, well I like both a fast action and a medium action. I always bring 2 rods, with the fast action being the rod for lighter sinkers and my medium action rod being used for the heavy stuff.

You will get a ton of opinions here, and NONE of them will be wrong! Its all dependant upon the fisherman.

I agree with you 110%.

[Kevin Bogan]

Here's my view:
some anglers like graphite some glass. I happen top like glass. In a medium taper it offers a "softness" as it loads up that plays the fish right while he is going crazy on the other end of the line. 7' is a popular length.
Graphite is claimed to be more sensitive, however sensitivity is actually an ability of the fisherman to "know" what he is feeling. Graphite is generally stiffer and has less stretch, or the ability to absorb shock. I have been building blackfish rods for Thirty Years. I offer both glass and graphite. They start at $145 for a rod that will kick ass on blackfish, all day every day. Graphites start at $160.
Slow Load-= Dead Blackfish!!!!

[JerseyCoast]

Mike & Kevin bring up good points here, in addition to all of the different types of fishermen out there.

I wanted to add that, if you notice....the builders prefer a glass/composite rod over graphite. I agree, sensitivity is 99% the fisherman. I have seen many graphite rods snap when snagged, or maybe being too sensitive, causing an early swing.

Best bet is to try some friends rods as mentioned. When it comes to tog, no 2 fishermen are alike it seems. We may be close, but hardly ever 100% alike. ( plus, the conditions will vary, trip to trip).

I think you got some great advice here from everybody. ( sponsors & members alike).

[MrAC1980]

This might sound retarded, but anyone ever compare physical weights of above mentioned rods? Can someone weigh a Bogan Fish Poison and other custom rods without the reel? Be interesting to see once for once how they compare.

[Sea Bear]

Originally Posted by MrAC1980

This might sound retarded, but anyone ever compare physical weights of above mentioned rods? Can someone weigh a Bogan Fish Poison and other custom rods without the reel? Be interesting to see once for once how they compare.

Comparing apples to apples the bogan rods are heavier every time.

[Kevin Bogan]

Originally Posted by MrAC1980

This might sound retarded, but anyone ever compare physical weights of above mentioned rods? Can someone weigh a Bogan Fish Poison and other custom rods without the reel? Be interesting to see once for once how they compare.

Lightweight rods just dont hold up. The lighter you make it, the more they are likely to break, have guide failure etc. This is why I say that hunters are tougher than fishermen. They carry a rifle all day that weighs 10-12 lbs, and a few guys that fish worry about a rod that weighs an ounce or two more.

[mickrazz]

Originally Posted by JerseyCoast

Tough topic to get a majority to agree on. You have 3 types of blackfish rods and fishermen.

1- Soft Tip - rest backbone
2- Fast Action, with progressive/moderate action half way up the rest of the rod
3- Medium, slow action

Most important, is the ability to fish some heavy weights. You want to be able to hold that sinker in place, under rough conditions. Too soft and you will bounce the sinker around, keeping the tog away from your bait.
Too soft and you will be taken into the hole almost every time. Me, well I like both a fast action and a medium action. I always bring 2 rods, with the fast action being the rod for lighter sinkers and my medium action rod being used for the heavy stuff.

You will get a ton of opinions here, and NONE of them will be wrong! Its all dependant upon the fisherman.

If your sinker is coming off the bottom you are fishing to tight a line. YOU don't hold your sinker on the bottom, the sinker holds itself on the bottom as long as you use enough weight according to the conditions. If you prefer to fish a tight line a soft tip is better than a stiff tip because it will give a little when the boat heaves. Boat goes up, rod tip goes down. Boat comes back down, rod tip goes up.

With all the underwater videos posted on here I have never seen a togs head poking out from some hole waiting for a crab to drift by, tog swim around the wreck or the structure. Tog don't live in holes. Getting a tog away from structure is done on the hookset and the first few turns of the reel with a properly set drag. Sure, we all have had tog get back down to wedge their head in a rock crevice, but that can be blamed on fisherman error, a weak hookset or where the tog is when he got hooked in relation to the structure on the bottom. If you swing like every tog is going to be a double digit most of them will never get back to the structure.

[JerseyCoast]

I fish a tight line myself, but lately we have some guys using jigs for them with some decent fish to show for it, So who knows,,,,,,,,,, tog are a tough fish. Aside from the guy next to you crushing them and you catching nothing, I have found that they often change the way they will feed from hour to hour.


I think the best way to do it.....is to get out there, try a few different styles of rods and make the decision based on how YOU feel. Everybody has a different need and style.

[bulletbob]

With all due respect... We used to catch buckets full of big tog with $5 5-6 foot solid glass boat rods as big around as your wrist, dacron line or 50# $.79 K mart mono, and those cheap old Penn reels with no drag, plastic spools, and a green handle.
I know tog fishing is tougher these days, a LOT more fishermen, and a LOT less fish, but still.. $200+ for a blackfish rig?... Its just not needed if you have any decent feel for fishing.. its all a matter of getting a rod with the right backbone to set the hook, a heavy enough reel and line, and then just putting the time in.. Right now I would be badly outfished anywhere by anyone for tog, as I haven't gone in years, but if I started driving the 500 mile round trip every weekend, I would be catching my share after the first trip or two... well 3 maybe,,
I did great on tog using $2 garage sale rods when I lived in NJ.. Its simply a matter of getting out there, and fishing them regularly.. In short order, you are connecting just as well as the guys with the $300 rods... bob

[italianfisherman]

Originally Posted by bulletbob

With all due respect... We used to catch buckets full of big tog with $5 5-6 foot solid glass boat rods as big around as your wrist, dacron line or 50# $.79 K mart mono, and those cheap old Penn reels with no drag, plastic spools, and a green handle.
I know tog fishing is tougher these days, a LOT more fishermen, and a LOT less fish, but still.. $200+ for a blackfish rig?... Its just not needed if you have any decent feel for fishing.. its all a matter of getting a rod with the right backbone to set the hook, a heavy enough reel and line, and then just putting the time in.. Right now I would be badly outfished anywhere by anyone for tog, as I haven't gone in years, but if I started driving the 500 mile round trip every weekend, I would be catching my share after the first trip or two... well 3 maybe,,
I did great on tog using $2 garage sale rods when I lived in NJ.. Its simply a matter of getting out there, and fishing them regularly.. In short order, you are connecting just as well as the guys with the $300 rods... bob

good point .