# AFAW 13' Surf/Gator Glass Pomp comparison.



## Railroader (Apr 13, 2005)

With the recent purchase of two new surf rods, I have some interesting observations. These are MY observations, your mileage may vary. 

The Gator Pomp is the perfect example of an "Old School" surf rod. It's big, it's thick, and it's whippy. With some cork tape, the butt is well over an inch in diameter, and the Fuji 24 reel seat is the smallest that will work. When my step son first saw it he asked..."What'cha got there, new shark rod?"...  

Gator Glass doesn't say what it's rated for, but to me the GP seems to like three ounces the best. Casts very well, but you gotta slow down, and let the rod work.

Bite detection, even with a small fish, is VERY obvious. The whole rod starts jumping in the spike, and the tip lays way over. A cool thing to watch, I don't care who you are.

If you were to bend the GP to the breaking point, right before something gave, you have something that resembled a black Hula-Hoop. It bends the same from tip to butt.

A fish catching pick-up truck, if you will.. 

The AFAW 13' Surf is the latest and greatest in the world of high tech fishing rods. It's light weight, skinny, pretty, and with a Fuji plate reel seat, even someone with the smallest of hands would find the Surf easy to handle. The best looking, best feeling, factory rod I ever saw.

AFAW rates the rod at 3-5 ounces, but for me it likes four the best. Casts very well, but you gotta slow down, and let the rod work.

The AFAW has VERY obvious bite detection, like the GP, but it delivers the message in a completely diffetent way. The first foot and a half of the Surf vibrates VIOLENTLY, even when a 6" fish nibbles on a bait 125 yds out..A cool thing to watch, I don't care who you are.

If you were to bend the Surf to the breaking point, right before the SNAP, you'd have something that looked like a long-shanked "J" hook. Lots of flex in the first two feet from the tip.

A fish catching Ferrari, if you will.

You'd be hard pressed to find two rods that are more different in construction, action, appearance, and feel in hand. You'd also be hard pressed to find two rods that work so similarly, on the cast.

Both rods respond their best to a slow, deliberate swing, with a late application of power at the end. If you let them, both rods will tell you when to "hit it", and feel almost the same at that moment...

This suggests to me that surf rod technology has come full circle, and I'm just wondering where we go from here...

I can't wait to find out...


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## HellRhaY (Jul 6, 2007)

Railroader said:


> I'm just wondering where we go from here...


titanium rods...graphite will be a thing of the past pretty soon.


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## basstardo (Jun 5, 2006)

I assume you're joking, but if you're not...

You really think so? Titanium ain't cheap, and I don't know too many people who are willing to shell out that much money just for a rod. The Titanium guides you showed me were expensive just for 1 guide, let alone a whole blank. Could you even make a blank from titanium?


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## HellRhaY (Jul 6, 2007)

terry,
i've read somewhere that a company is already in the process of making titanium tip rods. like glass tips and graphite body a.k.a composite.

the said company is already testing graphite body with titanium tips but had encountered a couple problems.

take my word with a grain of salt. i have read it somewhere. i forgot what company, but indeed it is under testing.


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## basstardo (Jun 5, 2006)

I do remember some rumblings from the last rod show about the titanium tip deal. I still have to wonder about the cost of that though. It's certainly a neat idea. I have also seen the Texalium material with is an aluminum impregnated fiber.


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## Al Kai (Jan 8, 2007)

Railroader said:


> With the recent purchase of two new surf rods, I have some interesting observations. These are MY observations, your mileage may vary.
> 
> The Gator Pomp is the perfect example of an "Old School" surf rod. It's big, it's thick, and it's whippy. With some cork tape, the butt is well over an inch in diameter, and the Fuji 24 reel seat is the smallest that will work. When my step son first saw it he asked..."What'cha got there, new shark rod?"...
> 
> ...


Excellent Rod review from a genuine angler.
Thank you.


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## Sea Level (Nov 20, 2005)

Good review Rob! I was interested in how you liked the Gator rod. 

You know I am an AFAW "Surf" rod fan. Since I got my first one in May of 2007 from Steve Austin's shop I loved it -- had him build me a second one a couple of months later. 

They will throw 3-5 just fine, but I like the 130 gram weights best.


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## lil red jeep (Aug 17, 2007)

Al Kai said:


> Excellent Rod review from a genuine angler.
> Thank you.


Ditto, classy review from on of the smartest I've ever read!


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