# Favorite mirrolure rod for the surf?



## drumchaser

What's your favorite mirrolure rod and length for throwing them in the surf for best distance?


----------



## slevinkelevra

Just got a 9' Tsunami Trophy with a Penn Battle 3000 spooled with 20# PP that I can throw a mile. Nicer combos out there, but for the money, this one is hard to beat.


----------



## surf rat

That is easy.. loomis 843 gl3. 7 ft rod but it will launch a 52 mr. Without it tumbeling end over end. 6 lb mono or 10 lb braid in the surf. 15 lb floro leader.


----------



## Garboman

I have a St Croix 10' 6" Steelhead Noodle rod , it is very light and you need to transport in a rod case yo protect the tip

This rod has a slow action and will smoke normal 7'-8' trout rods

I have a Daiwa SS on it at the moment and it balances nicely


----------



## flathead

Shamano Clarus Steelhead rod, 8' 6",rated 1/4-1 oz,with Daiwa BG-15s ,loaded with Trilene 8-10# XL.Stren Extra Strength was the best mono I ever used on these rigs but was discontinued.


----------



## cobia_slayer

just to add more variety... I use and 8' tsunami airwave TSAWIS-801MF and absolutly love it. also a good rod for light sting silvers and bucktails IMO.


----------



## gshivar

I have been slinging mirrolures in surf for close to 50 years and still do not have a favorite rod! So, I am paying close attention to this thread. Do love those Daiwa SS reels. best - glenn


----------



## Fish Hunter

Loomis 844 with a US Reel 240sx with 12lb crystal fireline.


----------



## Hawk

St. Croix steelhead 10' (I think)
Cabo 20
Fireline

Will launch one.
Very sensitive, but has more power than it looks like it would.


----------



## JAM

Lami-Glas 105 2 mt 8'6 salmon steel head blank. A Ron Arara Blank.. 

The New Century 8 foot Carbon Fiber, I have one but it ain't built yet..

843 loomis one of the best..

Allot of the mirror lure tumbling is bad technic, its kinda like throwing a Spiral with a Football, if ya try to hard it don't work. You have to take it easy and let the rod do the work, at first it is hard but after a while if you picture throwin a football and use the same fluid motion you will get better and better and less tumbles.. JMHO

JAM..


----------



## drumchaser

Awesome info as always. Thanks for these replies.


----------



## GreenFord

I like my team Alabama for lures


----------



## Hawk

Hawk said:


> St. Croix steelhead 10' (I think)
> Cabo 20
> Fireline
> 
> Will launch one.
> Very sensitive, but has more power than it looks like it would.



Correction: 9' Avid series AS90MHF2


----------



## drumchaser

GreenFord said:


> I like my team Alabama for lures


Bet you don't catch anything then.


----------



## dawgfsh

G-Loomis P844 gl2 and Stradic 3000 w 8# mono.


----------



## Fishman

St, Croix Priemier 7" md or mh action


----------



## speckhunter80

drumchaser said:


> Bet you don't catch anything then.


OH, snap!


----------



## Garboman

"St Croix 10' 6" Steelhead Noodle rod" This thing is bad ass and can Pendulum Cast a Mirrolure clean out of sight especially when it is Foggy or Night Time

Might have to go for a "Skunk Down"

One Cast......No Warmups .........Mirro Lure to Mirro Lure

If My identical size and weight Mirrolure lands further on down the Road ............Your Mirrolure is mine to give to a deserving Boy Scout or in the unlikely event that your Mirrolure is the one the Trout are keying into I might have to hang on to it at least until February 2012 and perhaps give the Boy Scouts one of my duplicates.


----------



## KB Spot Chaser

Shimano CUS-72M, Cumara 7'2" medium 1/8-3/8 fast action, feather light casts plenty far


----------



## drumchaser

Garboman said:


> "St Croix 10' 6" Steelhead Noodle rod" This thing is bad ass and can Pendulum Cast a Mirrolure clean out of sight especially when it is Foggy or Night Time
> 
> Might have to go for a "Skunk Down"
> 
> One Cast......No Warmups .........Mirro Lure to Mirro Lure
> 
> If My identical size and weight Mirrolure lands further on down the Road ............Your Mirrolure is mine to give to a deserving Boy Scout or in the unlikely event that your Mirrolure is the one the Trout are keying into I might have to hang on to it at least until February 2012 and perhaps give the Boy Scouts one of my duplicates.


Those noodles sound nasty.


----------



## JAM

SteelHead Rods are Bad @ss they are rated like a 7 footer but boy o boy... Mine only 8'6 but you get looks from folks when fishing side by side and you got em by 20 feet or so every cast without effort... Thats what I built the lami 105 2 mt for Its the bomb... The century will most likley throw farther and I then will retire the lami...People look at ya finny trout fishing with such a long rod, down here most are 6'6 to 7 foot tops... 


JAM


----------



## Jesse Lockowitz

Here almost everyone that fishes the beach for trout has at least one of the salmon -steelhead rods for throwin mirros. Wether its Fenwick, lami, etc. I had a 8'6 lami and it was my fav , but now all I throw are my shimano cumaras. 7th and i get the distance and much more comfort. Super thin and light. Lot of good rods out there,


----------



## GreenFord

drumchaser said:


> Bet you don't catch anything then.


Nope never caught a fish in my life.


----------



## jay b

8' single piece St. Croix Tidemaster rod, heavy power with a fast action tip. 360 Penn Slammer with 15 lb. PowerPro braid and a 3' long 20 lb. test Flouro leader. This set-up wil toss anything from the 1/2 oz. TT/52 series Mirrolures right up to a 1 1/2 oz. leadhead with grub tail.


----------



## nardvt

> G Loomis 844 with Stradic 3000




Second. that is my setup except with 10lb braid.


----------



## JAM

Don't get me wrong Stradics are great reels, but look at their retrieve ratio.... 5:7:1 way to fast for Speck Fishing... You want a slower retrieve reel for specks... 

JMHO

JAM


----------



## Ptwn_Matt

Kistler Z-bone LE 7' matched with a Stradic FG 2500 and 15# FINS XS braid. JMHO


----------



## Fishman

JAM said:


> Don't get me wrong Stradics are great reels, but look at their retrieve ratio.... 5:7:1 way to fast for Speck Fishing... You want a slower retrieve reel for specks...
> 
> JMHO
> 
> JAM


I've thought about this same thing JAM. I have the Daiwa Laguna 2500 and the original Exceler 2500the one that replace the Laguna with what I think is a 4:7 or 4:9.1 gear ratio. I always thought that a 6:.1 grear ration was a little fast for alot of the ways that we fish for specs.


----------



## JAM

*Yeah Rick*

50 inches of line per crank is great for Spanish, and I use a Stradic for Spanish, but I could not use one for Trout.. My Fuego is 4:8:1 and brings in 28 inches per crank, don't see many folks that live here fishing a Stradic for Trout, most use the Daiwa's. Stradics have become a status symbol I guess, but def not the right tool for the Job.. I have one of the First Excellers out still smooth as silk.. I think its a 4:7:1.. With Trout the Slower the Better you know what I am saying.. .. 

JAM


----------



## Fishman

Like minds think the same


----------



## drumchaser

Is the model of the daiwa reel your speaking of the EXC 2500 4.7.1 retrieve?


----------



## Fishman

drumchaser said:


> Is the model of the daiwa reel your speaking of the EXC 2500 4.7.1 retrieve?


Thats the one. It replace the Laguna LA 2500. There where a few modifications made which usually happens when a change is made. 

JAM what do you think about a reel with a 5:3.1 gear ratio I have a Diawa Regal Xia 2500 I want to try?


----------



## taskmongo

jam I use a old red fuego for trout they are hard to beat(I caught a 45lb amberjack with butch on the yea right with my 3000 fuego last year) but a stratic will work just crank sloooower 
mongo like trout


----------



## Drumdum

taskmongo said:


> jam I use a old red fuego for trout they are hard to beat(I caught a 45lb amberjack with butch on the yea right with my 3000 fuego last year) but a stratic will work just crank sloooower
> mongo like trout


 Where ya been Matt..Miss ya down here,you wouldn't recognize Tater now...


----------



## surf rat

I think a Shimano blows away a Daiwa any day. We need fast reels to keep up with big sow Trout that are cutting across a flat with a MR 17 in their jaw...I was going thru Daiwa Sol's and T.D's like water.... Two Sol's in one year. The anti reverse went out in both. Stradic and Sustain for me. I guess you guys don't have enough big Trout down there to know any better. I guess a Daiwa is fine for 14 inchers.....Just kidding. I am sure it could handle 16 inchers just fine.


----------



## taskmongo

rat I have a 2500 stratic mgFB a 4000 sustain and 3000 fuego all work well after many years and many fish. Fuego still my favorite .Mabe you should clean your reels more.


----------



## drumchaser

Yeah, I have plenty old daiwas that are working fine.


----------



## surf rat

*Daiwa*

I know Daiwas are great reels....I'm just messing with you guys. Shimanos have problems from time to time as well. By the way you are right. I don't think I have cleaned anything other than my 7500's in years. The Sols use to be my favorite reels. I honestly like the Sustain now. I did look at the Fuego but never fished one. I think the Saltist spinning reel is one of the best reels out there.


----------



## taskmongo

I was just picken at you about the cleanen .Fuego is like a very light weight sustain. The drag is soooo smooooth and lots of it.just like a sustain.


----------



## drumchaser

I was serious about the old daiwas still working fine. I clean them after every trip though. My shimanos are hard to beat too as well as Quantums.


----------



## KB Spot Chaser

ST2500FJ is just fine at 34in. per rev. Current plays the biggest role in the retrieve 90% of the time anyway in the surf.


----------



## drumchaser

Your right Justin. Love those strads


----------



## RoryGoggin

drumchaser said:


> What's your favorite mirrolure rod and length for throwing them in the surf for best distance?


To which mirrolure do you refer? But as a rule I'd pick a rod with a sweet spot with the weight of the lure I'm casting.


----------



## drumchaser

Thanks rorygroggin, not trying to buy a diff rod for each lure. Just a general overall rod for pitching mirrors and Grubbs.


----------



## Fishman

What the gear ratio of the Fuego. Is it still being made. i like the SOL but just a little too pricey for my wallet.


----------



## surf rat

I have a couple used sols I will sell you.


----------



## taskmongo

Fuego is 4.8 to1 they are still made .ebay 200 to 300$new used a little less.


----------



## JAM

New Ballistic Series is being released... The Fuego's are more then the Sol's, I burned up 2 Td Sols in one year... But thats part of Field testing.. I am sure the 60 pound Ray didn't help much... Fishing the Fuego till Daiwa gets me the new series... Even if your goin slower your still bringing in way too much line IMHO... I was always told by the ole timers if you think your going slow, slow down... 

Bottom line if your having fun you are doing it RIGHT..

JAM


----------



## drumchaser

If I go any slower the lure want move.


----------



## OceanMaster

My best is a self built custom using a Mud Hole MHX HM-MB874 series blank 7'3" @ 2.7 ounces with 9 Fuji Titanium SIC guides plus tip, Shimano Curado 200E7 modified with Boca Ceramic bearings casting 8lb Berkley Big Game clear mono. My go to Mirrolure M51 \ M52 plugging rod......ultra light weight with a Fast / Heavy action. 

For spinning, I step the blank down to an HM - MB873 MHX at 7'3" 2.1 ounces, 7 Fuji Titanium SIC guides plus tip, Fast Medium-Heavy action with a Wavespin DH 4000z reel spooled with 30lb braid.


----------



## surf rat

Jam do get your reels from the Daiwa rep. Scott Castleberry...He is a very nice guy. I think Kevin deals with him also. I heard he fell off his roof and damn near killed himself.


----------



## speckhunter80

If you want a slower sink on a Mirrolure then go with a TT over a 52. TTs are slightly fatter so sink slightly slower.


----------



## JAM

surf rat said:


> Jam do get your reels from the Daiwa rep. Scott Castleberry...He is a very nice guy. I think Kevin deals with him also. I heard he fell off his roof and damn near killed himself.


Yeah Rat, its Scott Rodgers, Kevin Hooked me up with him a few years back. Kevin Tests all the Daiwa Stuff on the Beach, and I get some stuff to stress test from the Yak. Have not heard of Scott falling but I will look into it, see Kev bout every day, Trout huntin. Been a P!ss Poor Beach season thus far... 

JAM


----------



## surf rat

Scott Rodgers is the big boss. He is the owner of the Distributorship.... Scott Castleberry is the rep in Va. , N.C. and west by God Va....diffrent guys but Scott Rodgers is a great guy as well . I know him too. I use to be a Daiwa Pro Staff guy here in Va. Castleberry took the spill I heard. He is very well liked in the tackle industry. I have heard people say in is a world class salesman. He is on the island from time to time taking orders. He spent a lot of time a couple years back working with Ryan White at Hatteras Jack magging some reels for Drum fishing. He even brought some of the guys from Japan to meet Ryan.....I think Ryan blew their mind. A buddy of mine Ben Thomas is one of the two Daiwa Pro staff guys in Va right now. He is a Largemouth Bass and Flounder fishing Phenom. He says that Daiwa has some nice new stuff coming out next month.


----------



## JAM

Never met That Scott, Hope he is OK. I will ask about him at the Big Rock Sports Show. They have told me they have something new for me, I will find out at the Show... Lovin the Fuego for Now....

JAM


----------



## Fishman

JAM said:


> Don't get me wrong Stradics are great reels, but look at their retrieve ratio.... 5:7:1 way to fast for Speck Fishing... You want a slower retrieve reel for specks...
> 
> JMHO
> 
> JAM


Jam what would your ideal gear ratio be?


----------

