# Advice Please



## permit (May 10, 2003)

I am looking for a long distance casting rod for pompano and mullet, prefer 12 or 13 foot, with no foam grip. So far I have found the Tica TC3 dolphin and not much else. Any other options come to mind under $ 250-300?


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## pcbtightlines (Aug 9, 2020)

The Carolina Cast Pro Gen 2 13 ft 3-6 seems to be in high demand for what you are looking for. It is about $350. You might want to call Tommy and discuss the rod with him.


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## permit (May 10, 2003)

Considered it but I hate foam grips


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## ABombs (Oct 13, 2020)

I was looking for rods under your criteria, because I am curious. What I discovered is that most of the rods offered for 12 or 13 foot surf rods are almost all exclusively heavy or extra heavy rods. Maybe you find a medium heavy rod in there. But it occurred to me that it might be hard to find a lighter rod suitable for the finesse of the fish you are targeting. But if heavy is okay for you, then tackledirect has a lot of highly rated options.

I have a 12' Ugly Stik Bigwater and like it a lot, but it is a heavy rod, and I use it for bigger game fish. And it's way cheaper than the price range you are after.

Also, not sure if you are familiar, but putting on a shrink tube wrap on your foam grip is cheap and easy--major upgrade if you don't like foam.


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## permit (May 10, 2003)

Yes I am thinking if going the heat shrink road, but did not know how well it would adhere to the foam, either that or buy a blank and build my own, though I have never built a heaver


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## ABombs (Oct 13, 2020)

permit said:


> Yes I am thinking if going the heat shrink road, but did not know how well it would adhere to the foam, either that or buy a blank and build my own, though I have never built a heaver


I haven't personally tried it (yet), but have seen photos posted on other forums of very happy fisherman that swear by heat shrink tubing grips. I don't see why it wouldn't work well over the foam.

I have a cheap rod that had a plastic reel seat, and the problem I had was that it was always coming loose. So I put one tiny bead of super glue to hold it. Bad move. Then it wouldn't come undone. Tried acetone, and it started to dissolve the reel seat plastic, and still wouldn't come free. So at some point when I must, I will have to cut the reel seat off the rod and replace it. So in the back of my mind I am planning this and scoping parts, etc. Might as well make it really nice.... I plan to put a nice seat on it, and use this shrink tubing. If it happens anytime soon I will post some results.


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## permit (May 10, 2003)

permit said:


> I am looking for a long distance casting rod for pompano and mullet, prefer 12 or 13 foot, with no foam grip. So far I have found the Tica TC3 dolphin and not much else. Any other options come to mind under $ 250-300?


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## permit (May 10, 2003)

After much debate I decided to order the blank from Tommy and build the rod myself


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## ABombs (Oct 13, 2020)

I met a custom rod builder local to me here in SW Florida and bought a couple of rebuilt rods from him today. By coincidence, the heavy 8' rod I was after came with a new reel seat and foam grip covered in heat shrink tubing, just like we were talking about here. It looks and feels really nice! 

Maybe after I use it a bit I will give a little more feedback. But so far, I am really impressed with it. It's very light overall, good balance, and it's nice and thick and feels very nice in the hands. I have mild arthritis, so a thick grip that stays put in my hands really helps out a lot after hours of active fishing.


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## permit (May 10, 2003)

ABombs said:


> I met a custom rod builder local to me here in SW Florida and bought a couple of rebuilt rods from him today. By coincidence, the heavy 8' rod I was after came with a new reel seat and foam grip covered in heat shrink tubing, just like we were talking about here. It looks and feels really nice!
> 
> Maybe after I use it a bit I will give a little more feedback. But so far, I am really impressed with it. It's very light overall, good balance, and it's nice and thick and feels very nice in the hands. I have mild arthritis, so a thick grip that stays put in my hands really helps out a lot after hours of active fishing.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the feedback, hope you enjoy!


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