century stealth rod

[farmer56]

breadfan  question can you get the whip in two piece ....

[Breadfan]

Yes, I'm pretty sure it only comes in 2 pc. Thrasher was at the show in N.C. over the weekend and I picked up 3 more of them. They are a 50/50 split. the website is a little lacking in details, if you need more, I can measure one of them for butt diameter and weigh it.

[farmer56]

Breadfan    ...  let me get thru the next two  weeks  ... i will look at the rest of the surf casters and talk to them  ..  possibly one would let me cast once ...  the rod i have says 1 to 4 oz.  ...  been throwing  3 oz.  bought  2 oz and 4 oz also   will try all weights ...   3 oz. was no strain on rod i know it can handle more  ....  i need to quiz rest of the anglers about  rod oz. ratings , one to know the max. oz. they ever needed here . two  will a high oz. rated rod not cast 2 oz. well , three will you not be able to detect bites .. the steath rod i have gave a nice indication that i hooked a fish ..  rod was siting in a sand spike . the tip just bent nice ,  fish on ........ thanks again ex-farmer dennis

[oc1]

I select a rod whose maximum lure weight is the lure weight I intend to use.  If you go by the minimum lure weight  the rod will feel like it is not loading and unoading.

[farmer56]

well just got back from beach again , was using the  brand  fishbites  saltwater  sand flea bait . seemed very tough to get on hook , but when i reeled in one of the two hooks was bare .  i did not see any action on rod tip ,  now i will admit there are other distractions to look at that walk by on the beach , but am i using too heavy of pyramid weight ....  was using a 2 oz. today very little tide waves ... would frozen shrimp be better for pompano ,  live bait not an option this trip ... the rod calls for 1-4 oz.  .. 3 oz.  casted well 2 oz. casted well .....  so do pompano act like in minnesota small , as we say pesky perch, rob bait but cant set hook .... love the  rod now , and fred would love this i'm using one of his dam 331 reels .... ok i'm beginning  to ramble but i love this surf casting stuff ,,  ex-farmer out ....

[oc1]

Shrimp would be much better.  Also blood worms if you can find them.  Look into mole crabs,  They aree thought to be the best pompano bait.  There might be some right there under your feet but you need the wire basket thing to catch them.

[Breadfan]

For pompano, We use sand fleas (mole crabs) clams, and crab knuckles cut from live blue crab. Fish bites are Ok but I have never had great success with them. I see all sorts of reports where they catch fish but I also think its a lot of hype. However, a little tiny piece on the hook along with your "real" bait is good, you normally have something on the hook since the Fish Bites or Fish Gum is hard to remove. As far as weight, that should not matter how heavy it is. I use a double dropper loop rig with a Sputnik weight (or spider weight) at the very end of the rig. It anchors it to the sea floor and keeps your bait above the sea floor and it also keeps your lines taught, when you get a bite, you know it. It also aids in setting the hook, circle hooks are perfect in this setup. In the gulf Sputniks are not used as much because there isn't as much current as say, the Atlantic, but I would use them anyways. I want my rig anchored to the bottom so I know exactly what is going on. Also keeping your rigs in place keeps you from getting tangled with other peoples lines and your own if you fish multiple rods like I do. I fish anywhere from two to four rods set in 5ft PVC rod holders. But some do prefer the pyramid sinker, it rolls around a little bit and some think it works better, to each his own. In the Atlantic, a Sputnik is almost a must. I can't tell you how many times someones line has tangled me up from using a pyramid sinker.

[thorhammer]

Farmer, if you're fishing spikes, put some size 4 or 6 circle light mutu circle hooks from Owner or Gami on your rig. I like the two hook rig as Bread states. If you can't get sand fleas (mole crabs), try people shrimp. I try to not use bait i wouldnt eat. Frozen MIGHT work but gets mushy quickly. Leave shell on (no one ever shelled a shrimp for a fish to eat in it's natural habitat), and use a piece about the size of your nail pinned through both sides on the hook (so the hook penetrates all the way thru the bait). Especially if you are using braid, this rig catches little bites you'd otherwise didnt know happened in a spike.

[farmer56]

hey guys thanks for all the great tips... fished the big pier today ..  Randy would be happy  ..  i was using a penn  1/0 in a narrowed tiburon frame he made possible and someone on the pier new what i had ... will get back to you guys about the ongoing struggles of the green farm-boy attempting to play surf casting expert ... i'm not quit to the novice stage yet ... thanks again ex-farmer out

[oc1]

Dennis, you should look into the possibility of putting static magnets in that reel.  Magnets take all the hard-earned skill out of casting and you become an expert overnight.

[farmer56]

farmer56 here ....   side track on the gulf ...  just ate a pound of royal reds  ,,  a first  for me why do i live sooo far from a coast ,, fresh sea food is fantastic ...  i thought since i started this post i could side track ...  but after my gut settles back to the stealth rod reviewing ,,, slash americas home video contestant ...  ex-farmer soon to be surf casting who  knows what   ??  the saga continues  dennis out

[thorhammer]

Perfect! keep the reports coming brother! pics!!!!!!

[Jeri]

hey guys thanks for all the great tips... fished the big pier today ..  Randy would be happy  ..  i was using a penn  1/0 in a narrowed tiburon frame he made possible and someone on the pier new what i had ... will get back to you guys about the ongoing struggles of the green farm-boy attempting to play surf casting expert ... i'm not quit to the novice stage yet ... thanks again ex-farmer out

A couple of things to perhaps consider. Firstly, a lighter and smaller more modern reel might have a lot of benefits to casting with a modern rod like a Stealth, something like a Penn Fahom with magnetic cast control already fitted. This would allow you more fishing time, than sorting crow's nests, and as ability in casting progresses, you can dial out the magnetic control.

Another factor might be to find a clear piece of ground inland, and have time just practicing your casting against markers in the field, then you can actually hone up the skills before wetting a line. This is something a lot of our inland clients do before arriving for their 2 week surf fishing holidays, as they then don't waste time remembering how to cast.

A last element to your development in surf casting - a saying which helps a lot: "Nice and smooth, to let it cruise."

[farmer56]

Jeri i may have not been clear . i'm using one of  Fred Oaks D A M 331 quick spinning reels on the century steath rod ... thanks for steering me right ..  my pier rod is a 7'  lamiglas  1/2 -1 1/2 oz. northern/musky baitcasting rod with a 1/0 senator with the XN tiburon kit from Randy vinntage tackle ...only dropping bait strait down 50' above the gulf ... whiting and pompano target fish . gulf is only 60 degrees now locals want 67-68 degrees ..  locals have said slowest action in years ...  will send pics. end of month when i go see son ...

[Jeri]

Jeri i may have not been clear . i'm using one of  Fred Oaks D A M 331 quick spinning reels on the century steath rod ... thanks for steering me right ..  my pier rod is a 7'  lamiglas  1/2 -1 1/2 oz. northern/musky baitcasting rod with a 1/0 senator with the XN tiburon kit from Randy vinntage tackle ...only dropping bait strait down 50' above the gulf ... whiting and pompano target fish . gulf is only 60 degrees now locals want 67-68 degrees ..  locals have said slowest action in years ...  will send pics. end of month when i go see son ...

Thanks for the clarification. Though perhaps again a more modern reel might improve your performance with the Stealth - as a Penn Spinfisher LC, which is specifically designed for surf casting with the taller spool, and reduced lip friction on the spool during the cast, which can be a truly distance robbing aspect.

We are seeing a lot of diverse weather patterns around the world this past 6-12 months, in southern Africa, we have been having drought for the past 3 years, now this year really excessive rains inland, and the Zambezi river is 7m above normal levels - that's about 23-24 feet in old money. Madagascar has been hit by 5 big cyclones in about 6 weeks, and one big enough to carry on across to Mozambique and Zambia causing huge flooding. Australia currently experiencing huge rains and floods. Big storms in the north Atlantic hitting the UK - 3 in one week. All pretty much as a result of La Nina systems in the Pacific, which are this year not confined to the Pacific Ocean.

Our waters in southern Atlantic have been super warm this past two months, with loads of species normally associated with the warmer waters in the north, and a lot of our traditional cool water species have disappeared beyond casting range from the shore, to be replaced by these northern interlopers. Not really complaining as we are now getting Bluefish and Leerfish, which is a nice change. The Bluefish are causing problems for the locals as they are just getting strikes on the bait, then nothing- reeling in and finding no hook!!!