I got a great deal on a 1st generation Fathom 15xnld2 that I want to setup for spj rockfish out of Morro Bay. I'm gonna spool it with some mono backing and 5-600 yards of 20# braid since the new deep depths could come into play. When I've jigged in the past it seemed that a 250g jig was the most used size due to current and depth so I'm thinking I need a rod rated up to 350-400g.
What brand do you recommend and why?
I'm not sure I wanna spend Blackhole prices but don't want junk either
Tough one. You might be able to find a rod that's got a 200-400g range.
Maybe Ocean's Legacy Slow Element 160-400g? Approaching Black Hole money though.
Keep in mind with rockfish it's more of a long fall technique than classic slow pitch. I built a few slow pitch rods and they work fine but I like a little longer more traditional rod for long fall. My favorite so far is a seeker Hercules 80 or a ESM80-M. Something with a moderate action 8'20-40 works well for me anyway. I can bring a few on the trip if you want to try out
I think I'm going to go with a Temple Reef Elevate level 2. They get great reviews, use good components and are reasonably priced.
The 200-400g model? They look good, especially for the $.
I had the Temple Reef Project X, I liked that one a lot. Only issue is its short.
I finally ordered my TR Elevate spj rod. I went with the level 2 for 150-350g jigs. Should be perfect for Morro Bay rockfishing
The rod arrived last week and it looks great and the components are quality. It matches up perfectly with the tib'd out XN jigmaster I'm gonna pair with it. The reel has a ton of backing and 300 yards of 20# 8 strand braid.
I'm gonna break in the setup on our Avenger trip next month and plan on only fishing jigs so I can really concentrate on my technique.
I just realized that if you put your last name first your initials are "SPJ"
...Almost like it was meant to be.