Recommendations for a casting rod to pair with a Penn Longbeach

[Legal Bill]

What do you think of this graphite model?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Factory-wrapped-Sabre-GRAFAST-STROKER-GX1970C-7-Conventional-Saltwater-Rod-/231152700588?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35d1c64cac

[Ron Jones]

That is a cool old rod. I haven't fished a grafast but it was one of the earlier hybrid rods. To be honest when these things were made they were normally bolted to nicer reels than a Longbeach 65, but the combo would be really cool. Great rod with a reel that you can turn into something cool with some work and the tutorials on here.
Ron

[SoCalAngler]

What do you think of this graphite model?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Factory-wrapped-Sabre-GRAFAST-STROKER-GX1970C-7-Conventional-Saltwater-Rod-/231152700588?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35d1c64cac

It's only a 7' rod, not an orignal Sabre and at that price I'd lood to pick up a used but in good shape 270-8. I picked up a new Calstar 800 L for only $75 more out the door. It's not a bad price but not a grate one either IMO for what your getting.

[Ron Jones]

SoCalAngler,
I know you've been around but I always thought the Grafast's were built by the Ca Tackle Company.
Ron

[SoCalAngler]

Let me be a little more clear. You are correct Ron the Gafast's were built by California Tackle Co. and I think all came from the Carson location. I should of said that the "original" Sabra's were the all glass models and have more of a following and are also fished/collected more making them a little higher in price than the Grafast rods. The Grafast were the first US composite rods built I know of. The numbering plan for these rods were a little different from their other lines. Now I have not pulled on this blank but the GX stood for the Grafast line and the 1970 was the blank number. Not sure what the 1 stands for but 9 is the blank type or mandrill number for the blank and the 70 stands for 7.0' long. I know in a Calstar and I believe in Sabre also the 970 is a 30lb test blank but like I said I have not pulled on this GX blank so maybe it would fish 20lb fine. In Calstar glass rods there are two rods that fish 30lb best the 870 and 970 with the 970 being a bit stiffer than the 870. So if the numbering is the same with the Grafast rods it would be a little stiffer in the tip making it a higher drag setting 30lb test blank. I fish a Calstar BWC 970 as a 30lb test rod and set my drag around 9-10lbs for dropper loop and yoyo iron so my drags are set a bit higher than fishing the surface. My 970 will fish bait well also but not cast light baits as far as a 870.

I still think a 8' rod rated with 20lb test as its optimal line rating would fish and cast better than a 7' rod with 30lb and maybe a stiff 30lb at that as its best test.


Edit: IMO he still get a good used Calstar 270-8 cheaper than what their asking for the Grafast.

[Legal Bill]

So I ended up with a 7 foot Shimano Teramar casting rod rated for 15 to 25 pound test.  I tried two or three casts and I am having trouble with the initial launch of the lure.  It just wants to shoot down into the water about 10 feet away after I release the reel with my thumb.  Am I holding the reel too long?  The spool seems VERY free and I get about 15 seconds of rotation time out of it when I spin it with my thumb.  Yet there seems to be a good bit of inertia that I am havign trouble overcoming.  Could the rod be too stiff?  Should I have bought something with a real whipping action?

[Ron Jones]

It is hard to diagnose this over the internet, but I would say you are holding on to the spool to long. A mentor of mine came up with an analogy that has helped many people.

Imagine you have a paint brush and you want to sling paint from a bucket on a wall in front of you. If you stop your arm or flick your wrist to early the paint goes straight up in the air, if you hold on to long the paint hits the ground in front of you. Only when you let your arm come just over your head and flick you wrist just right will the paint hit the wall. Casting is the same way, it is a feeling and is very hard to describe, but if you imagine the pole to be a long paint brush you can sling that bait against the wall.
Ron

[Newell Nut]

Technique is the key. Try to find someone that can show you and once you get the feeling it is easy. The simple little longbeach 65s on the headboat cast great with crapped up rods. It is all technique.

[Keta]

  Am I holding the reel too long? 

Yes.

[Ron Jones]

Leave it to Lee to awnser with one word!!
Ron

[Legal Bill]

Thanks guys.  Next time out, I'll try for an earlier release.

[SoCalAngler]

Start out slow and don't try heave, sling, whip or chuck your lure or bait out. Get the feeling of casting down first, your movement should be smooth and fluid through your cast. Start by casting out maybe only 25 yards at first, get the feeling of the rod, reel and what ever your casting to work together. Notice how the rod tip will load and unload as you cast. There is no need to look where the lure is going to land at first, it should hit the water and there is alot of it around a beach, pier and boat. Here on the left coast we use more of a pendulum type cast and not the whip and sling type stuff you see on bass fishing shows. After you get the 25 yard cast down then go for 30 and increase your yardage little by little. Thats what I ment when I said go slow at first in a earlier post.

There is a DVD called Advanced Casting with Frank LoPreste & Randy Toussaint filmed by the TV show Inside Sportfishing by two every well know Long Range captians. For anyone new to fishing long range or just trying to learn to cast correctly with little effort this DVD is a god send. A new DVD at around $25-$30 is not cheap but the time saved by by watching someone doing it right and explaining the how and why's of what their doing could take many headaches and several hours if not days off the learning curve.

I saw some of the DVD's going for as low as $17 plus shipping.

[Legal Bill]

Thanks so-cal.  I'll try the pendulum like movement.  I think I was whipping it like a spinning reel.

[Legal Bill]

Practiced for another half hour.  I think I'm getting worse.  Maybe I'll do better when the weather warms up.

Is it safe to say that people can cast a whole lot further with a spinning reel?

[Keta]

 Not really but the learning curve is steep.