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I'm looking for a recommendation for a 10' 1 piece rod blank. Most (95%) of my plugs are between 1.3 - 1.7 oz, with a few up to 2.2 oz. I'm using a spinning reel, and generally fish (90% of the time) the New Jersey beaches. I do fish Rhode Island, Martha's Vineyard, and will be going to Montauk for the first time.
I hear conflicing reports on some of your 10' rod weight ranges, anywhere from 1-3 oz or 2-4 oz for the same blank. So I thought I'd ask 'the professional'.
I love to work a pencil popper,and I'm not sure if it matters. Can I buy the blank directly from this site, or is there a shop that you'd recommed I visit? I'm around the Valley Forge/Allentown Pa area.
Thanks for you help. I've been agonizing this purchase for about 6 month, but can't seem to get consistant information.
I live in south Jersey and plug the beaches from LBI south. I also have family in eastern CT so I do make occasional trips to fish the south county area of RI. I use a rod based on the GSB120L blank for my Jersey plugging. It will handle the weight range of the plugs you mentioned, is a very good rod for throwing 3/4 oz - 1.5 oz bucktails (my most productive method in Jersey) and due to it's soft action
does a good job working ~ 2 oz pencils. However, when the wind and surf is up, and during my trips to RI, I opt for a rod built on the GSB1201M blank. This rod has the guts to drive a lure into the wind better than the L and control (or try to anyway) a good fish in and around rocks like you'll find in RI.
The weight ranges of the blanks is decieving. The 1201L based rod I use works well for me in the 3/4-2 oz range (bucktails, medium swimming plugs, 5-6 inch swim shads). It's upper range is where the 1201M starts to take over (2 - 3 oz plugs, live and rigged eels and big poppers).
Hope this helps.
If you are "pluggin" mostly NJ and will fish north I strongly recommend either the GSB1201L or the XRA1204 wrapped with Fuji Alconite guides. Both are light (for all day fishing comfort), both have enough backbone to turn a big fish, both will work a pencil popper correctly, and both blanks have proven to be very durable.
If you head to Montauk you won't be "undergunned", even if you fish the Cape Cod Canal. Just us the appropriate line to match your lure weight and distance needs.
If you have a reel issue getting the blank I live in the same area, maybe I can help. Let me know.
Good Luck!