New light retractable travel rod

[MuskieBait]

(02-06-2014 10:06 AM)MikeH Wrote:  Another good alternative that's not telescopic but multi-section, is the Rapala Baja Magnum series. I picked one up at Le Barons a while ago.

Unlike most other teles or travel rods they come in sizes from 7.5ft to 13.5ft and casting weights all the way up to 4-6 ozs. So this is a travel rod you can use for big stripers, carping or deadweighting a zig rig in moving current, beachcasting etc.

I went for the middle range 9.6ft as an alternative option to my 12ft tele. It's way heavier than the tele, but so far it has worked out really well for piers and larger rivers etc. It comes in a hard travel tube which fits into my larger case ok.

Interesting rods. Looks like great options!

Two questions:

1) Does your 9'6" rod cast decent on the extreme ends? What is the sweet spot?

2) Do you like the backbone on those rods? Say...can the 9'6" hold a 25lb salmon in the current fairly well?

Looking for options to replace my 9' travel in the future if it goes "snap" one day...TFO promised me that these lifetime warranty rods will continued to be honoured and supported...but I wonder for how long...

Good to hear from you, Mike. Show us some pics of what you've been up to.