Found my combo

Actually a few of them .
Some you may have read about my pursuit to put together the best casting combo for casting light jigs .
I went from a 1/32 ball head jig to the 1/64 jighead by Trout Magnet yesterday while fishing and noticed I picked up a few feet even with my 5’6” Daiwa Trout XUL and St Croix Premier rods .
Today I was back at it, in the driveway , tossing 1/64 Trout Magnet jig and bodies .
I decided to try my various 5’ St Croix UL rods that are labeled Ultralight Moderate. I also got out my Kastking Zephyr SFS 1000 reels loaded with 2# Floroclear.
First cast with a 5’ Premier was just over 75’ . WOW . I thought that must have been a fluke , but nope , I was able to consistently cast this combo from 72’-76’ .
Accuracy was better too .
I tried a Daiwa 1000 Team Diawa , and older but nice , lightweight reel , and my distance went down by 5-7’ . I didn’t think different reels of the same size would make that much difference, but it did .
I tried a new model 5’6” SC Triumph two piece ULF , that to me , seems more like an ULM . Paired with a newer Daiwa Fuego LT1000d and got good results of around 75’ also.
I’ve always read a longer fast action UL rod would cast further .
I think the moderate action is loading better than my longer fast action rods .
I know one thing , fighting panfish are more fun on moderate rods .
I think a USA action moderate UL is similar to a JDM XUL or SUL but doesn’t have the bend in the bottom half of the blank the JDM rods have .
Fun experiment.
Next boat trip I’ll be armed with my 5’ and 5’6” USA ultralights . I’ll be using my Kastking reels more too. They are over an ounce lighter than my 1000 size Daiwas and Shimanos .

I have 2 St. Croix UL rods. One is an Avid 5' fast action. The other is a Premier 5' 6" moderate. My personal preference is the moderate action. I like the way it loads up even with light jigs myself. That is the one that I have my KastKing Zephyr SFS 1000 on. I am very anxious to get out and actually fish that combo. It casts very nicely around the yard.

By the way Gill your spoons are in the mail!


Regards


Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com

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Originally Posted by Alphahawk

By the way Gill your spoons are in the mail!


Regards


Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com

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Thank you Sir !
I hope I can do justice with them .

Good report, gill. Thanks for the info.
Bob

Ok guys . I messed up in my distances .
I was walking off my distances.
This morning , I got out the tape measure and at the longer distances I was about five feet off .
My fifteen feet was more like twelve.
Sorry ..
I’m working on new numbers if anyone is interested and if I can find a time when I don’t have a cross wind on my driveway.

Still some good distance

I find it kinda cool that you have the stable to pick all these from. Our neighbors must think we’re all nuts fishing in the yard. Oh well, their loss. Post after you play, we’ll be watching.

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Originally Posted by skeetbum

I find it kinda cool that you have the stable to pick all these from. Our neighbors must think we’re all nuts fishing in the yard. Oh well, their loss. Post after you play, we’ll be watching.

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Hahaha ! All of my neighbors except maybe the guy across the street from me . We talk tackle and fishing when we run in to each other .

I tried getting distance measurements on a couple of my outfits last week but had to shut it down due to the neighborhood birds. Robins, sparrows and black birds were chasing my baits through the grass as I reeled it back in. I know if I tried I could have stuck a couple of them. Them birds were hungry.

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Originally Posted by JUNGLEJIMJIGS

I tried getting distance measurements on a couple of my outfits last week but had to shut it down due to the neighborhood birds. Robins, sparrows and black birds were chasing my baits through the grass as I reeled it back in. I know if I tried I could have stuck a couple of them. Them birds were hungry.

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That’s a funny story. Nice one to start the day.
Bob

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Originally Posted by JUNGLEJIMJIGS

I tried getting distance measurements on a couple of my outfits last week but had to shut it down due to the neighborhood birds. Robins, sparrows and black birds were chasing my baits through the grass as I reeled it back in. I know if I tried I could have stuck a couple of them. Them birds were hungry.

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That's a different definition of birding from the one I know.


Sent from my Pixel 6 using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

My latest distance numbers . ( Measured )
The best combo was a tie at 66 feet .
One was a 5’6” St Croix Premier, paired with a KastKing Zephyr 1000 SFS reel .
And the other was a 6’3” Abu Garcia Mass Beat 3 UL rod paired with the KK Zephyr 1000 SFS reel .
With the Abu Garcia rod I tried it with a Daiwa Fuego LT 1000 and could only get 56’ out of it . 55’ with a Shimano Symetre 500 reel .
Reels do make a difference in casting distance.

BTW , the new reel , a KastKing Kestrel 1000 on a 5’6” old model St Croix Trout Series rod got between 58-60’ yesterday. The 60’ cast came when I was able to guesstimate a lull in the wind .

No birds were harmed during my experiment. :)

Another day of testing and I discovered another winning combo .
My 5’6” 13 Fishing Omen Ultralight rod paired with a KastKing Zephyr SFS 1000 reel at 66’ , with four casts at 60+ feet .
Seems to be a common denominator in these combos and it’s the KastKing Zephyr reel . At 5.3oz , it’s not as light as the Kestrel, but it’s still a lightweight.
Something about the spool design is allowing me to get cast farther.
Looks like for the most part 5’ 6” rods rule too.

Jim, I would’ve paid a couple of bucks to watch that show.

Chaser, your neighbors are getting so used to watching you fish the front yard that they’ll miss you when you’re done with your testing. I’ll have to look into the kestrel, sounds interesting. Oh yeah, round two with the Soare tomorrow.

I really like the results you're getting with that Zephyr. I have one but haven't been able to fish it yet. But I have it on the exact same St. Croix rod you tried it on. Thanks for the report.

SC Bill , IMO The Kastking Zephyr 1000 SFS reel is one of the best bargain reels out there .
After my little casting experimentation, I plan on using mine more than before.

Today , it’s raining off and on this morning, so during a break I decided to try out a couple of custom UL rods I own.
One is a 5’4” , feel like a fast action and has a split grip .
The other is a 5’ moderate fast built on an American Matrix blank with custom grip and handle .
I used the KastKing Kestrel SFS reel on both and tried the Zephyr on the 5’4” ,thinking I might get an extra foot of distance, but the distances were about the same .
Distance with the 5’4” was right at 60’ with a 1/64 jig and 70’ with a 1/32 jig .
With the 5 footer , 56’ with the 1/64 and just over 60’ with the 1/32 jig .
I’m thinking both the extra 4” of rod length and the fast tip contributed to the longer distance.
I also threw my 5’4 St Croix (new series) Panfish with the Zephyr and 1/32 jig and got around 70’ with it also .
I wish St Croix would go back to the grip that was on their original Panfish series , I don’t care for the new grip .
BTW , I don’t care for the grips on my custom rods either .
I don’t like the hump on the split grip and the other is similar to the St Croix panfish grip in feel .

I am a fan of travel rods .
My attraction to travel rods started several years ago with a St Croix Triumph 5’6” four piece ultralight rod .
This one rod has caught more fish than any other rod I’ve owned.
One reason is it was always in my truck ready to go fishing whenever I found a place to wet a line . Another reason is it is a dream to cast . Very accurate and with its xtra fast tip would toss light lures .
I got out a couple of the less used ones ( I own several backups :) ) and a KastKing Zephyr 1000 SFS reel I put th m to the test .
With a thunderstorm approaching I skipped the 1/64 and tied on a 1/32 jig head and Trout Magnet body .
My first cast was around 68’ . My next four casts all topped the 70’ mark .
I knew there was a reason I loved these rods .
They’re not the lightest available and have an unusual bend to it , but I’ve handled bass over five pounds on one . A pond cat of about four pounds , my PB crappie and PB shoal bass .
And they break down into four pieces that can be stashed in any vehicle ready when I am .

I’m surprised that you don’t like the grips on the two pictured rods. I have one with the hump style,though it’s not on a UL rod. I find it comfortable but different. One of my recent builds uses the other reel seat. It’s a bit thin for my taste but not uncomfortable. I have to trim the threaded portion down some as there just way too much of it for my needs. The split grip on the pink trimmed rod of mine is very different but not uncomfortable either, to my surprise.

Thanks for your testing results. I can barely see clearly to 75ft…:Rofl

I spent another couple hours in the driveway today.
This time I was casting a .7g size 14 hook spinner on various combos and 2# Floroclear.
I have added a tiny swivel about 10-12” above the spinner and use a wire clip , so I can change lures easily.
My averages distance today was only 38-45’ .
What surprised me was the combos that cast the 45’ .
Some of the combos were , a 5’ Daiwa Trout X XUL rod paired with a Shimano 500 Nasci 500 , a 4’6” Daiwa Trout X XUL paired with a Daiwa Fuego LT 1000 , and a 4’6” St Croix (old series) Panfish paired with a Daiwa Fuego LT 1000.
The short rods outcast the 5’6” and 6’ rods I tried . At least by a yard .
Three feet could make a difference in getting bit .
These will make great rods for fishing out of the boat , especially for their accuracy.
Make good creek rods too.

I love reading your reports, especially because some of the stuff you're using is similar to or identical to what I have. But you gotta get out of that driveway, man. People are going to start worrying about you. And you're liable to become a Tik Tok sensation.

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Originally Posted by UpstateSC_Bill

I love reading your reports, especially because some of the stuff you're using is similar to or identical to what I have. But you gotta get out of that driveway, man. People are going to start worrying about you. And you're liable to become a Tik Tok sensation.

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Haha ! I have a long driveway and my lot is wooded .
I’d cast in grass if I had an area big enough without tree limbs in the way .

BTW , the Panfish rod is a 4’10” not a 4’6” . And it’s an UL fast action .

Wow , can’t believe it’s been two and a half years since I was driveway casting my rod/combos .
The last couple of days , I’ve been at it again .
This time , everything got 2# Floroclear line and a bare 1/32 oz jighead that weighs 1g on my scales .
Just as before , the KastKing reels consistently outcast the others .
Has to be something in the spool design or the line lay on the spool . Or both .
Shorter rods ruled too . Especially the 5’4” rods . We’re talking 10-15’ farther . That’s a bunch .
All of this long distance testing and I’m thinking of fishing the creek tomorrow before the rain comes through and blows it out .

I continue to “test” combos for distance.
I’m back on the braid wagon :) . I’m glad I spooled the old braid onto a large line spool so I can reuse it unlike the miles of mono I’ve discarded over the years .
Anyway , my result so far have followed along the same results as before with the 2# Floroclear . Of course the braid doesn’t cast as far as the super thin 2# Floroclear, but it’s close . Especially out of my shorter rods .
The only “long” rod that has equaled the shorter rods of less tha 5’6” , is my 5’8” Major Craft Aji do ajing rod with a 500 size reel .
The smaller spool creates smaller loops that are easier to enter the striper guides on most of my rods .
If I were to build my perfect rod , it would be a 5’4” extra fast UL powered rod with oversize lower guides tapering down to small but not micro guides and tip . The reel seat would be a two piece with only a short space between the butt and rear of the reel seat .
I’ve been looking at Mudhole blanks and they have a 5’6” that I could cut two inches off the butt to give me my length .
I’ve put together a few rods before . I hesitate to say I built a few rods . The results weren’t very pretty, but they fished .
I’ve also had a couple of rods custom built for me but they didn’t turn out like I had hoped .m
The search goes on , for that perfect rod . :)