The Pikers Pit

With apologies if I’ve broken some unwritten law by posting same topic in two fora… Grateful for recommendations of a (probably) 1.75 lb TC rod to reach around 70 m to some big perch with a 2 oz torpedo feeder PVAd to a big lobworm, please. Has a better rod than, say, the Drennan Specialist Distance Tench & Bream come along recently?

Is there a significantly better reel for the job, i.e., longer casting, than my Shimano 5000 REs? And what ultrareliable 8 lb line to upgrade to from the good old 6 lb Sensor I use with my Avons?

Many thanks for your help

I'm very happy with the drennaan rods,but the new korum omega rods look nice

Thanks, Sean. Which test curve do you have, 1.75 or 2 lb? What line do you use for really blasting?

You don't need a rod like that to hit 70m, a heavy feeder rod will do that comfortably, especially if you drop to 6lb line and use a 10lb shock leader.

Coggon wrote: ↑Wed Apr 05 2023 21:00 -

Thanks, Sean. Which test curve do you have, 1.75 or 2 lb? What line do you use for really blasting?

I have the 2lb tc ,I can comfortably cast 80/90 yards with these using a helicopter rig,using 12lb synchro xt straight through(there's big carp and weed in my pits)I haven't used them for my perch,I use my 11ft 1.25 TC twin tip duos for that,rivers and shorter range fishingight be worth looking at the 12 ft 1.5tc of those,there's a video on YouTube of martin bowler fishing forbig roach at range using these

Thanks for your input, gents. I hadn’t really thought about dedicated feeder rods. In case it’s of interest, I settled on a SHIMANO AERO X1 DISTANCE FEEDER ROD (12FT, CASTING WEIGHT: 90G), not that I’ve had a chance to try it out yet - it being pike topwater time and all…

Well, I’ve had a chance to use the Shimano Distance Feeder now, and I and it are edging closer to the distances I was hoping for BUT… it’s got what seems to me a pointlessly floppy, almost quiver-type, tip and I feel that it’s preventing me from loading the rest of the rod properly. Grateful to understand why such a soft tip? Or Is it a normal feeder rod thingy I simply hadn’t cottoned onto?

Thanks

Is something to do with it being intended to register bites by the tip being pulled round?

Never owned a feeder rod but have done a bit of feeder fishing using either a 'float rod' or one of my carp rods & all I did was change the tip ring for a threaded one that takes screw in swing, spring or quiver tips.
The float rod is an ancient & quite stiff fibreglass 12' I've had since the 70s.
At 2.5lb the carp rod is probably overkill!

I do a very small amount of dropshotting & am using an 8' lure rod rated for up to 90g casting weight.
Fine for heavy vertical jigging on Rutland as is & I've put a threaded tip ring on that & use it with a heavyish quiver tip for dropshotting the canal.
Probably a bit of a Frankenstein's monster but does the job & if I change my mind during a session just take the quiver tip off & revert to lures/light deads.

I have the same rod and it will do the distance, dont worry about the soft tip, it wont hinder you at all.
I would stick with the 5000 size reel but get a better one than the BR your using..
Load the reel with feeder braid either 0.10 o.12 dia which will give you the distance, you will need to use a shock leader other wise you will crack off, I would go with the length of the rod plus a 6ft drop and 4 times round the spool...

Dont be afraid to load up that rod, you wont break it,,,

Thanks, gents.

Paintman - yes, suppose bite indication is about the only thing that would explain the soft tip. Is it the case that bream or tench don’t mind pulling it round, even with, 60 or 70 m of line out? (Not something I’d contemplate given that big perch won’t countenance it. Rollovers for me).

RayB - I did exactly that. To balance the rod, went looking for a 5000-size mini-big pit. Settled on an Advanta Freespin, the long spool of which is, as you said, so much more free-flowing than the old Shimano. It’s got the baitrunner that makes setting the Rollovers so easy. £35 and so far so good. And, yes, on braid. All down to my fearless casting now…

For larger baits and longer range work I like the Chimera 12ft 1.5 TC. Not cheap but a stunning rod.

LB wrote: ↑Mon Mar 25 2024 17:36 -

For larger baits and longer range work I like the Chimera 12ft 1.5 TC. Not cheap but a stunning rod.

Agh - don’t tempt me!