PIT RODS

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wyepike

Guest
I would appreciate advice cos I am going to be making a costly and strategic decision v soon! Background - I have a set of old 11ft Terry Eustace T40 Big Pike rods, which I have had for over 20 years. And I love them. However, from next summer I am going to be using them as boat rods (and will shorten the butts). I am therefore going to be buying 4 new long range/big pit type rods this Spring. What I want (ie the specs) are very robust 12 ft rods, able for example to abuse by chucking big deadbaits (half to whole mackeral & herrings)and livebaits on SFP, plus also punch out baits on the lead a long way. For that I use 3-5oz weights with smaller deadbaits. Plus cope with drifter fishing. My questions are what rods would fit the bill? Can I get 4 rods the same to cast the big deads, and the leads or are we talking different rods? I have thought of the ET big pit rods (?75 ish) but have never handled them. At this stage I have a totally open mind on what brand or make of rods to go for or even have made by someone like Dave Lumb. One other point is that the T40s do bend so playing fish is a pleasure. If poss I would like rods that meet my spec but do have a good action when playing fish. Additionally in terms of weighting the factors, robustness is critical. I trash gear and dont want to have rods that cannot take being hammered. Maybe my spec is an impossible one?
 
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Chris Bishop

Guest
Fox make a really nice 3.25tc rod for ?49.99, I got them for pit stuff similar to you describe and now use them for just about everything.
 
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wyepike

Guest
Chris, Well, good advice but seems a bit too cheap, I am willing to spend more for rods that last a long time. Although maybe not as long as my T40s!
 
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Les Clark

Guest
Dawia Dictator Z`s in 3 lbtc,ideal for big deads ,good action rods and tough has old boots ,a bit pricey but shop around for the best price ,have had a set of three for about five years ,they will last a lifetime .
 
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Chris Bishop

Guest
Mate of mine got a couple of the lighter ones, 2.75tc and I couldn't believe how robust they were.

The 3.25s really are built like outside lavatories, I wouldn't be without them now.

The only thing I find which lets rods down there days is the spigots. My previous pit rods were Shimano Symetres, two seasons and they barely stayed together.

Best rods I've had for longevity are Marvics, had them six years-ish and they're still lovely to use.
 
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Chris Bishop

Guest
Les, several of my mates have got them and they're a good rod judging by the abuse they soak up. They were a bit over my budget, I also like rods with cork handles.
 
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levelspiker

Guest
the dave lumb baitblaster rods are good,so i`ve been told) jon helyer has some of the more costly 23\4 tc rods,and they are superb.
i`ve just purchased some wychwood rogue 3lb tc rods,but at ?49.99,they`d be to cheap for you :)
 
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Chris Bishop

Guest
Not much point spending money on pike rods, is there. You're better off saving your hard-earned for good braid, hooks and wire.
 
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wyepike

Guest
What I want ideally is rods with the longevity of my old glass big pike rods. i use them for sea fishing as well so they get knocked around on the rocks. seems that the DL rods get a good write up. fox and others dunno. they all seem too good value to me.
 
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paul williams 2

Guest
Eustace 11ft 6in Big pike...........yeah the handles are a bit on the long side.....and if corked when purchased i think the reel fitting was to far back......but i still keep coming back to mine (homemade, sorter handle etc )) Wyepike.......in fact i recently rerung em, i'd use em for most of my piking and also as ace cat rods if and when.

Guess what i'm really saying is will you better them?
 
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Les Clark

Guest
Funny thing that Paul ,the only thing I don`t like about thr dictator z`s is the short butt`s , seems to be the modern way ,or is it becouse I`m a shortarse I need a longer butt (no pun intended ).
 
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wyepike

Guest
I know, and TE is still selling them, so I could always just get a new set. Having had a lot of good fish on them in the past I have a great attachment to the rods. And love the through action. New maybe ringed up would cost ?100 each? Dunno how much the TE T40 blanks cost nowadays. However I am assuming that some "performance" benefits exist in going for new carbon rods. The T40s are not that good for punching out baits on the lead. I could always buy 2 bass rods for that I suppose, and buy T40s for the rest. Regardless of what I do, I still need a new set of rods, cos I will be shortening all my 11ft T40s by either 6 or 12" for the boat fishing. On handles all I want is some shrink tube with a Fuji FSB7 on it. Nice and simple. Nothing fancy.
 
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Bob Watson

Guest
Dave Lumbs P1's are superb bits of kit, I've compared them to a blokes Baitblasters I met on the bank, which are also nice rods, the P1's feel lighter in the tip but I can chuck a 4oz lead and good sized dead a fair old way with them.
 
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paul williams 2

Guest
Les.....the TE,s have very long handles, i cut some off mine to make them more suitable for all round piking and there is still plenty for a chuck!

Wyepike......unfortunatly the shop doesn't have any left so hold on to em!.....they were actually conoflex blanks so they may have them?

I also hear that Dave Lumbs rods are very nice and if i were buying thats where i would be looking.....Harrison blanks so i would have confidence in them.
 
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Bob Watson

Guest
I am in fact going to order two more P1's from Dave, my last two seasons on the Tees were quite fruitless so I'm going to double my chances and fish 4 rods. I can always reel 2 or 3 in if things get hectic, yeah right!
 
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Peter Webb 4

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Wyepike~~~~~~~~~ The ET Pitmasters come in 3lb and 3.5lb TC.They also come with full cork handles.These rods are superb.Not only will they do what you want them to do they are also superbly finished.If you get a chance to look at these rods or even try them out I guarantee you won't want to look at anything else.They will cost you ?120 each.They should in fact be more than that but I think by not advertising they keep the price down.
 
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paul williams 2

Guest
Funny that Bob.....i'm going in the other direction, 2 rods instead of 3 and more mobility!
 
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wyepike

Guest
Many thanks, it seems then either ET's or the DL BB350 are the ones to get. Similar pricing and ?30 cheaper per rod than the Diawa Dictators.

On the TE T40 point (eg if its been discontinued) I have a spare new black 11ft blank in the garage which I was going to ring up at some point. Maybe it ought to be eBayed!
 
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Andrew Macfarlane

Guest
I bought the Wychwood Spod for banging out baits to the horizon. It's not made for the job but it copes beautifully and it's actually quite forgiving with a fish on.
 
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levelspiker

Guest
i bought two wychwood rogue pike rods today,ready for next winter,they cost me 49.99 each,looking at them,i don`t know how they do such quality at a low price.a lot to be said for the low wages in the far east.the majority of rod blanks are sourced from the far east these days(on rods less than 150)it`s the cost of labour for building in this country that bumps the price up.i`m on a limited budget and have to watch the pennies,otherwise i`d be using the dave lumb rods.
 
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