Circle Hook Rods ?

[Dirk W]

Well, I just busted a rod and a rod holder (long story). Looks like a couple of new rods are in order. But...I just found out that Berkley's Reflex rods are discontinued so they are probably out. Iv'e got the Cabelas King Cat rods which work well to - anyway.....whats your opinion on the absolute best rod out there for circle hooks? I know many, many rods fit the bill but if you have something you're absolutely in love with I'd like to know, I've got $$ to burn!! Channel cats only....the flatheads are taken care of

[Dennis Steele]

No more Reflex?

Well my second favorite circle hook rod is an Off Shore Angler (Johnny Morris) Power Plus surf rod. Its action is just about perfect for circle hooks. It has a slow top end with decent backbone. Its a little on the light side for fish in the 20lb+ range, but great for your every day average channel cat fishing.

The only thing I don't like about it is the blank is black. I corrected that by applying several wraps of reflective tape up and down the blank.

[Fisher Dave]

I do most of my dedicated channel fishing with 8' rods in medium heavy action. 10# mono or 20# fire line are pretty much a standard for me... as are circle hooks. My hookup ratio is very good with the longer rods.. I cant remember what it was like with standard length rods.. I dont use them anymore for cats.

I have a Gander Guide Series rod at 8'6", and a St Croix Tidewater Inshore rod at 8'6" .. both in medium heavy action.. the Gander rod is a moderate action I use for Fireline, the Croix is Fast and I use that for the mono.

My 3rd rod is more for visibility than anything... 8' Berkely Big Cat works well, doesnt weight a ton, trilene big game in 15# test is the perfect balance.. and the white rod is way easier to see in the low light conditions where light is a factor.

[Dirk W]

CatFish Connection said the Reflexes are discontinued and they have no more. I was so flustered I just canceled my whole order so I could regroup !

[Dennis Steele]

I wasn't tickled that they changed the handles to cork anyway.

Even though most people think the foam grips are cheap, they are a lot easier on the hands when battling larger fish. Soft cushy grip give a guy less blisters!

I do have a couple "Red Wolf" rods that are very similar to the Reflex rods. Same actions, same seats, same eyes, same price. They just don't say "Eglass" anywhere on them. Might be???

[J Rookie K]

Man, Im supprised Ugly Stick has not been mentioned. I have one, the Ugly Cat. It fits the bill for channels and circle hooks. I really like the long but seacion, and glow in the dark tip. Its a tad light though, a 10lb er will double it over. But I know its strong enuogh. Shakspeare also has some surf rods worth looking at. Power Plus by Bass Pro as Dennis said is a decent rod too. South Bend, Mudville Catmaster is another dandy. There are a ton of good tough cat rods out there, and for the most part they arent expensive. For under $40 per rod, you should buy half a dozen different ones and do some field testing for us. Id be willing to help with the testing .

[Aquaman01]

Wow - I'm glad I got The Boy his Reflex last year. He loves it. I may have to hit a GM for any leftovers.

I like my 7' graphite/glass baitcaster with a 'roberts' or 'spiral' wrap. I get the power and line control of a baitcasting reel with the slow-loading of a spinning rod spine. Makes an awesome trolling rod, too, as does the Reflex (per BW Eddy).

[MNRiverRat]

Channels,

My preference lies in a 7' ugly stick medium heavy spinning rod, 30lb powerpro, and a shimano bait runner reel. No more reflex rods What gives? They were very good and were cheap! I have two in my arsenal... My favorite flathead rod is my daiwa, heartland 10'6" heavy dipsy diver rod with the abu and 60lb powerpro.... I don't like to lose fish if at all necesary. I don't mind the black blank because I use bobber lights taped to the rod tips to see the hits. You can get the daiwa rods with the line counter daiwa baitclicker reels for around $80.00 as a combo at GM, I'm not sure on the reels, but it looks like a good set up for some heavy cattin! After fishing king salmon in Alaska with a guide.... I switched my thinking really fast to long rods.... 40+lb fish and a 10' rod is a blast, not to mention the rods work very well with no stretch super lines.

MNRiverRat

[Toad]

Guys,

Have no fear-- Berkley's Glowstiks are virtually the same rod as the old Reflex. Same actions, same lengths, same E-glass construction. The blanks offer LED lighting for nighttime fishing, too. They retail for around 40 bucks.

Also agree with the Ugly Stiks, particularly for channel cats, while Ugly Stik Tigers offer beafier actions for man-handling flatheads. Don't forget about a sturdy rod holder and a good stretchy mono, such as Berkley Big Game Supreme. Need a slowly loading rod blank coupled with a flexible line, which works against a solid rod holder to turn and bury the hook. Just like a well-set trap.

-a friend called Toad

[Dennis Steele]

Cool!

I think I'm going to have to pick up a couple of those Glowstiks. Heck if the fishing is slow you can play "Star Wars"!

[FishTracker]

Oh great Dennis! So we'll have Darth Fisher or Luke Skyfisher on the river!

[Ed Carlson]

Ya..what Toad said. The FireStix are the new "Updated" ReFlex...with the new bells and Whisle/LED lighting.

I also would recomend the Pete Maina Signature series of rods from Bass Pro...especially the heavy 8' with the Telescopic lower section and 9-guides. This is a SWEET all around cat rod and will do corking well too. It has a fast tip and a lot of backbone so you see light bite'rs and hook them up hard ...no-worries Eh.

I do not have the model # handy but there are only one tele butt type rod in his Signature line so it will be easy to track down. I also use several other PM rods for cats and so does many flathead hunyers I know....super sticks for the $$. The rod/reel combo's are a great deal and hold up very well. The 8' heavy Tele is my fav by far....love that rod!!! Check er out Eh.