Rod suggestions for Stradic 1000 FL ?

[Havock]

Received a second Stradic ( own a 2500 FL ) as a present recently, and haven't decided where it would best be put to use.

I've been considering a trout/small mouth rod or something similar for inline spinners and the like, but don't really have a strong opinion. 

What size/power rods should I be investigating that would balance alright with a 6.5 oz reel?

 

Bonus:

 

What would you pair this reel with ( in your own arsenal )?

 

Reel stats:

ITEM CODE	MONO LINE CAPACITY (#TEST/YD)	WEIGHT (OZ)	BEARINGS	GEAR RATIO	RETRIEVE PER CRANK (IN)	POWERPRO BRAID (LB/YDS)	MAX DRAG (LB)
ST1000HGFL	2/270, 4/160, 6/110	6.5	6+1	6.0:1	30	10/95, 15/75, 20/65	7

 

 

[Darren.]

I have a number of Stradic 1000s including the FL.

 

They're on a plethora of different rods from ML to M power in

fast to XF tips.

 

I like tip-light rods, so feel the shorter rods are better balanced,

except for the Bass Pro Carbonlites in 6'6". Now I have cut down

the butt end of one making the it 6'3", but the other is 6'6" and

balances well with the 1000 Stradic.

 

My 1000 CI4+ is paired with a 6' St. Croix Premier that I have

shortened to 5'9". It was fine balance at 6', but I shortened it

purposefully.

 

Hope this info is helpful to some extent.  

 

Good luck!

[jimmyjoe]

1 minute ago, Havock said:

 

What would you pair this reel with ( in your own arsenal )?

 

   I would personally put this reel on a rod from the St. Croix Tournament Walleye family. They have a 7' light power, extra-fast action rod that they call a "finesse" rod.

   And it is. I have no idea how a walleye fisherman would use this rod because I don't fish primarily for walleye. But this is a great rod for bass when you use small cranks (like Mini Fat Rap and Rebel Teeny Wee-R cranks) to get wary bass to commit. Also works great for any lure with small treble hooks.     jj

[TBAG]

Not a Stradic, but I've got a 1000 Nasci on my dedicated ned rig rod. Dobyns Sierra 682s and it balances wonderfully. 

[Havock]

7 minutes ago, jimmyjoe said:

 

   I would personally put this reel on a rod from the St. Croix Tournament Walleye family. They have a 7' light power, extra-fast action rod that they call a "finesse" rod.

   And it is. I have no idea how a walleye fisherman would use this rod because I don't fish primarily for walleye. But this is a great rod for bass when you use small cranks (like Mini Fat Rap and Rebel Teeny Wee-R cranks) to get wary bass to commit. Also works great for any lure with small treble hooks.     jj

I appreciate the feedback, that sounds like a great rod!

I'm surprised an extra fast tipped rod performs that well with trebles, I was under the impression more moderate actions are used for that purpose. I guess that's counteracted by the light power of the rod?
Also, the rod is rated for 1/16oz - 1/4oz lures, in your experience is that range accurate?

 

10 minutes ago, Darren. said:

I have a number of Stradic 1000s including the FL.

 

They're on a plethora of different rods from ML to M power in

fast to XF tips.

 

I like tip-light rods, so feel the shorter rods are better balanced,

except for the Bass Pro Carbonlites in 6'6". Now I have cut down

the butt end of one making the it 6'3", but the other is 6'6" and

balances well with the 1000 Stradic.

 

My 1000 CI4+ is paired with a 6' St. Croix Premier that I have

shortened to 5'9". It was fine balance at 6', but I shortened it

purposefully.

 

Hope this info is helpful to some extent.  

 

Good luck!

Looks like St. Croix's are pretty popular on the lighter power scale. I'll add the premier to my list to check out!
Thanks for the input!

[jimmyjoe]

4 minutes ago, Havock said:

I'm surprised an extra fast tipped rod performs that well with trebles, I was under the impression more moderate actions are used for that purpose. I guess that's counteracted by the light power of the rod?
Also, the rod is rated for 1/16oz - 1/4oz lures, in your experience is that range accurate?

 

   Walleye rods (in general) seem to be manufactured with softer tips than bass rods. This 7' L/XF rod is actually GREAT with trebles. And yes, the weight range is accurate.     jj

[Tywithay]

7' ML XFast Abu Garcia Venerate. Rod weighs 3.8oz. Balance is great with titanium guides and it is surprisingly sensitive with a light tip. I bought one on a whim and now own 4. Balances on the lock nut with a 1000FL

[fishwizzard]

1 hour ago, Havock said:

 

I've been considering a trout/small mouth rod or something similar for inline spinners and the like,

Take a look at the Major Craft Trapara rods.  They have a soft taper that is great for inlines and spoons and they are very well build rods for the money.  

[Jaybert]

I put my new 1000FL on my old trusty 5.5’ compre ultralight.  It balances nice.  The 20 something year old ShimanoTX500f it replaced was like 5.9 ounces.  This is 10 times the reel at only like half an ounce more. Feels great on this rod, older rod so too light of a reel doesn’t balance on it right in my opinion.  

[Plopperwhopper]

I have a diawa regal 2500 which is comparable weight wise to your Stradic. I have mine on a 6’6 ML st Croix premier. It is the best balanced rod/reel I have including my baitcasters. I hold my spinning reels in front of the reel foot. It feels weightless to me because the balance point is right there 

Edited April 30, 2020 by Plopperwhopper

[onenutinthewater]

I have tried to many trout sticks to count and by far my favorite is the Loomis TSR901. I just had a 9' 901 blank made into a trout bobber/jig rod and the jury is still out on that one.

Paired with a stradic the TSR901 is a fantastic setup for throwing spinners and spoons for big trout.

[Havock]

For those of you who have recommended or fish st. croix rods, how much of a difference will I feel between their various lines when handling a similar power/action rod? I've noticed light action F/XF rods in several of them, such as premier, avid, tournament bass/walleye, trout, etc. Even the 4 piece Triumph travel rod looked interesting.

[jimmyjoe]

2 hours ago, Havock said:

how much of a difference will I feel between their various lines

 

   I can't answer for someone else, but I feel quite a bit of difference myself. To me, the Triumph and Premier feel "chunky". I like the Avid line, which goes all the way down to UL. I have their 6'6" M/F, which I have used with both braid and mono. The Avid line seems strong and reliable, but they have what I call a "stiff" tip.

   They have nothing lighter than ML/F in the Avid-X lineup, but their 7' ML/F is my favorite rod for light twitchbaits, and it's great for wacky rigging too. 

   I like their walleye rods for give in the fight and steady-retrieve cranks. I like their Avids for lure control and sensitivity.

   I can't comment on their more expensive lines; I've not used them.      jj

[Havock]

Update:
Considering looking into 2 piece options because this rod will see more action from shore than my others.

I have to travel hours out of town to find a place with decent trout fishing, and most are stocked ponds.
This is further complicated by no longer owning a truck, I'd be worried about damage to a 7' rod during transport.

 

I really like the look of the Legend Tournament Walleye Series, but it only has two piece options for ML power rods, which have a luring rating of 1/8 - 3/8 vs. the 1/16 - 1/4 I had been interested in. I'm currently checking out Megabass offerings like the Whipsnake in addition to others that fall within this price range ($200-$300).

I had also taken a look at travel rods briefly for this purpose, but a 4 piece rod seems like it could have problems. 

[mrpao]

If I were you I would strongly consider a two piece rod.

It will make traveling with it much easier for you. Plus you'll be less likely to break the tip.

[jimmyjoe]

   I'm going to cautiously recommend you look at the Fenwick River Runner series. The series has both UL and Light rods, all 2-pc. I have the 7'2" Light/MF, and I like it a lot. I switch between 2 reels; a Shimano Stradic CI4+ 2500 FA with 6 lb. mono, and a NASCI 1000 with 4 lb. Fireline Ultra 8. Last year, I also tried 4 lb. Mono on the Stradic. I specifically got this rod as a do-everything Light power, and it delivers. However, the reason I mention it is that Fenwick has touted this rod series as trout rods.

   If you can find a place where they are in stock, see whether you like them. They have a spigot joint, BTW, so don't try to force the joint "closed".     ?     jj

[Havock]

6 hours ago, jimmyjoe said:

   I'm going to cautiously recommend you look at the Fenwick River Runner series. The series has both UL and Light rods, all 2-pc. I have the 7'2" Light/MF, and I like it a lot. I switch between 2 reels; a Shimano Stradic CI4+ 2500 FA with 6 lb. mono, and a NASCI 1000 with 4 lb. Fireline Ultra 8. Last year, I also tried 4 lb. Mono on the Stradic. I specifically got this rod as a do-everything Light power, and it delivers. However, the reason I mention it is that Fenwick has touted this rod series as trout rods.

   If you can find a place where they are in stock, see whether you like them. They have a spigot joint, BTW, so don't try to force the joint "closed".     ?     jj

Those look like nice rods as well!
 

 

6 hours ago, mrpao said:

If I were you I would strongly consider a two piece rod.

It will make traveling with it much easier for you. Plus you'll be less likely to break the tip.

Yeah, that's the way I'm leaning.

I'm currently considering this model of the Orochi XXX jdm line. It's a two piece rod.
https://tackletrap.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1066_2409_2411&products_id=10659

[mrpao]

I haven't fished any of the JDM arochi xxx rods. I'm sure they would be a great choice.

Since you are going JDM, I would also check out the JDM shimano exprides. They have more models than the US models and come in two piece designs. If they fish like their US counterparts, you'll be very pleased.