# Recommendations for 10wt rod (poon)



## Finn Maccumhail (Apr 9, 2010)

I've got a Scott Tidal 10wt that I really, really like.


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## kenb (Aug 21, 2015)

abgautier said:


> Just looking for some recommendations, or maybe a used rod if someone wants to sell one.
> Preferably 10 weight, will have a riptide mounted to it. See if I can catch a tarpon this year!
> Thanks in advance guys.



Orvis Helios or Helios 2, love em both!


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## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

What size of poons are you targeting?


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## Finn Maccumhail (Apr 9, 2010)

Oh, and I have a Riptide on my Scott Tidal 10wt too. Fantastic rig.


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## texasag07 (Nov 11, 2014)

Tfo bluewater baby


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## Capt. TJ Saunders (May 9, 2016)

Man- a 10wt to chase poons, I like it. I have an Archipelago 10 that I use, and I love it. That being said, I know the rod has more in the tank that I have asked it to give me, but I am always concerned about breakage. On the other hand, I have a Theory 1-piece 9wt by Clutch that is a complete monster and I have no fear while throwing. Something about a one piece stick makes me feel more secure, even with big fish. I would recommend looking into the Theory one piece by Clutch. Its a monster.


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## mingo gringo (Dec 1, 2015)

G Loomis pro 1 cross current


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## Austin Bustamante (May 11, 2015)

ifsteve said:


> What size of poons are you targeting?


Truthfully not sure guessing 60-80 pound range


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## Austin Bustamante (May 11, 2015)

Thanks guys for all the recommendations! 
Y'all rock


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## Capt. TJ Saunders (May 9, 2016)

abgautier said:


> Truthfully not sure guessing 60-80 pound range


I would think you can get away with a good solid 10 weight. I would trust my Clutch Archipelago (4-piece) rod with fish like that without reservation. Heck, I would throw my 8wt at that fish too in open water!


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

How long have you been fly casting and what rods do you have for saltwater?


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## Wvidal (May 8, 2016)

I have a bvk 10wt that works well for me but I haven't chased poons with it only jacks and stripers.


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## Capt. TJ Saunders (May 9, 2016)

Backwater said:


> How long have you been fly casting and what rods do you have for saltwater?


I've been fishing fly only for the last 6 years. I have fished Sage Xi3 and Clutch TCX series rods. Currently I am throwing Clutch Archipelago (8wt is my go to, but I also have a 5wt Arc and a 10wt Arc), still love the TCX 6wt and 7wt (although replacements are coming in the Arc Series) and have a Theory 9wt and 11wt also by Clutch.


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## coconutgroves (Sep 23, 2013)

Capt. TJ Saunders said:


> I would think you can get away with a good solid 10 weight. I would trust my Clutch Archipelago (4-piece) rod with fish like that without reservation. Heck, I would throw my 8wt at that fish too in open water!


80 pounds is a lot of fish on a 10 wt. That size fish is better suited for a 12 wt. Sure, you can catch big fish on small rods and super light tippet, but why? Throw a heavier rod for bigger fish, you can land them faster and decrease the stress on the fish.

50 pounds and under I throw a 10 wt. Over 50, I step up to the 12 wt. 10 is a good all around rod though for bigger game, like big jacks and even large permit.


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## Austin Bustamante (May 11, 2015)

Backwater said:


> How long have you been fly casting and what rods do you have for saltwater?


 3 years. 7wt nrx, 8wt nrx one piece, 6wt bvk, currently. Had quite a few before but I found that quick rods cast well for me. This will be my first go around looking for tarpon. Currently live on Mississippi and plan on making a few drives this year and dragging the skiff with me. So this will be a trial and error approach. Currently I fish for redfish mainly.


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## Capt. TJ Saunders (May 9, 2016)

coconutgroves said:


> 80 pounds is a lot of fish on a 10 wt. That size fish is better suited for a 12 wt. Sure, you can catch big fish on small rods and super light tippet, but why? Throw a heavier rod for bigger fish, you can land them faster and decrease the stress on the fish.
> 
> 50 pounds and under I throw a 10 wt. Over 50, I step up to the 12 wt. 10 is a good all around rod though for bigger game, like big jacks and even large permit.


I never said it was a good idea. I would throw it though if that's what I had in my hand when the shot came to me.
I seem to remember a video a couple seasons ago, with some southwest Florida guides putting the wood to a 100# range tarpon with a 7wt. So it can be done. Is it the most effective approach, who knows, but it looked dang fun.
I've started taking my thinking that direction, to fish as light as possible, per the conditions. It has upped my redfish count, with more eats and better shots with more delicate presentations. So it stands to reason that spooky laid up fish would respond the same.

At the end of the day, we are all after the bend in the rod. I am by no means trying to persuade anyone that I may even remotely have the answers because I am sure I don't. But I know what I like to use and what works for me. Just my two cents being thrown into the discussion. 
Tight lines to all!


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## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

coconutgroves said:


> 80 pounds is a lot of fish on a 10 wt. That size fish is better suited for a 12 wt. Sure, you can catch big fish on small rods and super light tippet, but why? Throw a heavier rod for bigger fish, you can land them faster and decrease the stress on the fish.
> 
> 50 pounds and under I throw a 10 wt. Over 50, I step up to the 12 wt. 10 is a good all around rod though for bigger game, like big jacks and even large permit.


Spot on. If you are targeting fish over 60# then you and the fish are better served with a 12 weight.


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## TylertheTrout2 (Apr 21, 2016)

G Loomis Cross Current (any model) in 10wt or Orvis Helios 2....the 10wt is a vital element to my Tarpon arsenal, always have a 10 and 12 onboard...I like the 10wt for layed up fish, and fish that are a little spooky under 70-80lbs...my 12 is for anything over 80lbs-ish or long distance rollers or windy ass conditions. That being said I have whooped up on some 60-80lb fish with my 10wt Orvis (assisted by a Ross Momentum #6). Im all for getting that poon in as quick as possible too so someone on the helm always helped in that scenario Good luck in your search!! Cheers


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

abgautier said:


> 3 years. 7wt nrx, 8wt nrx one piece, 6wt bvk, currently. Had quite a few before but I found that quick rods cast well for me. This will be my first go around looking for tarpon. Currently live on Mississippi and plan on making a few drives this year and dragging the skiff with me. So this will be a trial and error approach. Currently I fish for redfish mainly.


Very nice line up. You've done your homework and I see where that works for you. In the line going up, a 10wt makes perfect sense with the next rod you ad to your quiver. It will be more use than any tarpon rod you can get. But as Coconutgroves stated, it's a little under gunned for fish that size. Sure it can be done, but unless you fully and completely understand rod mechanics and proper fighting techniques for big fish, then you can over exhaust a fish that size and not be able to get them in quick enough, due to lack of backbone in the rod.

If you were only targeting tarpon from 20-50lbs, then a 10wt will work perfect and also be a good all around big fish rod on windy days. Even if you get an occasional 60-80lb poon, it can be done if you really know what you are doing. But then again, that takes experience to learn those techniques. If I knew that 60-80lb tarpon (as you described) were the fish that were normally in those areas that you set as your tarpon destination (the Keys for example), then an 11wt would be more ideal for that size fish on the flats, ocean side or the beach than a 10wt would. With the 11wt, you can also use it for big offshore pelagics, cobia, big schooling jack crevelle, bull reds in deep channels, huge black drum, etc.. and not be too over gunned. If I knew the tarpon were consistently over 100lbs, then a 12wt would be the better tool.

In paying close attention to your lineup and if I were recommending an 11wt that wouldn't be used that often and will still keep in-line with your casting style, the rods I would suggest to go cast would be a TFO Mangrove, Hardy Sintrix ProAxis, Scott Tidal and Loomis CC & Pro4x and see how they feel for you. All of these rods are a slightly slower action than the rods you currently have. But in the higher weights, they will feel in-line to what you are use to. The lineup of the rods you've acquired are fast but have feel to them. You can probably go up to the 9wts in your same lineup and still have some feel to them, but they start to get significantly stiffer than the 8wt and in the 9wts, you start to loose that "feel" to them. Once you've hit the 10wt, the feel is all but completely gone. So from a 10wt northward, it's better to step down and go with a rod that has more feel to it, which will also make it easier to cast those heavier lines. For you in particular, these are the rods I would recommend casting.

There are other rods you can check out, but these rods are what I feel would mix well with the feel in your lineup. You can also look into finding and buying an older high end rod that is in good shape and lightly used. The older rods were slightly more progressive than some of the newer fast rods. What was fast 10yrs ago is more like a medium fast today. So the medium fast in a bigger line weight is what I'm suggesting. They are easier to learn and cast, they are easier to to feel what your line is doing with your focus is big fish in front of you, with your knees shaking. You can be more productive,quicker. You can cast them longer without getting fatigued. You can put a lot of heat on them and tend to have less breakage if you make a wrong move. So with the older used rods or less expensive new rods, I'd look at some Loomis CC or Pro4, Orvis T3 mid flex or Helios, Sage (especially RPLXi), Scott S3S or S4S, T&T Horizon, and new inexpensive rods would be St Croix Legend Elite, Redington Predator, again TFO Mangrove (which I think you'll like). I would have suggested trying the Marshfly in both the Backcountry and the Journeyman, but they only make up to a 10wt and are hard to find a shop to cast them. Plus, are not carried in Florida Shops in case you break one. NOTE, all these rods I'm suggesting are rods I'm trying to keep in-line with what you are feeling in the rods that you currently own.

Then, if you decide later that you want to do more of this type of fishing and have more opportunity to do so, and.... overcome the obstacles of casting heavy lines and feel like a faster rod will also work for you, then you can upgrade to that and save the other for a backup or sell it and apply the dough to your new stick.

Don't compromise on the line. It's important to go with a good, nice casting line that will work good with those rod weights.

Ted Haas


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## tibor25 (Apr 17, 2016)

I never use a 12 for Tarpon, an 11 is the most I'll use. I fish a 10 all the time in the backcountry for pretty solid poon.

And I recommend a Sage Salt or Sage One


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## Finn Maccumhail (Apr 9, 2010)

I'm still pretty much a poon newbie and have only caught a few but from knowing a few guys who have caught a lot of them they tend to call for 10wt for fish in the 50-90# range and 12wt for anything above that.


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## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

Finn Maccumhail said:


> I'm still pretty much a poon newbie and have only caught a few but from knowing a few guys who have *caught a lot of them *they tend to call for 10wt for fish in the 50-90# range and 12wt for anything above that.


And herein lies the issue. When you know how to fight big fish, especially how to deal with tarpon, then a 10wt can be an effective tool. But to a new guy getting into tarpon fishing for true adult sized fish he will be better off with an 11 or 12.


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## Finn Maccumhail (Apr 9, 2010)

ifsteve said:


> And herein lies the issue. When you know how to fight big fish, especially how to deal with tarpon, then a 10wt can be an effective tool. But to a new guy getting into tarpon fishing for true adult sized fish he will be better off with an 11 or 12.


Fair point.

I leadered one about 70# last summer that broke my 10wt at the boat but really it was a combination of user error and bad luck. I had her pretty well whipped and brought her alongside the boat. Guide grabbed the leader and went to grab her face when she decided to dive again and I just didn't have the ability at that point to let her pull out some line and it snapped my 10wt at the first ferrule above the handle.

But Scott Rods were great about the warranty and I got a new rod pretty quickly.


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## Austin Bustamante (May 11, 2015)

Backwater said:


> Very nice line up. You've done your homework and I see where that works for you. In the line going up, a 10wt makes perfect sense with the next rod you ad to your quiver. It will be more use than any tarpon rod you can get. But as Coconutgroves stated, it's a little under gunned for fish that size. Sure it can be done, but unless you fully and completely understand rod mechanics and proper fighting techniques for big fish, then you can over exhaust a fish that size and not be able to get them in quick enough, due to lack of backbone in the rod.
> 
> If you were only targeting tarpon from 20-50lbs, then a 10wt will work perfect and also be a good all around big fish rod on windy days. Even if you get an occasional 60-80lb poon, it can be done if you really know what you are doing. But then again, that takes experience to learn those techniques. If I knew that 60-80lb tarpon (as you described) were the fish that were normally in those areas that you set as your tarpon destination (the Keys for example), then an 11wt would be more ideal for that size fish on the flats, ocean side or the beach than a 10wt would. With the 11wt, you can also use it for big offshore pelagics, cobia, big schooling jack crevelle, bull reds in deep channels, huge black drum, etc.. and not be too over gunned. If I knew the tarpon were consistently over 100lbs, then a 12wt would be the better tool.
> 
> ...


Backwater thanks again. I actually bought a brand new sage rplxi for a steal. Think I will plan to fish smaller fish this go around, and add a bigger gun to the arsenal for later trips. Had a mangrove in 8wt it was ok prefer the TICRX over it though


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## Finn Maccumhail (Apr 9, 2010)

abgautier said:


> Had a mangrove in 8wt it was ok prefer the TICRX over it though


Just as an aside- the TFO Mangove and TiCRx are meant to have different applications. To put it into golf terms, the Mangrove is your wedge and the TiCRx is a 2-iron.

Mangrove is a great rod as long as you're not going to try and cast past 50-60' but the TiCRx is a "reach out and touch someone" rod.

Obviously preferences vary.


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## Austin Bustamante (May 11, 2015)

Finn Maccumhail said:


> Just as an aside- the TFO Mangove and TiCRx are meant to have different applications. To put it into golf terms, the Mangrove is your wedge and the TiCRx is a 2-iron.
> 
> Mangrove is a great rod as long as you're not going to try and cast past 50-60' but the TiCRx is a "reach out and touch someone" rod.
> 
> Obviously preferences vary.


Yep I completely agree Finn.


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

tibor25 said:


> I never use a 12 for Tarpon, an 11 is the most I'll use. I fish a 10 all the time in the backcountry for pretty solid poon.
> 
> And I recommend a Sage Salt or Sage One


I take it you only fish poons in the Keys and in the bays around WWB.


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## coconutgroves (Sep 23, 2013)

Capt. TJ Saunders said:


> I never said it was a good idea. I would throw it though if that's what I had in my hand when the shot came to me.
> I seem to remember a video a couple seasons ago, with some southwest Florida guides putting the wood to a 100# range tarpon with a 7wt. So it can be done. Is it the most effective approach, who knows, but it looked dang fun.
> I've started taking my thinking that direction, to fish as light as possible, per the conditions. It has upped my redfish count, with more eats and better shots with more delicate presentations. So it stands to reason that spooky laid up fish would respond the same.
> 
> ...


I've caught 40 and 50 lb tarpon on a 6 weight, but just a month after that trip the 6 weight broke during normal use. Sure, it can be done, but much better to match the rod size to the fish.


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Finn Maccumhail said:


> Just as an aside- the TFO Mangove and TiCRx are meant to have different applications. To put it into golf terms, the Mangrove is your wedge and the TiCRx is a 2-iron.
> 
> Mangrove is a great rod as long as you're not going to try and cast past 50-60' but the TiCRx is a "reach out and touch someone" rod.
> 
> Obviously preferences vary.


*Finn*, I would agree that the Mangrove in an 6-8wt is soft and the 60-70 max range can be true. But once you get that rod in a 9wt and especially in a 10wt, it starts to stiffen significantly. So a Mangrove 10wt handles 80ft with not problems. But it does start to complain going over 80ft.. I haven't thrown the 11wt in it, but the 12wt is a brute and can hit 90 with no problems. But that's about it. The one thing I can say is most of your tarpon shots are going to be 30-60ft anyways, if your guide is doing something right or you've figured out how to manipulate your skiff quietly in the zone. I like the Mangrove for tarpon fishing since it was made with added backbone over the BVK and has the TiCrX coating for added durability. I also like the oversize stripping guides with the larger diameter flylines in a 10wt and above.

Going back to a TiCrX, it is a cannon from 6wt to 8wt and can bomb a line and normally feels like one rod size heavier, compares to other rods in the same size. Once you start getting into a 9wt, especially a 10wt, it starts feeling like a broomstick.and starts pulling away from the "Feel" that the OP was use to in his rod line up that he has in his quiver. With a 12wt in that rod, you might as well buy those fiberglass/aluminum paint brush extension handles from Home Depot cause that rod will feel like you are casting one of them. So don't go blind casting one a around cause it will wear you out. However, it is a tool, like what Bob LeMay says and has loads of backbone. I will give that rod that. But those heavier versions of that rod are no fun to throw. Plus it's a chore to throw distance and you feel like you are doing a workout doing so. The TFO Bluewater series rod is a continuation of the TiCrX technology, going up to baseball bat stiffness. But then again, it's a tool that's needed for YFT and marlin.

Ok then, sorry about all the rudrick. Go cast them and feel the difference in those line weights.

As for* abgautier* (the OP) Good job on that Sage RPLXi, especially if you got a great deal on it. In those heavier weight rods like 10wt and above, they are still nice to cast and has loads of backbone. Don't fret about putting on a heavier reel, like that Tibor Riptide. It will balance that rod out just fine. That setup in a 12wt was the hot ticket "back in the day" up on the Gulf side for big poons. Oh and the fact that you are starting out chasing smaller fish is not only perfect for that rod, but it gives you practice and confidence to eventually chase the bigger fish on a bigger outfit one day.

With that setup, I would keep your elbow down to your side and cast it like Lefty Krey does (watch some of his videos). It will make it a lot easier on your shoulders. So low and to the side, especially on your casting platform! 

One thing I need to mention guys, like what *abgautier* did, there are deals out there on good decent rods and reels if you are patient and will look out there for them. A member here on MS just told me he bought a slightly used Hardy Sintrex ProAxis 12wt for $250. He's new to tarpon fly fishing and is trying to do it on a budget too. So that is a great deal on a very good rod for that application. So don't think you need to run out and buy a $1600 outfit for your 1st tarpon setup, especially if you are not going to be doing it that often. The fly fishermen that are using those higher end outfits are ones that know they want to be and continue in that game, are chasing them on a regular basis and catching multiple fish and have upgraded to a better outfit to do so. It takes time to get yourself to that point, if that is something you want to continue to pursue.

Good luck and have fun! 

Ted Haas


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