# Casting Rod for Topwater Reds



## BobGee (Apr 10, 2019)

I’m looking for a casting rod (not a spinning rod) to fish top water walk the dog lures and spoons for reds. I fish a lot of marsh shoreline so accuracy is more important than distance. Budget is up to about $300. 
I have a couple of St Croix Legend Tournament Inshore spinning rods and I really like them. I was thinking about this series casting rod. 7’ medium weight fast action? St Croix also has Legend Tournament series bass rods. Also CA Richardson sells a7’11” Medium Heavy that he recommends for plugs and spoons for less $. 
Does anyone have experience with any of these or other recommendations?


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## Snakesurf (Jun 18, 2019)

I have been using 6'9" built on a NFC medium light blank and I really like it. It will cast everything from 1/16 oz jigs to the full size Top Dog. If you go down a little in length you will get more control. I fish a lot of marsh and the bays and this length works. Really don't like anything shorter.


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## Zika (Aug 6, 2015)

One of my favorite rods is the St. Croix Legend Inshore (discontinued line) in ML/7-foot. It's rated for 8-14 pound test and the tip is just soft enough to really work a Skitter Walk or Spook. The Legend Tournament M is rated for 8-17, so it may be a little stiffer? Haven't held one. My TideMaster Travel caster in Medium is too stiff for reds/trout, IMO. Got it mainly for snook and smaller tarpon.

My everyday caster (with the dog aboard) is a Loomis E6X Inshore ML 7-foot rated 6-12 with medium fast tip. I also have a 6'6" Inshore, but use the ML the most. Kevin's carries a good selection and they retail for under $200. Take your reel up there and see how it feels mounted.


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## DBStoots (Jul 9, 2011)

I have a couple Falcon casting rods. I think they're a great value.


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## MAK (Dec 15, 2017)

I just got a couple of the Falcon Coastal Clearwater baitcasting in 7’ medium fast action and am very happy with them. Seem to be great quality and sensitivity and have been working well throwing soft plastics and spooks. I don’t have any of the high dollar rods for comparative review...


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## SomaliPirate (Feb 5, 2016)

My go to casting rod is a St. Croix tidemaster just under 7'. I love the action, but it's a little on the heavy side. I believe St. Croix and Falcon are both US made if that makes a difference.


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## Zika (Aug 6, 2015)

Not positive about Falcon, but the Tidemaster and higher end St. Croix rods are made in Park Falls, WI. The Mojo and other entry levels are made in Mexico. 

The travel rods always seem heavier/stiff with the added ferrules.


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## Chad Cohn (Mar 8, 2018)

I've really begun to use Diawa rods again and I really like them. I have the AIRD X (MF), AIRD Coastal (M) and Laguna (M). I have used each for topwater and think they work perfect for me. I throw soft plastics and hard bait and each are able to work the baits to my desired style. I can just twitch them or straight up walk the dog with minimal effort. For your price range you can buy all 3 of these together and have some money to spare.

Edit: All of these are 7ft rods too.


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## Flyboy (Aug 26, 2019)

Falcons are insanely nice for the money, under 100 and just as good as any rod out there, it’s all I use


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## Chris F (Nov 28, 2018)

I also like the falcon Bocue 7’-2” MH for throwing spoons and tops and sturdy enough to fight reds and flip them in the boat


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Zephyr Cove Customs 6’4” Medium/Extra Fast


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## BobGee (Apr 10, 2019)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Zephyr Cove Customs 6’4” Medium/Extra Fast


So where would someone buy one of those?


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## Zika (Aug 6, 2015)

That would be Smackdaddy's custom rod line. PM him here. He knows his stuff, fishing-wise. His marketing campaign, eehhh.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

BobGee said:


> So where would someone buy one of those?


I have been building them on the side for a while now when I get time. Message me if interested. A few members have them but don’t post regularly. I can make whatever you want and only use USA made NFC blanks. I stocked up on 30-40 of them in various models a while back.


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## Zika (Aug 6, 2015)

Somewhat related to Bob's original inquiry, but the couple comments on Falcons piqued my curiosity so I looked at their web site. They have four new travel rods for 2020, the Coastal Traveler and Low Rider Traveler, with a spin and casting rod in each line. They're still updating the web site so I called and found out the Coastal traveler casting rod (all four are 3-piece, 7-foot in length) is rated for 8-17 pound test, medium action for $119. It has the full cork handle. The Low Rider is rated 12-20 pound test, medium heavy, with a skeleton split grip. The Low Riders sell for $149.99.

I've owned and later sold more than a dozen travel rods over the years and most feel like broomsticks with the added ferrules and oversized butt sections. Decided to try the Falcon Coastal and it was shipped immediately and arrived today. I ordered direct through the Falcon on-line store.

Nice divided Cordura case with strap and embroidered rod description for quick recognition. The rod itself is slender and the action is as described. Only drawback is it is made in China.

If you're looking for sensitive travel rods that won't break the bank, give the Falcon Coastal Travelers a look. When I retire, I can have Smack build me a set of custom travel rods and really be stylin'. 

www.falconrods.com


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## SomaliPirate (Feb 5, 2016)

Zika said:


> Somewhat related to Bob's original inquiry, but the couple comments on Falcons piqued my curiosity so I looked at their web site. They have four new travel rods for 2020, the Coastal Traveler and Low Rider Traveler, with a spin and casting rod in each line. They're still updating the web site so I called and found out the Coastal traveler casting rod (all four are 3-piece, 7-foot in length) is rated for 8-17 pound test, medium action for $119. It has the full cork handle. The Low Rider is rated 12-20 pound test, medium heavy, with a skeleton split grip. The Low Riders sell for $149.99.
> 
> I've owned and later sold more than a dozen travel rods over the years and most feel like broomsticks with the added ferrules and oversized butt sections. Decided to try the Falcon Coastal and it was shipped immediately and arrived today. I ordered direct through the Falcon on-line store.
> 
> ...


I'm a little disappointed, I thought they were all US made.


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## Zika (Aug 6, 2015)

Their other rods may be. The Coastal Traveler clearly had the made in China sticker on the butt, though. At least it didn't have any notice about coronavirus or come with a Purell wipe.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Not much is Made in USA any more, if it has a USA flag on it read the fine print “Assembled in USA with global materials”


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## Snakesurf (Jun 18, 2019)

The prepreg is made in China or Japan. Gary and NFC is getting the Toray carbon fiber cloth for the prepreg from Japan to make NFC blanks. We live in a global economy and whoever can produce a product the cheapest is going to do it until it is not economically feasible to. As example: A poor country gets contracts for cheap labor, factories are built, people become employed and make money, demand goes up, production goes up and finally wages go up. The companies move to find cheaper labor if they can't figure out how to make the product cheaper in the country they are in. I do not think any of the good rod guides come from the U.S. or the reel seats. The cork comes from Portugal if you are lucky. The blank is assembled in the U.S.. Don't worry though if we sneeze China farts chunks.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Snakesurf said:


> The prepreg is made in China or Japan. Gary and NFC is getting the Toray carbon fiber cloth for the prepreg from Japan to make NFC blanks. We live in a global economy and whoever can produce a product the cheapest is going to do it until it is not economically feasible to. As example: A poor country gets contracts for cheap labor, factories are built, people become employed and make money, demand goes up, production goes up and finally wages go up. The companies move to find cheaper labor if they can't figure out how to make the product cheaper in the country they are in. I do not think any of the good rod guides come from the U.S. or the reel seats. The cork comes from Portugal if you are lucky. The blank is assembled in the U.S.. Don't worry though if we sneeze China farts chunks.


I bet that changes after this shitshow.


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## Greg Allison (Mar 13, 2018)

I very much prefer a moderate fast action for a top water rod. The delay really makes walking a bait much easier. If you fishing out of boat something 6'6" to 7' is nice so you can work it with the down stroke like the bass guys. And the shorter rod still allows accuracy with the mod fast action.

Chinese guides, asian prepreg, portguese cork, Chinese reel seat. Most rods don't meet "Made in the USA" standards that are actually labelled as. The consumer drives the market. If no one bought $100 fishing rods from China, they would not make them. 
Most of the higher end rods are made from USA made prepreg (rods that are rolled in the USA). Between the specialized resins, and low areal weights the batch size is not large enough for the large preg manufacturers of Asia to be interested in dealing with. G Loomis NRX would be an example of that.


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## Snakesurf (Jun 18, 2019)

I just got something from NFC, I bet you got it too, It is a new X-Ray blank made with a new material they are calling it; North Fork Composites Zentron Fiber/X-Ray Blank. It looks like it already has changed. Zentron Fiber is a S 2 glass 8 micron fiber made in the USA. It is a nylon supposedly equal in strength and weight to carbon fiber.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Snakesurf said:


> I just got something from NFC, I bet you got it too, It is a new X-Ray blank made with a new material they are calling it; North Fork Composites Zentron Fiber/X-Ray Blank. It looks like it already has changed. Zentron Fiber is a S 2 glass 8 micron fiber made in the USA. It is a nylon supposedly equal in strength and weight to carbon fiber.


NFC needs to work on getting blanks shipped faster, it’s taken several months on all my orders no matter if it’s three blanks or thirty. I almost pulled the trigger on that $75 promo blank, it would be nice for bigger swimbaits.


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## Greg Allison (Mar 13, 2018)

Snakesurf said:


> I just got something from NFC, I bet you got it too, It is a new X-Ray blank made with a new material they are calling it; North Fork Composites Zentron Fiber/X-Ray Blank. It looks like it already has changed. Zentron Fiber is a S 2 glass 8 micron fiber made in the USA. It is a nylon supposedly equal in strength and weight to carbon fiber.


S2 is a glass sits about halfway between E glass and 24 ton/36 million modulus carbon fiber in stiffness, and recovery speed (damping). Definitely not equal to strength to weight ratio carbon fiber.


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## Half Shell (Jul 19, 2016)

I have St Croix Legend Tournament Bass, Legend Elite, and Avid inshore rods. If I had it to do over again, I would stick with the Avid and Legend Elite and drop the Legend Tournament. 

Jigs and finesse style techniques = Legend Elite.


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## BobGee (Apr 10, 2019)

Half Shell said:


> I have St Croix Legend Tournament Bass, Legend Elite, and Avid inshore rods. If I had it to do over again, I would stick with the Avid and Legend Elite and drop the Legend Tournament.
> 
> Jigs and finesse style techniques = Legend Elite.


Ever use the St Croix Legend Tournament Inshore casting rods?


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## Half Shell (Jul 19, 2016)

BobGee said:


> Ever use the St Croix Legend Tournament Inshore casting rods?


No, never have.


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