# 7ft inshore rod for 1/8 ounce jigs



## mpl1978

Tough to find a medium action 7ft saltwater rod that can throw 1/8 ounce lures effectively. Any suggestions


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## DBStoots

I really like the GLoomis Greenwater rods. They use Fuji Chrome Alconite guides and are very light weight and sensitive. The GWMR843C is 7', fast;/medium-heavy, rated for lures from 1/4 oz to 3/4 oz. and line from 10-17 pounds. 

I also like the GLoomis ProGreen rods. This might be an even better choice for really light weight soft plastic baits and jigs. I have a PGR822S model that is 6'10", rated for lures from 1/8 to 3/8 oz and line from 6-12 pound, fast action, medium power.


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## mpl1978

Thanks, I am looking for a bonefish spinning rod.


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## lemaymiami

I’ve been making them for years and years - a seven foot blank rated for 6 to 12lb line with a #16 Fuji reelseat and six guides starting with a #8 then up to a #25 - no larger... The trick is to start with a popping rod blank - nothing else will work as well...

I built my first one back in the seventies using early Fenwick or Lamiglass graphite blanks - then finally settled for GLoomis blanks until Shimano bought them and quit making them available to rodcrafters.

The design parameters were pretty simple. All we wanted was a rod with a modest taper that would allow you to cast an un-weighted shrimp an easy 60 feet with 6 or 8lb mono...

When I quit guiding for bonefish more than a dozen years ago those rods saw little use in the backcountry until I spooled one of those reels with 10lb braid... That was a real game changer. Now we can toss lightweight lures a long way, hook up on pretty big fish and actually beat them most days...


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## mpl1978

Did you prefer 7 or 7’6?


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## lemaymiami

I like seven foot blanks - but I'm working out of a skiff... If I were wading a seven and a half foot rod would be very handy... particularly using lightweight gear.

A bit about rod lengths - the longer the rod - the farther you can toss a lure - generally... You always have to remember, though, that a rod is just a lever - and you're on the wrong end of that lever for fish fighting purposes... As a result when I've building heavier rods I tend to want something a bit shorter than that magic seven foot length... For really stout rods (stump pullers) the shorter the better... That might be why if I was building a stand-up tuna rod I'd be working with a blank that's only five and a half feet long, maybe a bit longer - but not much (for a 50 to 80 or an 80 to 130lb class stand-up...).

For plug rods where accuracy is important maybe a six foot blank (a one handed plug rod that I really like is only five and a half feet long - and it's super accurate when casting.... all day long...). I have one plug caster that comes with me when we're bait fishing - and it's a full seven feet long (but it's not going to be used much for casting and retrieving lures) and it's used to set out a heavy cutbait or fish a good sized live bait then left in a rodholder until a fish makes it bend over and scream....

The really neat thing about building your own gear - or going to a custom rod builder to have one made... is that you can get what you want. Rods built to sell in stores are usually a compromise between design and quality. When you see a rod for sale that's at a low price point you can bet that the hardware used (guides, reelseat, etc.) was not very good quality and will break down on you sooner than you'd like...


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## DBStoots

mpl1978 said:


> Thanks, I am looking for a bonefish spinning rod.


my choice for bonefish is the Gloomis Green Water GLX GWR 901S. It is 7'6", mag medium/extra fast. I can sling a shrimp a long way with this rod.


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## mpl1978

I wonder how the e6 loomis compares - a lot less dough.


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## Zika

I have a couple of E6X in 7'6" lengths that I really like--Model number is 902S XF. Medium light rated for 6-12 pound line, 1/4 to 1/2-ounce lures, Extra Fast tip. I can zing a DOA shrimp a ways and the blank is very sensitive. Confident it would work for bonefish.

A few words of caution, however. It will not withstand the force of an excited Rottweiler when stowed in the rack and there's a fish on another line and he tangles his harness around one of the guides. Ask me how I know about that one.  I got an identical replacement.

The 842S MF comes in 7 foot, also rated for 6-12 but with a moderate fast tip.


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## mpl1978

For bones and permit- do you folks suggest braid or mono. I have a spool of 15lb j braid that I can use, but it seems people like the lighter stuff in the 8-10 pound class


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## Half Shell

That Greenwater DBsoots mentioned is a nice rod. For a little less, the St Croix Avid inshore 7'6" ML fast works pretty well for 1/8" jigs. They also make a 7' M with a moderate action


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## lemaymiami

Once again haven't done any flats permit or bones in years now (still fish permit on wrecks off the Gulf coast of the Everglades.... At any rate the basics were a spinning reel that held roughly 200 yards of ten pound mono. If you chose to use 8lb mono you could go one reel size smaller - but that basic 200 yards of ten pound was always your starting point...

That said, the moment I switched those same reels to 10lb braid was a dramatic game changer for us - but we're not loading an entire spool with 10lb braid (for me it's always Sufix braid...). What we're doing is leaving 2/3 of the spool loaded with 10lb mono and splicing on top of it about 300 feet of 10lb braid. Works like a charm. For bonefish I'd want a three foot leader of 20lb fluorocarbon - for permit the same length - but in 30lb fluoro... If I were still using 10lb mono the only leader I'd ever use would be a three foot section of doubled line (your basic Bimini Twist to double the line...).

If you switch to braid you'll be able to cast farther and hook fish farther away than you can with mono - all day long... and that soft bonefish rod is ideal for braid... once you learn the knots (braid is different than mono so many struggle with knot connections using it).
This big snook was taken on the exact rig I'm talking about just a few weeks ago... note the little leadhead in its mouth - 1/8oz with a Gulp tail...








We've also taken more than our share of tarpon up to around 30 lbs with one of those same light rods....


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## State fish rob

Ditto ditto ditto ^^^
Went all braid @bout 12 years ago. Casting distance improved. Took me a while to get a handle on knots as well. Fluorocarbon leaders work well for me.Wind knots are a pain. Love to hear the wind blowing on rods with braid. They “sing “ Too cool. My bass buddies don’t know what they are missing....


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## Buffalo Bob

lemaymiami said:


> I like seven foot blanks - but I'm working out of a skiff... If I were wading a seven and a half foot rod would be very handy... particularly using lightweight gear.
> 
> A bit about rod lengths - the longer the rod - the farther you can toss a lure - generally... You always have to remember, though, that a rod is just a lever - and you're on the wrong end of that lever for fish fighting purposes... As a result when I've building heavier rods I tend to want something a bit shorter than that magic seven foot length... For really stout rods (stump pullers) the shorter the better... That might be why if I was building a stand-up tuna rod I'd be working with a blank that's only five and a half feet long, maybe a bit longer - but not much (for a 50 to 80 or an 80 to 130lb class stand-up...).
> 
> For plug rods where accuracy is important maybe a six foot blank (a one handed plug rod that I really like is only five and a half feet long - and it's super accurate when casting.... all day long...). I have one plug caster that comes with me when we're bait fishing - and it's a full seven feet long (but it's not going to be used much for casting and retrieving lures) and it's used to set out a heavy cutbait or fish a good sized live bait then left in a rodholder until a fish makes it bend over and scream....
> 
> The really neat thing about building your own gear - or going to a custom rod builder to have one made... is that you can get what you want. Rods built to sell in stores are usually a compromise between design and quality. When you see a rod for sale that's at a low price point you can bet that the hardware used (guides, reelseat, etc.) was not very good quality and will break down on you sooner than you'd like...


Lot of good information for everyone! Thanks.


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## mpl1978

Yes it is. Anyone ever used Berkeley nanofil line- designed for small lures and light to medium light rods. Apparently no wind knots


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## lemaymiami

Over the years (many years... ) I've learned to be very skeptical about the claims various manufacturers make....


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## WC53

I have been using a cheap 8’ (or 7-10??) mag taper salmon rod for wading and kayak fishing lately. My shoulders are trash and I use a moderate action when I can. I cast way to hard with an EF. Okuma SST 

It throws weightless plastic and lighter jig heads really well. Biggest fish to date was 29” red, no problems.


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## TheAdamsProject

I have built and tested a bunch and the best two are the NEPS82LMF and the NEPS86LMF from MHX. The first is 6'10" 6lb-12lb, 1/16oz-3/8oz. Moderate-Fast Action, Light Power The second has the same specs but is 7'2" for those wanting a little more length. Built with Fuji High Frames down to single foot runners and either 10lb or 15lb braid to a Fluorocarbon leader from 10lb to 16lb. I set this rod up to throw the jigs I tie.


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## mpl1978

https://www.mudhole.com/MHX-Classic-Finesse-Spinning-Rod-Kit?quantity=1&custcol_blank_model=353

how do these blanks compare to a g loomis or at croix? 

I have built a couple fly rods, and have all the equipment, but I have never built a spinning rod


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## TheAdamsProject

mpl1978 said:


> https://www.mudhole.com/MHX-Classic-Finesse-Spinning-Rod-Kit?quantity=1&custcol_blank_model=353
> 
> how do these blanks compare to a g loomis or at croix?
> 
> I have built a couple fly rods, and have all the equipment, but I have never built a spinning rod


From that kit the SJ841 or SJ9000 would be the closest to what I build on. As comparing the Standard MHX to St. Croix they would be like building on the SCIII Graphite and Compared to Loomis is would fall in the E6X area. I build with the VSS in Cork as my handle setup.


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## mpl1978

For 135 and change I am trying to rationalize how much better it is than say the st croix mojo inshore in 7’6- 150.00 ish or the falcon buck tail special that is on sale for 100.00


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## TheAdamsProject

mpl1978 said:


> For 135 and change I am trying to rationalize how much better it is than say the st croix mojo inshore in 7’6- 150.00 ish or the falcon buck tail special that is on sale for 100.00


I completely understand. For me, I want things a specific way and that is why I build. If you are someone who isn't hell bent on building then you probably will benefit from either the Falcon or Mojo Inshore. Im sure they are excellent rods and both come from great manufactures.


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## pete_paschall

I'll second building a rod (or having it built) for your specific purpose. I've been building a few rods on Rainshadow Immortal blanks and using Fuji K-R concept guides. This guide system is designed to maximize performance when using smaller diameter lines (specifically, braided line) and I have been more than happy with them. The 7' ML blank I used to build a rod for my wife for our anniversary throws light artificals better than any rod I have cast.


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## David Porter

Give


mpl1978 said:


> Tough to find a medium action 7ft saltwater rod that can throw 1/8 ounce lures effectively. Any suggestions


Try the St. Croix Legend Extreme. I love mine and it throws an 1/8oz just fine.


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## BobGee

David Porter said:


> Give
> 
> 
> Try the St. Croix Legend Extreme. I love mine and it throws an 1/8oz just fine.


Yes!


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## Snakesurf

I do mostly baitcaster rods but have also made quite a few spinning. Started out in 1989 with fly rods. My go to blank in the 90s was the G Loomis IMX. Great med light popping rod blank with fast action. Pretty much any of the 7' or 7'6" blanks like this were awesome. Good strength to weight properties made in the USA. As stated earlier, Shimano bought G Loomis and they quit selling to the public. I since then have built on MHX, Batson, Phenix, St Croix and a few others but now I am mostly using Gary Loomis's North Fork Composites (NFC). These are the next generation of G Loomis without Shimano. Lighter, stronger, better and made in the USA. I would find a rod made from these blanks or have one built. If you want to buy one look at Edge Rods or Kistler Rods https://www.youtube.com/user/12Fishern


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## Greg Allison

I have used the nanofil, it does work, but is not friendly for tying knots. Much worse than regular braid. It also seemed to have not much strength in shock loading. If was a great replacement I think the market would have switched over. 

That build kit is not bad deal, I think it would be hard to find something with a nice cork grip, and fuji K guides in that price range. Getting your guide spacing correct really shines when you use braid. Most big rod manufactures don't take time to really get everything perfect. When I worked at Pure Fishing we actually did on some of the product (Value priced stuff limits you on # of guides). A properly sized and spaced guide train, would give about 20% more casting distance with braid (did not make as much of a difference with mono or flouro.). Spinning rods had the most drastic results on guide spacing "tuning". But, I don't really think you can go wrong with something already from a rod manufacturing with a warranty, people catch lots of fish everyday on those rods. Just depends if you want a project or not. Its not a bad time to have a project. All the public boat ramps in my state are closed right now. 

Snakesurf,

Dont sleep on G.Loomis. "These are the next generation of G Loomis without Shimano", you are also missing Steve Rajeff from G Loomis, he stayed with the company when Gary sold it. Steve was, and still is their rod designer, and engineer. Steve has won the world around casting championship 38 times. Gary was and still is the salesman. I am sure NFC makes some decent stuff, but they are not an improved version of the original G Loomis without Mr. Rajeff, he is the one that makes G Loomis rods so great. I would be willing to guess if still had access to loomis blanks, you would be building on some of them. Most companies now though can product that "IMX" quality level pretty easily, which is good for all of us, that technology was from the mid 90's, 25 years old now.


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## Snakesurf

Greg,

First of all, I am not saying that the current state of G Loomis / Shimano produces a bad product or Steve Rajeff is not an excellent rod engineer. His brother Tim (Echo Rods) is also, who worked for Steve at one time at G Loomis. The main point was that G Loomis under the control of Shimano quit selling blanks to the public. If you have ever talked to Gary about this, you would find he is very passionate about that aspect of producing rod blanks for the public/home builder. Gary is the one who put that company together and definitely impacted the design and materials used to make G Loomis blanks. This is why NFC is such a great blank manufacturer (no Shimano influence). These blanks are as good or better than whatever G Loomis is producing. They are using different mandrill tapers and more diverse materials in the prepreg and newer manufacturing techniques including machinery. After all you said it about G Loomis; that technology was from the mid 90's, 25 years old now. NFC has pissed off most of the other blank manufacturers because they will sell directly to the public at wholesale prices. A best quality blank, made in the USA and sold to the public at a reasonable price. For instance, Sage 4 pc, 9', 8wt "X" (890-4) blank $425 and NFC 4 pc, 8wt F 890-4 (GammaBeta) $225. I could go on about why Gary sold out to Shimano and why he started another company that competes with his old one, but the point is these blank are among the best you are going to find made in the USA. This is what I use to build on and Edge Rods and Kistler Rods does too. Whose technology looks older?


https://www.gloomis.com/content/gloomis/northamerica/usconv/en/homepage/Products/SALTWATER_RODS.html


https://edgerods.com/


Lance
PS, I can also compare them.


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## mpl1978

Well, since I have nothing but time I think I will just build one. I think this fits to bill perfectly- 
https://www.mudhole.com/MHX-Live-Bait-Walleye-Rod-Kits


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## lemaymiami

"Direct to the public at wholesale prices" .... Not any wholesale prices that I'm familiar with...

I have no trouble with anyone wanting to quote a manufacturers ad copy but that one line doesn't pass by me without it grating a bit... If you want to compare someone's rod blank prices to what Sage asks for theirs you're not exactly in anyone's "median range" of prices... but each to his own.


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## Snakesurf

Capt.,

I was buying the NFC blanks for twice the price they are selling them for now. The retailers that sell rod components like Mudhole quit carrying them because they started selling them to the public at the same price the retailers could purchase them for. I believe that is wholesale. I know because I deal with and personally know some of these retailers. The discount is given in the cart. I have been building rods over 30 years (have built on Sage, G Loomis, St Croix, TFO, MHX, Batson, Pac Bay, Lamiglass, Fuji, Phenix, and a few others) and these are some of the best blanks I have ever built on and made in the US. They also have blanks that are very comparable to IMX in the $30 range. So yes, it is medium range for what I build. I would rather spend more money on other components like Titanium guide frames so I can offer a finished rod below $400 and make a budget rod for someone around $200 (it depends on the cost of the blank). I guess I get excited about rod building, so I get enthused when I come across a good deal. There is another blank that is starting to come out of China that I like as well made by a company called Excell (not the Lamiglass brand) that looks like it is going be really nice. It has some of the best strength to weight ratio that I have seen in a while.

Lance


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## Greg Allison

Just check the back bone on that walleye rod before you build it. Some walleye rods (I am not familiar with the mhx stuff) will not have as much power in the butt section as an inshore, or bass rod. Good luck and have fun.


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## mpl1978

Funny you say that, I sent the rod specs to someone and they said they built one and it was great, but it had no ass and it broke.......

I think the other one might be a better choice


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## lemaymiami

Like I’ve already said... look for a popping rod blank rated for 6-12 lb line. It will also show (rated for 1/4 to 3/8oz lures)...

Sticks for walleye are usually on the wimpy side... 

By the way, these exact blanks were being made with IM6 way back in 1988 when Gary Loomis had his first company, LCI (Loomis Composites Inc). When they went out of business I was able to pick up a bunch of their blanks - and built with them for years... Not the latest and greatest but good solid performers in hard use.


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## Finn Maccumhail

mpl1978 said:


> For 135 and change I am trying to rationalize how much better it is than say the st croix mojo inshore in 7’6- 150.00 ish or the falcon buck tail special that is on sale for 100.00


I have a 7'6" St. Croix Mojo Inshore that's a great rod. I fly fish almost exclusively but there are times when I've got friends who don't fly fish on the boat it's my go-to because trying to have 1 person fly cast and another chunk gear at the same time is a bit difficult.


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## JB the Redfisher

I throw 1/8 jigs all the time with a 7' GLoomis E6X paired with a Shimano Curado baitcaster. No issues landing 18-24" redfish. Catch other species as well but the RF is probably the hardest fighter I target with that rod.


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## Derek Radtke

Zephyr cove custom. 7’2” spinning hands down best rod.


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## TheAdamsProject

mpl1978 said:


> Well, since I have nothing but time I think I will just build one. I think this fits to bill perfectly-
> https://www.mudhole.com/MHX-Live-Bait-Walleye-Rod-Kits


The blanks in that kit are the exact ones I recommend earlier in the thread we throw the jigs on. Both the 82" or 86" light, Mod-fast. They are what we use on the skiff to catch slot and above redfish as well as bonefish to 10lbs and permit to 20lbs.


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## mpl1978

I am almost done building my mhx spin jig


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## WC53

I know it’s a necro thread….lol… but anything change in blank choices. I was about to place an order with NFC for some fly and ultralight stuff and would like to add a couple blanks to fit this. SJ703/732, P703/704 or stay with the Rainshadow RevIP ML?

Thanks


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## MikeCockman

WC53 said:


> I know it’s a necro thread….lol… but anything change in blank choices. I was about to place an order with NFC for some fly and ultralight stuff and would like to add a couple blanks to fit this. SJ703/732, P703/704 or stay with the Rainshadow RevIP ML?
> 
> Thanks


I just built one specifically for 1/8oz weedless paddle tails, which incidentally works great for the small Aqua dream spoon as well. I built it as well as all my other personal rods on CFX blanks. Unfortunately I’m not 100% on the specs as it was not what I ordered.
I usually build all 842s or 902s on their Med/Fast mag bass or spin jig blanks. 
This particular blank is 7’ but quite a bit smaller than the reg 842s. I wish I knew exactly what it is, because it’s performing fantastic. At any rate give Jess a call at Cajun/Custom rod components and she can hook ya up. 
I will say though, that the RS blanks are great as well though, as I’ve built a ton of em for clients.


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## WC53

I’ll look at their specs.


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