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Posts: 149
| I am wanting to start muskie fishing. I have no boat. I don't really have any friends with a boat. I live in southern Illinois, at least 90 minutes from any muskie lakes (Kinkaid, Shelbyville).
I will probably fish for muskies once or twice a year, with a week-long Canadian trip every 3-4 years. This means it's not practical to blow the budget on multiple rods or a $350 rod.
I am pretty well set on buying a C3 for my reel.
I own a couple bucktails, a couple cranks, and a topraider and whopper plopper. What rod would fit my needs? I don't need to throw bulldawgs or any huge plastic.
I need a good, all-around, solid, multi-purpose muskie rod. It may not be perfect for any of my applications, but it will do a respectable job for each.
Does this rod exist? For $150 or less? |
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Posts: 150
Location: Central Minnesota | 8 ft. Tackle Industries XH. $135 and tough to beat. |
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Posts: 149
| Thanks! I have noticed that the TI rods are highly recommended on this site. They must be the real deal.
Is 8' compatible with a fly-in trip? |
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Posts: 968
Location: N.FIB | Ti now makes two piece rods which is perfect for a fly in,I need to order one soon,hope he doesn't run out |
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Posts: 4053
Location: Land of the Musky | CASTING55 - 7/26/2012 8:00 PM
Ti now makes two piece rods which is perfect for a fly in,I need to order one soon,hope he doesn't run out
I won't run out on those for a while. I made 300 XH per handle type (600 total) and 150 of each of the MH and XXH 2pc rods. I also have already started another production run and put more of these into production just to make sure I have inventory thru Spring 2013. |
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Posts: 1716
Location: Mt. Zion, IL | Tackle Industries 9'xh telescopic full grip rod. I also sent you a PM. |
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| I would take a look at the St. Croix Premier PM80MHF. Its 8' and will throw all the small stuff well and midsize baits as well. It is SC's Premier version of the LT "Top & Tail" . Nice balance, casts well and still has some backbone. I use mine in the spring with a smaller reel and than change to a bigger reel for the summer, as the baits get a little bigger. Your not going to throw twin tens with it, but for starting out it is a great choice. If I had to get rid of all of my rods, this would be in the final pairing. Just about every outing, it is on the front deck. There is a posting for a slightly used one for sale on the "Buy, Sell, Trade" forum. "Three 8' rods FS", I just saw it today. New or used, it should be in your price range or close to it.
good luck with your purchase and new hobby
pmv |
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| I'd recommend an 8' as well. That would be a good all-purpose size to throw everything you own. I'd suggest trying to feel the rod(s) you're interested in before making a purchase if you have the means. |
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Posts: 908
Location: South-Central PA | Yep, an 8' Tackle Industries XH would be a good all-around rod for you. You can't beat the quality vs. price of a TI rod! The XH will throw just about anything within reason for muskies.
If you are willing to try a longer rod, go with the 9' XH two-piece TI.
jeremy |
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| I have the 9' XH Telescopic rod from TI, it breaks down to 7'6" and that is my most used rod. If that isn't small enough you could get the two piece model. |
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Posts: 4343
Location: Smith Creek | St. Croix MM80HF 8' 2-6 oz. Might want to go down to the MM80MHF if you don't throw jerkbaits or big bucktails. |
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Posts: 149
| I personally bought one Tackle Industries rod early last year. Soon after that I sold 2 of the 3 St Croix rods I had and a custom built Thorn Bros Predator and bought more TI rods. I have 5 TI rods now and one St Croix that my dad gave me (can't sell that one). The TI rods IMO fell adn perform as good or better without looking at price. When you price the rods out TI is by far the winner for quality and price. I am going to try out one of the new 2pc rods this fall and if I like that one I will be buying 3 2pc rods for my fly in fishing trips up to Canada for next year. No more 9' one piece rods on the plane! lol It will be nice to have a tube under 5 ft long with a 9' rod in it for those trips. Need to put one through the ringer this fall thoguh before I buy more.
GM |
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Location: Northern Wisconsin | I have both the St. Croix Premier 8' MH and the Tackle Industries 9' XH. Both rods are great for what I use them for. If you just plan on throwing small-medium sized bucktails and topwaters then I would look at either the St. Croix 8' MH or a TI rod in MH power. Okuma also has a good line up of telescopic rods.
The XH may be a little too much for the smaller lures you plan on throwing. It's rated up to 12oz! You also said you plan on fishing waters in Canada with a lot of mid 30" fish. IMO the 9'XH takes some of the fun out of the fight when you have a smaller fish on. There are a lot of options out there but you can't go wrong with a St. Croix or Tackle Industries. |
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Posts: 173
Location: Minnesota | I also recommend the TI 9' telescopic rod in xh |
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Posts: 1169
Location: New Hope MN | Do yourself a HUGE favor and go to a swap meet. You can buy tons of used gear for 1/4 the cost. Tell the guys you are a complete newb and I'll bet they give ya a free bucktail they never throw anymore. |
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Posts: 999
| I also highly recommend the TI rods, they are awesome rods and you cannot beat the customer service that James provides. |
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Posts: 409
Location: Almond, WI | An 8' H or XH. I have a Gander Mtn 8' XH (2-6oz) that I've used as my main rod for 4yrs now. I've thrown the St. Croix and Okuma rods in that category and liked them, everyone I know that has them raves about the TI rods. Don't forget that St. Croix has the Mojo line which is more affordable and still quality rods. Go to a swap, shop the board here, watch for sales at Gander/Bass Pro/Cabela's you'll find something good before too long. Consider a balancer if the rod is tip heavy, not a lot of guys do it but I have and it is a world of difference. |
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Posts: 968
Location: N.FIB | just ordered my 2 piece,also have a telescopic 9ft that is 7/6 for storage |
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Posts: 443
Location: Indiana | For the money, Mike Hulbert's rod is hard to beat. It outperforms even my custom rods. Look up the specs on his website. |
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Posts: 149
| Which scenario is better in your opinion.......
Buying a TI MH rod and occasionally throwing some bigger lures that are above the recommended weight for that rod........
OR, buying a TI XH rod and spending quite a bit of time throwing lures that are below the recommended weight?
Most of my lures will be in the 1.5 oz - 6 or 7 oz range. |
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Posts: 142
| The one rod I wouldn't give up is my st croix 8'mhf. Very very versatile. |
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Posts: 1716
Location: Mt. Zion, IL | IlliniMuskie - 8/27/2012 12:01 PM
Which scenario is better in your opinion.......
Buying a TI MH rod and occasionally throwing some bigger lures that are above the recommended weight for that rod........
OR, buying a TI XH rod and spending quite a bit of time throwing lures that are below the recommended weight?
Most of my lures will be in the 1.5 oz - 6 or 7 oz range.
Get the XH and forget about the details. I throw 3/4 oz baits on my St. Croix XH rods with no problems. |
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Posts: 28
Location: Esbjerg - Denmark | I highly recomend the new 2-piece TI - Pulled a 42 inch pike on my XXH the other day, and it was a joy to work with...
I just cant praise James enough for his new 2-piece lineup.!! I feared that a 36 oz rod would be stiff as a board, but not at all - I cast everything down to #8 bucks, topraiders and 3-4 oz grubs, and I'm supprised at how well it loads with these, but yet still able to handle pounders with ease...
And the pic --> http://www.ondfisk.dk/Fangster%202012/26-08-2012/DSC_4154.JPG |
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Posts: 151
Location: IL | 8' St Croix Premier H is perfect for everything besides Big Jakes,pounders and 10's |
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Posts: 2024
| Illini, I'm in the same predicament as you. I am in Arkansas, but go home to MN a couple times a year. I have to have a 2 oiece rod to fit in my car. If you need a 2 piece you are very limited in rod selection. I just bought a Shimano Clarus 2 piece, but it was difficult to reel in DC10's. So, I got a TI 9ft XH. It throws everything great and absorbs a lot of the pull the DC10's. I didn't try my 1.5 and 2 oz lures with it yet, but can use the Clarus for that. |
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