A BIT OUT OF SEASON, BUT.......

[TC]

OK, I know that the Summer has long since left us and the last thing we\'d expect to be talkin\' about at the begining of December is spinning for Mackerel, Coalies, Pollack & the like.
However, as it IS December, my wife has been asking the usual question......\"what do you want for Christmas, then?\" My reply is always the same....\"I haven\'t a clue! I don\'t really NEED anything.\"

Been thinkin\' though - I could really do with a spinning rod - never had one. As you\'ll no doubt appreciate, a 13\' beachcaster with a 535 on it isn\'t the easiest thing to spin with.....lol

Any suggestions as to some mid-range models to consider ?

I\'ve had a quick shufties around the net and there seems to be a massive range - from £15.00 Ron Thompsons, to some over £250.00

Any recommendations / suggestions welcome.

[bigh]

I use a carp rod Tony, 12\' 2.75lb test curve. Works really well. Paid about £32 I think from Snowlines.

[peter.m]

Would recommend a Daiwa Whisker Salmon Spin 10ft. Paid £80 but a lovely bit of kit. Yet to really put it under pressure but handled Pollock to 2-3lb lovely, maybe next year will really test it out!

Another suggestion of a bit of an all rounder for spinning, floating, light ledgering etc is the Conoflex Assasin. Never tried it out myself but know a few people who rate it. The new ones feel like a good rod but never tested in anger. I don\'t know what they go for. Hope this helps.

[mark]

Daiwa Daiwa Daiwa. Best rod I ever bought - of any kind. First one was an old sensor from a car boot, SInce bought a brand new Sensor and an Alltmor. Had more fun and caught more fish than the rest put together with em.

Casts brilliantly, I can get a 28gm spinner 100yds with it, have had a 9 lb pollack off the rocks with it, but have as much fun with 1-2lb mackeral, pollack coalies etc. stick a 2 once lead on it and its great for flatty bashin\'

Wouldn\'t swap it for anything I reckon theres nothing between the sensor and the alltmor (aprt from a huge chunk of cash) If you see one buy it

[Ant]

I think there\'s a bit of a difference between the Altmor and the Sensor Mark!!

I\'d be fairly gutted if I\'d spent £170 on a spinning rod that was the same as a £40 one. The Altmor is a top of the range product, quality throughout and to those who buy top end gear on a regular basis will know the diffences too. Silicon Carbide rings for a start, proper fuji reel seat, top quality cork etc never mind the standard of the carbon used in its\' production.

I\'ve had my Altmor for either 2 or 3 years now since they replaced the Amorphous Whiskers as Daiwas\' flagship model and it considerubly better than the top spec Shimano rod I was using at that point.

The Whisker Spin is a very good product too, lots of people I know use one and for the price they are excellent. Pair it with a Shimano Baitrunner and you\'re laughing, both excellent bits of kit and capable of landing most of the fish we\'re ever likely to encounter.

[Falcone]

i also use a 12ft 2 and a half lb test curve carp rod it is really really good sport and i also use a 12 ft float rod it may look a bit flimsy but if you are after the best sport i dont think anything is better also it cracks out them spinners,especially when using 8lb line....

[Davyred]

I\'ve had a Daiwa Powermesh X Carp rod for a few years and its a great bit of kit. Must say though, I\'ve just got a Conoflex Assassin built for me for £125 by Julian Shambrook for Pollacking next year and I cannot wait to use it - the build quality is fantastic - thoroughly recommend him.

[mark]

the first sensor was about 15 years old and was a fiver from a car boot. I love it so much Iwanted a new one. I bought the altmor and the new sensor as a pair from ebay both brand new. I\'ve fished the same marks with both. had the same reel on and the same lures and fail to see where the extra dosh goes. OK so it has \'brand name\' rings, and the carbon looks different, but in use, I fail to see why there\'s such a difference in price. A good carbon blank costs under a tenner to buy. A llot of the time, the name stamped on the butt decides the price. my Fly rod was hand made, the blank cost a fiver, and is the exact same blank that greys called an oracle - it came from the same factory!

[Ant]

Fair enough you fail to see the difference in performance in comparison to the difference in price, but it is there. It\'s may not be 5 times better even if the prices RRP might suggest that. But you pay for extra performance, maybe through the nose but it\'s the same with any product in paying for the priviledge of owning the best.

What\'s somebodies favorite is not always what\'s best. It\'s down to the individuals taste and how they use the product. If you want to get a rod that does the job then get one from the budget range. For a comprimise you buy from the mid range and for performance you buy from the top of the range. Fair enough there\'s the odd exception where a rod might do the job just as well as a rod three times the price, but when it comes down to the crunch the performance product will generally come into it\'s own.

Just like the ConoFlex Assasin, a quality product that will withstand a great load where others would just fold. As in most cases, you get what you pay for. Like paying a top rod builder to build a rod, you might pay a lot of money but you are getting it done by someone at the top level of their game. Anybody could whip a ring on but I\'d rather have a custom finish over factory finish given the choice anyday of the week.

Price wise, the rings alone on the Altmor probably cost more to buy than the whole Sensor put together. That\'s the difference.

[Edited on 2/12/2003 by Ant]

[mark]

I know we are moving way off the original thread here, and forgive me for not totally understanding the implications, but just how much difference do rings make to overall performance??

I can see that some cheapo scabby rings, will put wear on the line and not distribute load correctly, and can limit casting ability, but given these factors, what percentage do expensive rings give on performance. I\'ve often wondered this, I\'ve looked at top notch fuji rings on some of my rods, and looked at them on other \'mid priced\' rods, that don\'t have the fuji tag, and wondered what the difference really is

[LING_BASHER]

I like the Amorphous Whiskers, i have 1 and there great,had it two years now and it\'s had some fish on it,the best around 5-6lb mark.I have used it for spinning,jigging,red gills,float,baited rigs down the side,light boat fishing and so on.

[Ant]

Casting distance improvement, lighter overall rod weight, harder wearing, less brittle etc....................

If they don\'t make any performance difference then why does everyone copy their designs?

[BILLYB]

hi tony I have just got in the new panther carp from ron thompson it is a great looking rod and woulnd make a great spinning rod,I also have a hand built swedish spining rod that is the dogs bollocks and will not break the bank at half the r.r.p billy

[mark]

If they don\'t make any performance difference then why does everyone copy their designs?

hmmnnn, possibly for the same reason that everyone copies rolex, armani, apple, and just about every other \'label\' on the planet. Agreed, not always as well, but names do appeal to a broad section of society regardless of value - 20 years in the advertising industry has taught me that if nothing else!

[lesforrest]

there you go tony,clear as mud lol,have you made your mind up yet?i would say a 9 foot whisker spin represents good value for money but i prefer my trusty 403 zoom,\"WHOOPYAF***A ;-))