Fluke Rod and Reel Reviews

[Hotrod]

What do you or have you used and how would you rate it on Price and Performance?

A good topic for the search engines and those looking for a new Rod and Reel for the up coming season.

Please use Part #'s and any specs you have if possible.

[Luna Sea 5]

light weight loomis rod with a penn spinning 440ss.  total of about $300.00.

Fluke rods need to be very stiff to feel every bump of the bottom.  When this is paired up with a good reel and braid line, you can't go wrong.

[IrishAyes]

I swear by the Fenwick HMX Trigger Strike. HMXT66MHC or 70HMC. Paired with an Abu Garcia Record (RCN60HC) reel with 30# braid. Can't be beat.
Retails for probably around $250. 

[mboy]

Fluke rods need to be very stiff to feel every bump of the bottom.  When this is paired up with a good reel and braid line, you can't go wrong.

Umm, no they don't.

[mboy]

Bass Pro Extreme Woo Davis 8-17lb rods are my main fluke rods for myself.

1 6'6"mh, the other 7'm.  $100 each.

Ocean Master 200 and 400 gold reels, about $100 each as well. 10 and 30lb  braid.
Also have some Bass pro bionic blade rods a bit heavier for when I need a bit more weight to hold bottom. Ocean master 400's on those.

For the wife or kid, light spinning gear. Fin nor 5' 8-12lb spin rod w/ Okuma Epixor 20 w/ 20lb braid.

Deep water, ocean fluke I have a few setups, but the new go to will be the custom GUSA 7mh rod, Avet Sx 5.3 w/50lb braid.

Inshore, freshwater type gear is the way to go for fluke (and bluefish to in my book).

[Luna Sea 5]

Fluke rods need to be very stiff to feel every bump of the bottom.  When this is paired up with a good reel and braid line, you can't go wrong.

Umm, no they don't.

of course you want to feel every bump of the bottom to determine a bite or structure so you know how to set the hook.  When I used my ugly stick, I can't feel a thing which creates a worse hook up ratio.

[Sam3]

7ft Shimano Compre with a Calcutta 400B w/30 braid.

Bought some M/H Bass pro shop baitcasting rods on e-bay and some Shimano Corvalus 300 reels with 30 lb braid.
Those are my guest rods. 

[Luna Sea 5]

braid on almost any real will make a difference.

[[FISHHOOK]]

Ugly Stick Med-Hvy 6'6",matched with a penn 975 with 40lb braid. around 325.00.

[Duffman]

Shimano Torium 14 ($170)  on a Lamiglas inshore classic IC 70 MH  ($140)  good all around inshore rod and can handle weight up to 8 oz for deeper water fluking, still sensitive enough for using in the shallows.

Avet SX Single speed ($200) on a GLoomis Pro Blue PBR - 843C ($240)  another good all around setup for both  deep and shallower water.

Shimano Calcutta 400 ($200)  on a Shimano Clarus CSC 70 MH ($70).  Nice back bone with a soft tip. Perfect for bucktailing jigs up to 3 oz and very sensitive. Setup more suited for fishing shallow with enough backbone to lift a decent fish.

[mboy]

Fluke rods need to be very stiff to feel every bump of the bottom.  When this is paired up with a good reel and braid line, you can't go wrong.

Umm, no they don't.

of course you want to feel every bump of the bottom to determine a bite or structure so you know how to set the hook.  When I used my ugly stick, I can't feel a thing which creates a worse hook up ratio.

And that has NOTHING to do with a VERY stiff tip as you said.

You want a sensitive tip which has nothing to do with a VERY stiff tip.
Funny, I used an ugly stick fluking in 100' of water with braid and felt EVERYTHING with it.

I GURANATEE most experienced fluke fisherman DO NOT use a VERY stiff tip for fluke fishing. That is evident by all the rods listed in this thread so far.
Most have been MH heavy action which is FAR from being very stiff (no matter what blank you are talking about).

Maybe you need to start using conventional tackle if you think you need a very stiff tip to feel bottom 

[catfish hunter]

a stiff rod will not help you hook up ,I use very light action rods and it makes a huge differance in my catchs ,why would you want a rod w/ no play it is like useing a broom stick

[mboy]

The only time I prefer a VERY stiff tip is snagging for bunker ( I have a 5' XH rod perfect for it), or a tip on the heavier side (still not ultra stiff) for blackfishing and using a LOT of weight to get down to bottom.

M to MH freshwater gear is perfect for inshore fluking (and MH in that lb class would be considered light for saltwater).

[Luna Sea 5]

I'm not talking about a meat stick, I am taking about a light weight Loomis.  Very sensitive tip, but not alot of play in the blank.

[mboy]

There ya go, always talkin' about your meatstick 
 

[mboy]

I'm not talking about a meat stick, I am taking about a light weight Loomis.  Very sensitive tip, but not alot of play in the blank.

That does not + very Stiff tip tho.

[fishinfool]

There ya go, always talkin' about your meatstick 
 

 

[Luna Sea 5]

debate, debate, debate, debate, This isn't a democratic post, is it?..    See ya out there soon pal.

[Skolmann]

Wish I would have seen this thread before I came to work as I don't know all my fluke rod & reel model #'s off the top of my head.

All my fluke reels both spinning and conventional are spooled with braid. To be honest, I don't think I could be an effective fluke fisherman if I used mono.

As a general rule (at least for me), I like a softer tip on my conventional rods but also one that has some backbone & power from mid blank down on my fluking sticks. Rods that I use for bucktailing I like alittle stiffer to help 'snap' the bucktail.

Will post my roster of fluking sticks later tonight.

[mboy]