Good timing! We've got Australia’s biggest game fishing tournament next weekend, in what is shaping up to be the best marlin season in decades. I’m sorting out the gear to take this weekend and first on the list is my bent butt rod. Here’s me, hooked up to a mako:
It’s a 2-piece with a roller tip
Soft action (very forgiving) which bends all the way to the butt
It’s a15-24 kilo class rod, with the emphasis being on the 15
Our clients have caught some mighty fish on it
Here’s Aaron Jennings with a cracker bull mahi:
Cameron’s big southern bluefin tuna taken in Victoria:
Yours truly on a yellowfin tuna just south of Browns Mountain:
The rod is a slow action and just keeps bending under load. Here’s a pretty amazing video we filmed of a big thresher shark hooked up off Sydney. We didn’t want to gaff or kill it so the angler decided to put massive pressure on the fish and ended up breaking 24 kilo line over the rod:
We get a lot of good feedback from clients as mentioned and much of that is because it doubles for deep dropping with electric reels:
On one big bass groper in 400 metres of water we actually had this rod in the rear holder of my 21 foot centre console and the rod tip was at times under water. The rod still did the job and we got the fish up and onto the deck. This video shows another solid fish coming up on our bent butt rod. You can see how it soaks up the tailbeats:
Can’t recommend it too highly. The rod is so much more comfortable to use and gives you a mechanical advantage over a straight butt rod. More leverage. Details here:
As to shipping to the USA with this rod, we have done it before. Maybe ten working days? Will have a more precise shipping time and an accurate price for you when shipping manager, Tim, is back on Tuesday morning (after taking a day off for Super Bowl!) Note that you will save 10% automatically, because Australia does not charge sales tax on exports. Hoping that’s good news
Andrew Hestelow