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Shimano SpeedMaster Surf Rods

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iputmyhoursin

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  • 3 weeks later...

I was just in a tackle store today. They had mostly st croix Rods and some penn rods. Nothing really caught my eye or stood out. 

 

Then I noticed they had some shimano rods stocked. I picked up a couple of the Speedmaster rods. The 10’ 3/4 - 4 oz felt like a really nice rod. A really great buy for $149. It felt crisp and like it would have just the right action for a good range of lures. 

 

It actually felt better to me than the legend surf rods they had stocked action wise. 

 

Didnt put a reel on it or anything like that but wanted to pass my .02 on for whatever it’s worth. 

(*member previously known as 'SoCalStripers')

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  • 8 months later...

Hi all, 

 

Wanted to share my first impressions on the Shimano Speedmaster 11-ft (2-6) Medium-heavy. I wanted to get the 12 ft one but I had a Bass Pro gift card and they don't stock the 12-ft.

  • I used Power Pro 20-lb and 20-ft of 40-lb mono shock leader tied with an FG knot.
  • I do Surf fishing in Florida and I target fish no larger than 10lbs (Pompano, Whiting, Spanish Mackerel, etc.)
  • My rig is a Pompano rig with a 4-oz pyramid sinker with two droppers.
  • Reel Ultegra Ci4+ 5500 
  • I am a novice and my casting technique is pretty raw.

Quality of the rod: I come from a Penn Prevail II 12ft heavy 4-8, so this is my nicest rod so far. The fuji guides are really nice, the rod it is flat black (no shiny coating compared to my Prevail), the reel seat is nothing fancy, I think the seat on my Prevail is better. The end of the rod has the X-wrap made of rubber, which is nice to handle the rod. 

 

Things that I liked: The line just flows off the reel-rod amazingly and quietly, I was able to cast, without much effort and a pretty raw technique, 90 yards (no wind). Distance was calculated when I reeled in with the number of cranks. So I think that, with improvement on my technique and perhaps using a more aerodynamic sputnik sinker, I can probably get to 115 yards. The rod only weights 400 grams (14 oz) coupled with my Ultegra, the whole set up weights only 850 grams! (1lb 14oz), which is an amazing ultralight set-up to cast all day long. 

 

PS: I wonder if the Tiralejo is worth $150 more...the people from Shimano told me that the main difference was the quality of the blank.

Edited by camilos_garage
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  • 2 weeks later...
On 2019/3/17 at 10:51 PM, SurfNY said:

Glad im not the only one that experienced that with Ticas. For a while there I thought i was crazy. Picked up an 8’ USGA 1/2 - 2oz a while back. Had it paired with a reel that seemed perfect in size but during the first outing it became painfully obvious that the rod was tip heavy. Tried a couple more reels and stashed it away since nothing seemed to work. Forward a year later, while gearing up for spring, i came across it again and on a whim paired it with a fin-nor LT60 and took it out for a spin...perfect match. Ever since then it has become my favorite light back bay spinner. Lesson learned was that rods designed for surf, even those with lighter ratings, will often require a much heavier reel than initially thought in order to achieve a desired balance. Which is a subjective matter in itself. However, for myself it means a paired rod that stays in a level position when lifted with one finger right above the end of the reel spool. 

 

how about your experience with fin nor lt 60?

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  • 9 months later...

Here are the rod weights for all the speedmaster models.  I have a 10 foot speedmaster and it’s light as a feather substantially lighter then my lamiglas carbon surf in the same length. I really like the speedmaster for a rod as light as it is it has got a ton of backbone. Its a long casting concept rod and it casts beautifully with the long casting guide system. I highly recommend 

E6979188-4103-456B-8AC4-F325CCD01942.jpeg

 

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  • 11 months later...
3 hours ago, Andrew46 said:

for anyone with a 9', how is it for light metals / SP's?

It’s great and was even better before my wife popped off the top 3.5” in the tailgate. 
 

It is a very fast blank. A little faster than I would prefer especially losing that part of the tip. Slightly prone to “snap” feel casts if you’re too forceful. 
 

The upside is that I can horse anything in without worrying about snapping it. The backbone is crazy. I have swung 10-12 lbs fish up onto a bridge or jetty completely unconcerned- probably could lift 15-20 lbs like that. 
 

I use mine for 5/8 up to 3.5 ounces. The sweet spot is around 1-2.25. Some nights I have carried a standard size SP & a 3/4 ounce bucktail or jig with sluggo & that’s it. Works well for those. 
 

There are more sensitive & fun rods available though, but you do get a very useful surf & jetty stick with great guides for $150. I view it as a great step up from beginner gear, but not a popular kind of rod for the gear heads. Super durable though. Can’t imagine busting the blank under any actual fishing conditions. 

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  • 4 months later...
On 3/17/2019 at 7:10 PM, ATH1089 said:

Ran downstairs and took some crappy cell phone pictures. Best I can do at the moment. Rod sections, looking up the guides from the butt, first guide, rod tip.

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Sorry for resurrecting this topic.... how are you liking the 10ft speedmaster with the 5500 spinfisher? I'm thinking about that exact combo. Any feedback would be appreciated!

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6 hours ago, BDan said:

Sorry for resurrecting this topic.... how are you liking the 10ft speedmaster with the 5500 spinfisher? I'm thinking about that exact combo. Any feedback would be appreciated!

No worries; I do not think I have been active on here for at least a year, but I still got the e-mail. I ended up giving the rod to my brother and buying an ODM DNA instead. It was just not what I wanted at all, and the reel did not sit on it right. The DNA is a fantastic rod, though. Cannot recommend it enough. And the Spinfisher is probably my favorite reel at the moment. I beat the **** out of that thing for a few seasons in a row, and it did not disappoint.

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