StripedBasstardz Posted March 26 Report Share Posted March 26 (edited) Got the SME 12ft 3/4-5oz blanks coming in and I can't wait to build it using the best components! Carbon reel seat, Fuji titanium torzite k-guides, and top it of with the '23 Saltiga 5K. Topwater season will be extra exciting! Edited March 26 by StripedBasstardz ZAFisher and yogiiiboy 2 "Long range" - CTS Vapor Trail 12ft 2-6oz, Shimano Stradic FL 5000, Powerpro Super Slick 8x V2 15lb. "Light duty" - Daiwa Labrax AGS 106MH, Shimano Stradic CI4+ 4000, Florida Distance Premium 15lb braid "Super duty" Blackhole Striped Bass Special 11ft 3/4-4oz, VS VR50 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
levari Posted March 26 Report Share Posted March 26 6 hours ago, StripedBasstardz said: Got the SME 12ft 3/4-5oz blanks coming in and I can't wait to build it using the best components! Carbon reel seat, Fuji titanium torzite k-guides, and top it off with the '23 Saltiga 5K. Topwater season will be extra exciting! Be careful not to hit the moon when you cast with your Saltiga 5K… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StripedBasstardz Posted March 26 Report Share Posted March 26 4 mins ago, levari said: Be careful not to hit the moon when you cast with your Saltiga 5K… I'm not a power caster or long range guy so I don't always aim for the moon. I've caught plenty of fish with the distance that I can reach with my 4K and 5k reels. "Long range" - CTS Vapor Trail 12ft 2-6oz, Shimano Stradic FL 5000, Powerpro Super Slick 8x V2 15lb. "Light duty" - Daiwa Labrax AGS 106MH, Shimano Stradic CI4+ 4000, Florida Distance Premium 15lb braid "Super duty" Blackhole Striped Bass Special 11ft 3/4-4oz, VS VR50 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassmaster Posted March 26 Report Share Posted March 26 I tossed a ultegra on my surf machine elite Holy crap it launches Alferd Packer 1 Plug Ho! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FISH BUCKET Posted March 26 Report Share Posted March 26 Just got a surf basia 45 to put on my 12’ sme 3/4-5oz….. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R.R. Bridge Fisher Posted March 26 Report Share Posted March 26 On 3/25/2023 at 8:05 AM, AFMike said: There's no comparison at all. The Elite will out perform both those rods in every aspect. The 3/4-5 throws its entire range with minimal effort. Has lots of power. Fantastic sensitivity and most importantly it will be the same rod 10 years from now as the day you got it. Where are you located? We have a shop in Avalon, NJ. If you're not too far stop on over and test cast one. How does the regular surf machine compare to the elite? troll #122 <*)))< Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
levari Posted March 26 Report Share Posted March 26 48 mins ago, bassmaster said: I tossed a ultegra on my surf machine elite Holy crap it launches Ultegra is a great reel for long distances. I match it up with my Genesis 11’ 1-4. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AFMike Posted March 26 Report Share Posted March 26 1 hour ago, R.R. Bridge Fisher said: How does the regular surf machine compare to the elite? Standard SM are a touch faster. You can muscle them a bit more during the cast although they do prefer a nice easy cast like all Centurys. The Elites are a lower diameter due to the graphene. Standard has a faster taper. Both are absolute rocket launchers but the SME fare better with a smooth easy cast . Togatown and no name 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R.R. Bridge Fisher Posted March 26 Report Share Posted March 26 Just now, AFMike said: Standard SM are a touch faster. You can muscle them a bit more during the cast although they do prefer a nice easy cast like all Centurys. The Elites are a lower diameter due to the graphene. Standard has a faster taper. Both are absolute rocket launchers but the SME fare better with a smooth easy cast . I am happy with my first few tests AFMike 1 troll #122 <*)))< Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyangler Posted March 26 Report Share Posted March 26 (edited) I have posted (at excruciating length) about my SME bling-build but not much about fishing it because I have not had much to post about. That changed last weekend as noted in the post below. The best thing i can say about the SME during that wild experience is that I did not even have to think about it. The shark pulled 65# braid off the Saltiga 14k like you'd expect a 100# to do and the rod just took it in stride. I don't recall the blank bending down past the middle but I was not thinking about that as the bigger shark decided to come and make breakfast out of my blacktip. The SME is a great blank and you pay the price for the tech that goes into it. I chose the 11'3" 1-6oz as a heavier stick to my Stealth S2 10'6" which is my favorite rod that I use for everything but when sharks, tarpon or 20+ pound jacks are likely. But when you are targeting the bigguns, you have to gear up appropriately. ETA: This is the bling build thread, with more than a few photos Edited March 26 by flyangler “No nation in history has survived once its borders were destroyed, once its citizenship was rendered no different from mere residence, and once its neighbors with impunity undermined its sovereignty.” - Victor Davis Hanson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldy Posted March 27 Report Share Posted March 27 On 3/26/2023 at 7:50 AM, bassmaster said: I tossed a ultegra on my surf machine elite Holy crap it launches That's a lie.. you can't cast Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Water Dog Posted March 27 Report Share Posted March 27 I’ve got a VSX150 upgraded the with extended reel foot and VSB handle & knob on my SME. Since the rod is so thin and light, it surprisingly balances quite well. The only thing I dislike is the slow 30” retrieve rate. Thinking of picking up a Daiwa Certate SW 5K to try out with the for rod this season. R.R. Bridge Fisher, FalmouthFisher and Uriel918 3 Hobie Power Skiff Fisherman Hobie Revolution 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
striperswiper06437 Posted March 27 Report Share Posted March 27 i cannot see myself spending $1100 on a single rod that i am going to be using as a wading staff and banging around on rocks all the time. I have high confdence in the rods that i fish and they are a 1/3 of the price of this rod. What really sets this rod apart from the many available options out there? It all started last year during a terrible thunderstorm, when I locked myself out of the house. Shelving myself with a large piece of sheet metal, I ran for cover under the tallest tree I could find! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Water Dog Posted March 27 Report Share Posted March 27 For banging around the rocks and wading, I use a Century Kevlar N’oreaster with a ZB25. The SME serves as my open beach distance caster, which is why I’m considering replacing the VSX150 with a Certate 5K. As far as why pay so much for a single rod? I like nice things. I figure it’s no different than people spending almost $400 for a pair of VS pliers. Some can justify it, others cannot. To each their own…. It’s all good! Bluetaildragger, Seabassplug, Uriel918 and 5 others 1 7 Hobie Power Skiff Fisherman Hobie Revolution 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tagman Posted March 27 Report Share Posted March 27 On 3/26/2023 at 0:18 AM, yogiiiboy said: I can tell you that the later Century models, such as the SME, are made a hell of a whole lot better with state of the art technology than the older models This must be a compliment to the older models because I have a few going on 12, maybe 14 years old. No loss in performance, and probably some of the best rods I ever owned hands down. Even the ferrule joints have not really worn!! Not only that, but Century is the only rod company that I own, that I enjoy both, the moderate fast rods, and their more moderate rods. Most guys prefer one kind of action over the other. The Century rods are very easy to adapt to. Very pleasing to fish these rods because you know they are on a different level. Now i’m really contemplating an SME. I can’t imagine their rod building technology is even better than the rods I own already. I can for see a few new builds in 23 yogiiiboy, Uriel918 and AFMike 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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