Anyone using the Sam Heaton SS rod, 10' long?

[kb2112]

Im thinking of getting one for pushing jigs off the front of my kayak, and jigging in downed trees along the shore. They are not available locally so I cant feel it in my hand before I buy.

What reel are you using on it, and line weight? What weight reel balances it out?


Thank you in advance,

Kb

[CrappiePappy]

I have the Heaton Super Sensitive 10' rod (all burgundy blank) and currently have a Shakespeare UL Alpha XT1000 (all black/graphite) reel on it. The outfit balances on my finger placed 2" back from the front edge of the cork handle (the handle portion in front of the reel seat).

I tried to find out the weight of the reel, but haven't had any luck doing so. Sorry. In any case, the rod/reel combined is still very light in hand. Balance won't matter much when outfit is in a rod holder, but would in the case of "jigging" with it. That's why I wish rod mfg's and reel mfg's would include weight in their specs, just so we could make more accurate purchases when putting a combo outfit together.

[kb2112]

Thank you. That is one of the things Im looking to hear. Im not a fan of very unbalanced setup.

How does it fish?

[CrappiePappy]

Thank you. That is one of the things Im looking to hear. Im not a fan of very unbalanced setup.

How does it fish?

Actually haven't used it much "recently", but it fished very nicely when I was (previously) using it. I actually have it set up for hook/sinker/minner usage, and it can be quickly transitioned over to slip float use (neither of which are used by me more than once or twice per season).
I think I started using it for LS "flipping", along with my 10' Huckabee Dipping rod (backup) until my LS mentor showed me the benefit of a 12' rod over the 10' rods. I now use the BnM Diamond Series Jig & Crappie 12' rod, with the Diamond Series 8' rod as backup for "flipping/casting" with LiveScope.

If I were using the methods you mentioned, to any degree, I'd not be hesitant to fish the Sam Heaton 10' rod matched with a 50-100 series UL reel.

(FWIW Note) ... with the extremely long handle of the SH 10' rod, it's kinda hard to determine where the balance point should be. Just sayin' !! But as you probably already know, it's much better to have a handle end heavy outfit over a rod tip end heavy outfit !!