Originally Posted by
s_v
I was finally able to go out and test the new Shimano Soare SS Ajing 610SUL rod. As I mentioned before, this is my first JDM ultralight, but is also definitely not the last one. The rod is incredibly light, fast, and beautiful. With 0.8 mm at the tip and 8 mm at the butt, I was expecting it to be quite stiff and it was in my hand. But it also behaved beautifully at the lake. Shimano claims this model to be a bit softer than the rest of the Soare SS Aging line-up, and it did load up very well with the fish on (though I certainly cannot compare it to the other models). I paired it with #0.3 polyester line (Shimano's own Sight Laser EX, 1.5 lbs test) and 2 lbs fluorocarbon shock leader (Seaguar Blue Label). The combination did a fantastic job with every jig head I used (Gekkabijin 1-2 g and Cultiva 0.7-1.3 g). The rod casted jigs very well, and I could get over 25 yards with a 1.5 g head (the only one I cared to estimate). The tip loaded up with 0.7 g JH-85 head with a pin worm on, and I could feel the rocks on the way to the bank. The rigid plastic reel seat is very slim at fits perfectly under my index finger, which makes twitching the lure even easier. I'm confident I could go with a lower weight jig. The line was a limitation here, and, as wind started blowing, I had an intermittent loss of contact during the gusts. I think I will try to go down to #0.2-0.25. This is my first time using polyester and I am not going back when it comes to jigging. I absolutely love the sensitivity and am not bothered by line management (which, to my surprise, did not seem to be a big issue). I think the line twist will be an issue with spoons and spinners and I plan to have a separate set up for those.
I got a few stocker rainbows during my outing, the biggest being about 2 lbs, maybe more, and my tackle handled it very well. There was also a lot of tail-biting going on (especially with trout power worms), which one could actually see at about 7-10 yards away from the bank. I felt (and could see at the tip) every single one of those approaches. I have no good reference and do not claim that this is the best rod for my purposes, but I am loving it and will continue to experiment. Thanks to everyone who has contributed and continues to contribute to this resource as it has steered me to the right path.