Thread: Found my combo

Originally Posted by JUNGLEJIMJIGS

I tried getting distance measurements on a couple of my outfits last week but had to shut it down due to the neighborhood birds. Robins, sparrows and black birds were chasing my baits through the grass as I reeled it back in. I know if I tried I could have stuck a couple of them. Them birds were hungry.

That's a different definition of birding from the one I know.


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My latest distance numbers . ( Measured )
The best combo was a tie at 66 feet .
One was a 5’6” St Croix Premier, paired with a KastKing Zephyr 1000 SFS reel .
And the other was a 6’3” Abu Garcia Mass Beat 3 UL rod paired with the KK Zephyr 1000 SFS reel .
With the Abu Garcia rod I tried it with a Daiwa Fuego LT 1000 and could only get 56’ out of it . 55’ with a Shimano Symetre 500 reel .
Reels do make a difference in casting distance.

BTW , the new reel , a KastKing Kestrel 1000 on a 5’6” old model St Croix Trout Series rod got between 58-60’ yesterday. The 60’ cast came when I was able to guesstimate a lull in the wind .

No birds were harmed during my experiment.

Another day of testing and I discovered another winning combo .
My 5’6” 13 Fishing Omen Ultralight rod paired with a KastKing Zephyr SFS 1000 reel at 66’ , with four casts at 60+ feet .
Seems to be a common denominator in these combos and it’s the KastKing Zephyr reel . At 5.3oz , it’s not as light as the Kestrel, but it’s still a lightweight.
Something about the spool design is allowing me to get cast farther.
Looks like for the most part 5’ 6” rods rule too.

Jim, I would’ve paid a couple of bucks to watch that show.

Chaser, your neighbors are getting so used to watching you fish the front yard that they’ll miss you when you’re done with your testing. I’ll have to look into the kestrel, sounds interesting. Oh yeah, round two with the Soare tomorrow.

I really like the results you're getting with that Zephyr. I have one but haven't been able to fish it yet. But I have it on the exact same St. Croix rod you tried it on. Thanks for the report.

SC Bill , IMO The Kastking Zephyr 1000 SFS reel is one of the best bargain reels out there .
After my little casting experimentation, I plan on using mine more than before.

Today , it’s raining off and on this morning, so during a break I decided to try out a couple of custom UL rods I own.
One is a 5’4” , feel like a fast action and has a split grip .
The other is a 5’ moderate fast built on an American Matrix blank with custom grip and handle .
I used the KastKing Kestrel SFS reel on both and tried the Zephyr on the 5’4” ,thinking I might get an extra foot of distance, but the distances were about the same .
Distance with the 5’4” was right at 60’ with a 1/64 jig and 70’ with a 1/32 jig .
With the 5 footer , 56’ with the 1/64 and just over 60’ with the 1/32 jig .
I’m thinking both the extra 4” of rod length and the fast tip contributed to the longer distance.
I also threw my 5’4 St Croix (new series) Panfish with the Zephyr and 1/32 jig and got around 70’ with it also .
I wish St Croix would go back to the grip that was on their original Panfish series , I don’t care for the new grip .
BTW , I don’t care for the grips on my custom rods either .
I don’t like the hump on the split grip and the other is similar to the St Croix panfish grip in feel .

I am a fan of travel rods .
My attraction to travel rods started several years ago with a St Croix Triumph 5’6” four piece ultralight rod .
This one rod has caught more fish than any other rod I’ve owned.
One reason is it was always in my truck ready to go fishing whenever I found a place to wet a line . Another reason is it is a dream to cast . Very accurate and with its xtra fast tip would toss light lures .
I got out a couple of the less used ones ( I own several backups ) and a KastKing Zephyr 1000 SFS reel I put th m to the test .
With a thunderstorm approaching I skipped the 1/64 and tied on a 1/32 jig head and Trout Magnet body .
My first cast was around 68’ . My next four casts all topped the 70’ mark .
I knew there was a reason I loved these rods .
They’re not the lightest available and have an unusual bend to it , but I’ve handled bass over five pounds on one . A pond cat of about four pounds , my PB crappie and PB shoal bass .
And they break down into four pieces that can be stashed in any vehicle ready when I am .

I’m surprised that you don’t like the grips on the two pictured rods. I have one with the hump style,though it’s not on a UL rod. I find it comfortable but different. One of my recent builds uses the other reel seat. It’s a bit thin for my taste but not uncomfortable. I have to trim the threaded portion down some as there just way too much of it for my needs. The split grip on the pink trimmed rod of mine is very different but not uncomfortable either, to my surprise.