CALSTAR Black West Coast Series Southern California 655XH RS/RT

It has always been my dream to get a shot at a cow tuna.  To even attempt to play with one of these massive Yellowfin Tuna, I knew I need to have the right gears.  This means having conventional outfits that can withstand the extreme pressure of battling 3 digit monsters and efficiently do the job.  I'm afraid spinning reels just don't have the line capacity for higher rated spectra lines needed  to do battle with these magnificent fish.  I've already acquired an Accurate DPX2 50, and I 'm thinking of buying a DPX2 30 to fish 80lbs.  I've also been looking at  various west coast rods like Seeker and Calstar that have been proven to catch cow tuna on long range trips.  I'm quite interested in the rail rodding technique.  It gives the angler maximum leverage against monster tuna by using the boat rail as a fulcrum while reducing the amount of pain and fatigue on the angler.  It also allows the angler to battle these behemoths without the aid of a full harness, allowing more freedom to move around the boat fast to follow the fish.  So I went to our local tackle shops to check out some of the rail rods.  Most of the designed rail rods are long, at least 6'6" to 7+ feet one piece rods.  They're massive and quite heavy.  They're designed with longer length so that the line will stay clear off the boat and not rub against it as the fish do its death circle by the side of the boat.  As most west coast style rods, their grips are longer but reinforced to protect the eva foam material when you rail the rod.  They're well built with metal reel seats and heavy duty guides. I'm quite sure they're really up to the task of hauling 3-digit monsters easily.  They're really heavy compared to the Japanese jigging and popping rods I'm used to. After handling some at the tackle shop, I didn't feel comfortable as I envision fishing them with a heavy 50 or 30 size reel attached to it.  Another thing that kept me from getting one is the length for transport especially when you're flying to your fishing destination.  I wish they make butt-jointed rail rods, that'll be awesome!  So I checked out other offshore rods used by most long range anglers.  I wanted a rod that's lighter, shorter, and well-proven by anglers.  A shorter rod that I can also fish using the rail.  I've looked at Calstar's short Boomer Jr. and liked it very much.  It's equipped roller guides.  Then I ran across the Calstar's West Coast series SoCal 655XH RS RT.  This one's even lighter in weight than the Boomer Jr.  It's equipped with graphite Fuji reel seat, and features roller guides for the stripper and tiptop, the rest are conventional guides.  It is rated for 40-100lb line.  Length is 5'5" but with the gimbal, it's more like 5'7" in length.  I love the feel and the action, and immediately took one home!  I think I'll be happy fishing this rod and can't wait to take it out on a cow tuna trip.

 To protect the eva grip from getting messed up when I rail this rod, I got some Rod Wrap to wrap it for protection.  The black colored wrap was not available; fortunately they have some in teal color.  A perfect match with the color scheme of the rod.  The Rod Wrap is tacky and improves your grip.  It's easy to apply and comes with finishing tape to secure the end.  It uses no glue for installation.

 

Well, I just can't help it, time for a couple of deadlifts with 15lbs and 20lbs weight just to give me an idea of the action of the rod when loaded.   I know it could take more than 20lbs, but I'd reserve that for the real cow tuna.  Of course, I'm still waiting for my custom acid rod using the Tunamax Parabolique XH blank to get done. Hope you liked this post. Go get some!

                                           15LB Deadlift

                                         20LB Deadlift