Lets hear about your saltwater enthusiast tackle

This is the place to talk shop about all the enthusiast and import tackle for the truly afflicted
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fishes
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Lets hear about your saltwater enthusiast tackle

Post by fishes » Mon May 11, 2020 1:50 pm

We talk lots about enthusiast bass tackle and bfs stuff for trout. I want to hear about what you guys are using for saltwater fish.


The only saltwater fishing I do is halibut fishing in the surf in Southern California, and spotted bay bass fishing down there, and recently a little bit of halibut and striper fishing from the shore in the Bay Area (mostly around SF).
For all of this I use bass tackle. If you've ever fished for spotted bay bass you know they are probably the hardest fighting fish pound for pound and they absolutely slam lures, fishing for them on my steez racing designs or on bfs tackle is about the best thing you can do with a rod and reel.

So lets hear it, what are you all fishing for in the salt and what enthusiast tackle are you using to go after them?

Senkobass1
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Re: Lets hear about your saltwater enthusiast tackle

Post by Senkobass1 » Mon May 11, 2020 9:00 pm

I live in Socal as well, and I mainly fish with my 2017 Exsence Dc and an NRX 873C for throwing swimbaits for Spotties. Still looking for a new rod to go with my Exsence and am thinking about going custom. Also used the Aldebaran BFS XG a few times and got some nice halibut and spotties on it. Going to buy a few more dedicated enthusiast saltwater combos in the future. :)

Jnkoepp
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Re: Lets hear about your saltwater enthusiast tackle

Post by Jnkoepp » Wed May 13, 2020 3:03 pm

TD Zillion Coastals on Laguna Rods!!

I do have a Coastal SV and am starting to grow fond of it too

Jeffbro999
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Re: Lets hear about your saltwater enthusiast tackle

Post by Jeffbro999 » Thu May 14, 2020 9:42 am

I don’t bring many combos when inshore fishing, so I like to keep it versatile. Always loved Loomis MBR rods, and the Conquests(I guess they would be enthusiast) have been amazing in my hands. I use 2 842c and 1 843c on my daily trips, with Stile SS reels. I don’t like to spend a lot on Inshore reels anymore, but still test out the high end offerings. If they don’t hold up, they get moved over to the freshwater side.

I mainly focus on Speckled Trout and Redfish here on the Gulf Coast, with flounder and tarpon mixed in during certain times of year, so bass techniques are used quite a bit. Buzzbaits, chatterbaits, crankbaits and frogs for redfish; jerkbaits, topwater and swimbaits for big trout; and jigs on the bottom for flounder. Tarpon like big swimbaits, so the NRX 916 gets used occasionally.

bbates3
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Re: Lets hear about your saltwater enthusiast tackle

Post by bbates3 » Thu May 14, 2020 11:04 am

I fish alot of Daiwa Steez inshore

my current 2 favorite combos:

7'6" Spinning rods w/ Exist
7'2" casting with steez A

On the heavier end I am liking the Zenaq rods. I have a 7'3" Twitch w/ a Certate 5000

Hoping to get my Tobizo soon, planning to pair it with a new Saltiga

Revofisher
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Re: Lets hear about your saltwater enthusiast tackle

Post by Revofisher » Sat May 16, 2020 5:54 am

hey bbates how did you order your zenaq rods i have been eyeing these for a while now and never could find one to order that was not ebay do any of the japan dealers sell these or ship to the U.S. what tobizo did you end up with?

bbates3
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Re: Lets hear about your saltwater enthusiast tackle

Post by bbates3 » Sun May 17, 2020 5:50 am

Revo,

We have a US distributer now so you have to go through them.

Back about a year ago I ordered straight through Zenaq super simple process

When I wanted a tobizo they sent me to Tomos

http://www.tomostackle.com/zenaq-tobizo-popping-rod/


I have the 80-80 on pre order

Before that I got the 73 twitch and one of the 76 longcast but the handle was too long for me so I sold it but really like the twitch

I got the 80-80 for Tarpon and Cobia long casting lures to them

Winstondry
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Re: Lets hear about your saltwater enthusiast tackle

Post by Winstondry » Sun May 17, 2020 1:48 pm

Here’s one of mine. Former version Exsence DC and Nautilus.
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fishes
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Re: Lets hear about your saltwater enthusiast tackle

Post by fishes » Sun May 17, 2020 9:13 pm

Senkobass1 wrote:
Mon May 11, 2020 9:00 pm
I live in Socal as well, and I mainly fish with my 2017 Exsence Dc and an NRX 873C for throwing swimbaits for Spotties. Still looking for a new rod to go with my Exsence and am thinking about going custom. Also used the Aldebaran BFS XG a few times and got some nice halibut and spotties on it. Going to buy a few more dedicated enthusiast saltwater combos in the future. :)
I moved away from Southern California about 4 years ago but I miss fishing bay bass and halibut in the surf the most. Heres my thoughts on the exsence: get the 8' moderate/medium heavy steez ags. It would make the worlds greatest halibut setup

fishes
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Re: Lets hear about your saltwater enthusiast tackle

Post by fishes » Sun May 17, 2020 9:14 pm

Winstondry wrote:
Sun May 17, 2020 1:48 pm
Here’s one of mine. Former version Exsence DC and Nautilus.
Nice combo, what are you using it for?

Senkobass1
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Re: Lets hear about your saltwater enthusiast tackle

Post by Senkobass1 » Sun May 17, 2020 10:14 pm

fishes wrote:
Sun May 17, 2020 9:13 pm
Senkobass1 wrote:
Mon May 11, 2020 9:00 pm
I live in Socal as well, and I mainly fish with my 2017 Exsence Dc and an NRX 873C for throwing swimbaits for Spotties. Still looking for a new rod to go with my Exsence and am thinking about going custom. Also used the Aldebaran BFS XG a few times and got some nice halibut and spotties on it. Going to buy a few more dedicated enthusiast saltwater combos in the future. :)
I moved away from Southern California about 4 years ago but I miss fishing bay bass and halibut in the surf the most. Heres my thoughts on the exsence: get the 8' moderate/medium heavy steez ags. It would make the worlds greatest halibut setup
Will definitely take that into consideration. Was thinking about going custom but that Steez may be a better option. That Exsence is a beast for throwing 3” swimbaits.

Winstondry
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Re: Lets hear about your saltwater enthusiast tackle

Post by Winstondry » Sun May 17, 2020 10:28 pm

fishes wrote:
Sun May 17, 2020 9:14 pm
Winstondry wrote:
Sun May 17, 2020 1:48 pm
Here’s one of mine. Former version Exsence DC and Nautilus.
Nice combo, what are you using it for?
Throwing small swimbaits for spotties.

Polkfish1
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Re: Lets hear about your saltwater enthusiast tackle

Post by Polkfish1 » Thu May 28, 2020 4:28 pm

bbates3 wrote:
Sun May 17, 2020 5:50 am
Revo,

We have a US distributer now so you have to go through them.

Back about a year ago I ordered straight through Zenaq super simple process

When I wanted a tobizo they sent me to Tomos

http://www.tomostackle.com/zenaq-tobizo-popping-rod/


I have the 80-80 on pre order

Before that I got the 73 twitch and one of the 76 longcast but the handle was too long for me so I sold it but really like the twitch

I got the 80-80 for Tarpon and Cobia long casting lures to them
This was an awesome heads up tip. I had been stymied by Zenaq for years and gave up. Could not find a Japanese vendor; didn’t want to deal with hassle of pre-ordering through a sniping service; and did not think you could ship to US with a direct website order. Anyway, the good folks at Tomos are awesome to deal with and make this tackle readily accessible state side.

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