Guy Harvey Magazine - Inshore Arsenal for Shallow Water Rods

Blair Wiggins with an S.C. Redfsh and Flats Blue rod

What’s the first thing that you grab for when loading up the boat to go fishing? Fishing Rods are where the proverbial rubber meets the road for anglers. Some might say we are spoiled rotten with the variety of rod makers, and the array of rod lengths and strengths available, but the complete angler wouldn’t have it any other way.

Several inshore rods are highlighted in the article

Anglers become used to a certain action rod for inshore casting, and its true that the reel and the fishing line play a role, but it’s the rod that gets a Grip and a Rip each time. Rod action has value when fighting a fish too, and if you have too much whip at the tip, then a stout fish might win the battle. And too stiff a tip does nothing for the fun of a fight when smaller fish are in play.

Summer issue cover artwork

One family in the rod making business runs Biscayne Rod in Miami. Owner Eddie Carman shares that his grandfather Carl started the operation in 1948. “This is where I’ve worked my whole life.” Said Carman. “We like our rods to be tough, so our 80-percent graphite blank is both light and rigid. Our Billy Baroo rods are actually named after an old customer who always used our rods and then gave us a report about their toughness, and they come in a true mono class rating from 4 to 20 pounds.”

Another family is making rods in the Midwest, and the Schluter brothers made some noise by winning the 2013 ICAST superlative of best saltwater rod for the Legendxtreme Inshore rod by St. Croix. These Made in the USA blanks are very light and they come with a new Extreme Skin rod grip that becomes slightly tacky when wet, which can help when fish slime is present. Their reputation as a high-performance rod maker is touted by their logo stating Best Rods On Earth.

A little further West is outfitter Wright and McGill with their 88-year history in the sport fishing industry. Looking to partner with a professional fisherman, they chose Blair Wiggins from Addictive Fishing TV to help design the Flats Blue saltwater rod series. “My blue camo rods will spook less fish,” said Capt. Wiggins. “The benefit of a light rod like this one is that you can cast artificial lures with it all day and not get fatigued.”

To view past blog entries from Guy Harvey Magazine click Oyster Recycling or S.C. Lottery or  Kite Fishing or Dolphin Tagging.