Shimano Aquatip 902 rod for salmon

[johndeere 0]

Would the Shimano aquatip 902 be a good rod for catching salmon off the beach. I need good casting distance, will be using 50gm metal lures and 10kg braid. Which reel would suit. These rods are priced at around the $70 mark, much cheaper than say the seajigger.

[Station49 33]

Rod looks good for salmon lure casting.But based on the specs you will risk damage to your gear running 50g lures and 10kg braid.The rod is rated for max 30g lures [usually a bit of give in this but the risk is that the tip wont load up properly during casting and could snap or compromise casting distance] and 6-8kh line, once again running 10kg line risks damage to the rod should you try to exert in excess of 8kg of pressure.Otherwise looks like a good rod, would be a good lure casting combo with a reel somewhere in the 2500 - 3000 size bracket, and loaded with about 15lb braid. Good to cast 20g and maybe up to 35g lures a mile.

[Tommy2toes 0]

I have got a 601 aqua tip and man am i impressed with it first trip out as a backup snapper rod it landed a 24 pound monster red the rod was intended for panies, its a rod that out fishes its class, ive got a okuma flame 2500 on it (Courtney of fishing world mag. i must state i got the rod andit was not intended for catching fish this size more as a all rounder for some squid and deep water Kg whiting.i also have a aqua tip 682 and it is another brilliant rod, its put a few of m few graphite rods back in the rod racks at home, there a really good rod and i would be concerned casting a heaver lure at all.

[rooboy123 9]

I use the old Starlo Shorespin with a 4000 size shimano reel running 15 or 20lb braid to throw 40gm lures, and its the bomb. Im not too sure on the aquatip if they're graphite or not? If not I would check out some other similar rods for not much more money. I think there are about 5 different models of the 9' rod in the new Shimano catalogue(aquatip right up to tcurve revolution) and a few different max lure weights between the models.Also look at the dynamix shorespin from Ray and Annes. Any version of this 902 rod for around $90-120 would be the best value for money light to medium lure caster you can find. Also good for landbased whiting and other bread n butter species.

[plankton 725]

You certainly don't need an expensive rod for throwing lures to salmon, the seajiggers are very nice but too expensive if you ask me. Also, don't think that you need to throw heavier lures to get good distance. I have one of the Dynamix rods that someone else mentioned, the lighter 9' model which is rated 3-6 kg and up to 30g, it will throw a 15 - 20g metal lure as far as my heavier setup will throw a 55g lure. The only time a heavier lure is neccesary is when you have a strong wind in your face. If you like the feel of the aquatip and the price is right then you should be able to use lighter lures and still be able to cast effectively in most conditions. You can also get away with using a lighter braid as 10kg line for salmon is uneccesary imo. Do yourself a favour though and check out the Dynamix rods at Ray and Annes, Shimano blanks but built with better components and a good value.