Ok I am really looking for a rod to handle the Lunker Punker. I have been throwing it on the Okuma 711 XH rod I won from this site. I love the fact that I can launch the bait a mile with my 400te but I've thought and Rob mentioned awhile ago that the rod might be too stiff in the tip for the Punker. I've read that people are using the 795 ML rod for the punker all the way to the 866. So what would be a rod similar to the 711 XH Okuma but with a softer tip. I like the Hypalon grips on the Mike Long series but if one of the cork handle rods would work better I'm open to them.

Erik

The Okuma 711 H will give you the distance you like and has a softer tip for working the bait.

Oddly enough, I'd go with the two ends of the spectrum. The 795ML is a killer rod. It has a very soft tip but a foot later you're into a solid rod that will hold a big fish. This is definetely the rod that everyone is selecting for the punker. However, if you're looking for a big rod to handle big largies/stripers the 866 is an awesome choice. I started throwing triple trouts and punkers on the 866 about a month ago and have put a handful of fish in the boat so far. Its actually not a soft rod at all and its BIG but because its so long you naturally get a lot of flex out of it. This is definetely going to be the rod that I stick with for punkers and other hard baits as well as softbaits with treble hooks in the future.

Thanks Matt... I'll Probably be stopping by Anglers Marine on the way back to Nor-cal later today and seeing what they still have in stock as I know they had a bunch of them last saturday for the bass-a-thon. Probably should have just bought the damn rod then...

While the 866 will be in my future I'm 90% sure Ill be getting the 795 ML.