Anybody got this rod? Is it any stiffer than a flippin stick? played with it today and it seems really nice and stiff, but so do flippin sticks untill you go to fire a castaic trout out...

Leif, that's my choice for throwing the big baits- I fish it with a CT400 and 20 pound, works great, blank is really nice and stiff and doesn't flex when tossing the big Castaic Trout or AC Plugs. One time this winter I wasn't prepared and tried to toss the Castaic trout on a flipping stick, first cast that baby loaded up way to much, instant backlash as I went to heave the thing, and there goes a nice 30$ bill soaring towards the stratosphere!! Luckily they float, but I had to retrieve the thing, won't make that mistake again!!

Right on bassnet-dude. I was hoping someone would have it, I don't think too many allcoasters throw trout plugs. That's the exact rig I was planning on using (CT400 w/20#). Hd, and that calico guy said its a really heavy rod, and wouldn't hesitate to fish 25 or 30 on it, that's kinda scary. I thought rob's rod was over kill, but if its that heavy I dunno if i want it. Is there any bend to it when you hook a fish? I'll probably get it anyway, it'll make for a nice rod for fishing swimbaits for albies if its too heavy for basses.

I fish the CL815XFA or 812XFA for the calicos, but an albie will definetly put a bend in the 820- well, a nice albie will! :)
Check out the photos on this site of bass, I have a photo of a nice LMV bass on the Castaic trout on that setup- Overkill for calicos throwing swimbaits, IMO- Good stick for throwing the iron, though! I just got a CL825FA, nice jig stick that would also work well for the big baits, a little heavier action but slower taper- I'll stick to the 820 for hucking the big old phony trout.

what i meant by putting a bend in it was a large mouth. i saw that pic, and for a while i couldn't figure out what rod it was, but now that i've seen the calcuttas its easy to figure out, well what brand anyway.

next yr (hopefully) i'm doing a 6 day calico trip, so this rod should be nice for throwing swimbaits at cedros and chester. hope i don't hook into a YT with a setup like this down there, eeep! those YTs are means sons of b*tches.

I know Larry likes his 820XF.
-Brian

ya it appears that way from his posts.

Yeah, that 820 is a great stick for all the basses and the albies, but you hook a nice fork at Cedros and you're on your own!

i sure hope that day never comes... lol.