Toward the end of last year’s school bluefin tuna season, my cousin Kosta (Hooked Up’s Editor) sent me some YouTube links to what we agreed was a great angler fishing for bluefin tuna off Cape Cod in the US. He was doing a few cool things we liked in a fishery very similar to ours, and we picked up some new tips when it came to both casting and trolling for tuna, but one thing Kosta noted was these anglers were casting for tuna (all in that 30-40 kg range) with poppers and plastics using what were short rods compared with what most anglers (us included) use in Australia.
Most traditional game rods designed for tuna are quite short, as this puts less pressure on the angler and they are more manageable in a boat. The longer the rod, the more pressure is placed on the angler during the fight. However, casting to sometimes finicky fish creates a need for distance and rod length helps. So, we liked the idea of being able to cast at fish with a rod that was under 8ft, as most of our casting rods start at around 7ft 6in through to 8ft 5in.
Kosta pointed out that most of our casting rods in Australia are probably long due to the Japanese influence, where there is a larger land-based market compared with our huge number of boat anglers. In general, shorter rods are better for fighting fish from a boat. The anglers we watched were casting similar-sized poppers to those we cast (around 140mm), and they were getting great distance. Kosta then mentioned one of his clients was distributing some high-end American rods and spoke to them.
He called a few weeks later and said: “I think I’ve found the rod.” It was a St Croix rod, a brand I wasn’t familiar with, and measured 7ft and rated 15-40 lb. The rod is from the Rift series of saltwater rods that have been purpose-designed for saltwater use. It had a great design and was the kind of rod we were looking for. It features excellent high-grade EVA grips that are perfectly balanced for both casting and fighting, not too thin or thick, and it was great to see it was fitted with a rubber gimbal butt so it doesn’t spin in the coaming racks or rocket launcher – something every angler can appreciate when you pair the rod with a thousand-dollar reel.
The tuna had died off by the time Kosta got the rod, so we took it to fish for gummies. That night we didn’t land any gummies, but we fought some huge Port Jacksons, rays and seven-gill sharks, and that gave us a great idea of its fight action. It loaded up beautifully with a medium-fast action and was very comfortable to fight with under heavy drag pressures of around 7-8 kg. The big question was, how would it go casting? At 7ft, we were worried it just wouldn’t have the same distance longer stickbait and popping rods offer.
Like many Victorian anglers, I jumped at the opportunity to go and chase the recent run of yellowfin tuna that hit the east coast last month, where casting surface lures was the technique. Kosta reminded me to take the Rift and paired it with a Daiwa Catalina 5000H, which would be the equivalent of a current size 14000 Saltiga.
We had quite a few outfits on the boat, and as there were just so many fish around, it was great to be able to test out different styles of rods and reels. The thing all three of us on the boat noted immediately with the Rift was how easy it made casting. Not only were we getting the distance we wanted, but it was less taxing than some of the other longer and slightly heavier rods. I had my son Ethan with me, who is 14, and while he is an accomplished angler for his age, I thought the Rift would be the perfect rod for him as it was easier to cast with and would be less taxing during the fight. He was casting up to 245mm stickbaits weighing 115g, and while this would be the absolute max for this rod, it did it well. The rod suits smaller lures in that 150mm/80-90g range, but it handled the bigger lures.
Ethan took the biggest fish of the day on the Rift, weighing in at 30kg, but we caught multiple fish on it from 15kg-25kg, with everyone on the boat really enjoying casting with the Rift, working the lures and fighting the fish. Under drag pressures of around 10kg, the Rift doesn’t experience any blank twist, and the addition of a locking nut on the reel seat provides extra security so everything feels rigid and powerful.
It proved that Kosta was right, and the Yanks are on to something – you don’t need the longer 8ft rods to get casting distance with lures in that 140mm-200mm size, and the shorter rods are much nicer to fight fish with and manage on the boat. When the school bluefin are around the peninsulas of Victoria and the boat traffic is high, we often cast much smaller and lighter poppers at around 75mm, and this is where the Rift would probably struggle with distance. But when they’re taking poppers and stickbaits in that 140mm range, it’s perfect.
The Rift is built for saltwater use, so it’s fitted with stainless K guides and Alconite rings, so it’s durable and tough but is also light and refined. It will double as a rod for targeting gummy sharks, and you could troll with it if you’re happy trolling with spin gear. It also has an amazing 5 year warranty, where St Croix will replace the rod regardless of how you break it. All you need to do is register your details within 30 days of purchase, and even if you jam it in a car door or step on it, you’ll get a full replacement. At around $600, I think it offers great value for the performance, and I’m keen to try other models in the range. There aren’t many rods on the market like this, and I think anglers will appreciate the differences it offers.
