Thread: 222 & Powerplay surf rods ?

Some of you guys are probably using Killwell surf rods or the 222 & Power play series.
Been thinking there may be advantage in these rods over cheaper type I'm using.
What I would like to know ,is there any special technique for getting good distance out of these rods?

I have ordered a custom rod from Killwell made with 1 of these blanks but 16' not the standard 13.6'-14'

mate i use 2 killwel slx's very nice rods all round.
the basic factor in getting a good distance casting is purely mastering a good techniuqe and using lighter line with a shock leader
casting a long way is more about skill than brute force

Just bought 222FXL for my son rigged with 6kg mono and spare spool with 15kg braid.Looks a nice rod. No chance yet to try out. Hamills [Nick] suggested the 222 was a brute for casting to Sydney.

Originally Posted by killwell

mate i use 2 killwel slx's very nice rods all round.
the basic factor in getting a good distance casting is purely mastering a good techniuqe and using lighter line with a shock leader
casting a long way is more about skill than brute force

I learned about shock leaders when I went to 16' rods & threw away a few weights & rigs until I got that sorted .(expensive lesson)
I normally cast with about a meter of line between rod tip & weight ,which seems to give me the best result in distance.Any less doesn't seem to load the rod up correctly.
I think my casting is OK & seem to get the best out of the rods I am using but a $100 rod probably isn't going to perform as well as a $600 rod designed to cast longer distance .

Why 16'?
Will you be able to load it enough?
Why not a QT6, 222, Or a Power play?
Have you tried any of these rods first?
Not trying to be a C--t but try some factory rods before shelling out for a custom. Most shops I know will let you try before you buy.

I've been using 16' rods now for a few years but other than Killwell & prefer the longer rod.Seem to be better for fighting the bigger fish (rays etc),for clearance above waves.Took a while to get use to the longer rod but couldn't go back to a 14' now.Really when you look at the price of Snapper per Kg a custom rod doesn't equate to that many kilos .

its a good choice if you can justify the money spent. in my opinion you cant go wrong with buying quality..
did you get a decent warranty on the blank and who built the rod for ya ie guide spacing etc

Originally Posted by killwell

its a good choice if you can justify the money spent. in my opinion you cant go wrong with buying quality..
did you get a decent warranty on the blank and who built the rod for ya ie guide spacing etc

The rod is costing about the same as a 222 retail ,Mike Jew is building it .Should be done in about 3 weeks ,all personalized with my name on it (apparently) .Having good gear makes things a lot more enjoyable i think.But more about getting that little more distance & improving my fishing some more .

I will be watching for all the victims Good stuff.
What sort of reel are you using with it?

sounds like youre on to it mate, awesome

I have a pair of Mitchell 488's Shootem & Mitchell Avosurf 800 for a back-up

Went for a fish yesterday with the new rod in daylight,long story shortened.Appear to be getting about 50m more with the same rig.
The rod is very easy to cast ,guess that's due balance & made easy job of a 1kg Kahawai.
Had a Penn 950S fitted as my other rods where in use .

All due credit to Mike Jew ,the rod has been very well made .He obviously knows how to build a quality rod.

Fish still around over your side 'chris' They have stayed in later this side this year. We havnt had much rain so we figure the lack of fresh water entering the Firth may a delayed their departure. Saturday we slipped out to the mussel farm and managed to catch 7 good snapper each.

I am waiting for the weather to come right so I can get the net out and see if there are still a few flounder around, though I must admit the number of snapper in the net was considerably greater than the number of flounder so they may have done their dash for a while. Last week a couple of big moochers wandered into the net, One 7/8 pound and the other 6/7 pound

Been a little phosphorus stuffing it up for night fishing & a small pod of Dolphins in the area I fish too but was picking up snapper right through last winter.Small numbers but nice fish up to 8lb ,so guess it just a moon phase thing.Normally get a few Kahawai or Gurnard in winter & a change for snapper all the time is nice.Temped to run the kontiki out with this wind ,maybe after work tomorrow .
Might be a little fresh heading down your way now ,we just had some real rain today.

Speaking of fish we just had a pod of orcas in our bay again today. I missed most of them but it may have been the same pod that were through here less than a month ago. The dogs must have been trying to tell me they were out there but I was two dumb to catch on to what they were saying.

I had just finished reading in the Herald at lunchtime today that they were in the Auckland Bays and the next day they are here. I suppose its not that far for them to have travelled in that time.

Yeah with the orca's and the heavy rain it might put paid to the fishing alright.