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Looking at some Kingfish rods

Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: Newbies Corner
Forum Description: If you're new to fishing this is the place to ask any questions about getting started ...
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=136321
Printed Date: 07 Jun 2026 at 4:10pm


Topic: Looking at some Kingfish rods
Posted By: Troutsers126
Subject: Looking at some Kingfish rods
Date Posted: 20 Dec 2021 at 11:21pm
Ive recently been looking at a kingfish combo to get started out, looking at doing mostly livebaiting with maybe some topwater/stickbaiting,

Ive been looking at
Shimano Socorro 10000 SW
Tica Traveller 2.1m 15kg spin rod
Sufix Gyro 60lb 250m OR Daiwa J braid x4 80lb 300m

Any recommendations or does this look algood? Cheers


Replies:
Posted By: MB
Date Posted: 21 Dec 2021 at 7:30am
I don't know that gear in particular, but it's easier to livebait with a stickbait rod than the other way around. 2.1m seems too short for top water work. 7-9 feet long would be standard. Lastly, the Penn Slammer III or IV reels are good for the money.

Posted By: shaneg
Date Posted: 21 Dec 2021 at 10:27am
I had a 3 piece okuma andros stick bait rod, while it was quite a nice rod, it snapped or virtually exploded on a decent king at White Island a few years ago.
Some of the more basic very heavy spin sticks will do both lures and livies. I have a finor lethal 10-15kg rod that does both but ideal for neither style, another rod have used on kings successfully (including stick baits and poppers) is the older killwell jelly tip spin 10-15 kg. For large kings though where wanting to just  jig and live-bait, its hard to beat a heavy jig rod.

Posted By: Alan L
Date Posted: 21 Dec 2021 at 7:17pm
I don't do  a lot of kingi fishing - but jigged a decent one a couple of weeks ago. I had a stella 20000 which can put heaps of hurt on, but the rod (which is what I had spare) was a 10-15kg. I was worried for the rod.  I could have put more drag on, but I doubt the rod would take it. 15kg does seem a bit light, especially if you are going to be fishing close to structure.
Agree with MB about the longer rod.
But I am by no means a specialist at fishing for kingis. But they come in some big sizes and are excellent fighters. You can quickly feel under gunned. Knife to a gunfight sort of thing.
Alan


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Legasea Legend member

Posted By: shaneg
Date Posted: 21 Dec 2021 at 11:09pm
Guess if read between lines above I don’t think rods with multiple joins in are right tool for kings, bit old fashioned.  I like one piece rods. Kings especially those worth catching are powerful critters. The rods I’ve suggested will do stick bait on smaller kings up to 12-15 kg. Most lure caught fish are smaller models. Bigger ones sometimes caught jigging but in my experience caught live baiting require rods that you can put hurt on fish pe 5-7, or old fashioned game rods 24kg up. You need to decide what you are going to do most.

And here’s crux if I wanted to catch bigger kings and could take one rod, it wouldn’t be my stick bait rod, it would be a heavy jig overhead rod or preferably heavy jig spin set, for both livebaiting everywhere and jigging pins, …. and you can fish stick baits and poppers on the spin sets if you have to, have seen deckies (best example I’ve seen) on Pursuit  do it and catch 20kg plus kings. They can flick one out and retrieve one and once hooked up more power. Stickbaiting is bit like softbaiting, quite specialised. I like general fishing gear, but lot of jig rods are light have heaps of power, which is exactly what you need on decent kings and will fish heavier braid like pe 5 plus well..



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