My new Tuna Popping Spinning Rod

[ksong]

I just got Shimano 9' Tiralejo spinning rod (TRS-90MH2).
Line weight is 15-30lb (mono) and 20-65 lbs (braided line), and
Lure weight is 1-3 oz. The rod weight is only 14.5 oz.

This rod is definitely too light for big tuna, but I think it handles tuna upto 100 lbs if you treat the rod gently.
I purchased this rod just for bluefin tuna popping on the Stellwagen Bank and Cape Cod Bay where you have to cast very light and small poppers in 1 - 3 oz range.

I made a decision to buy this rod after I used the Shimano's 10' Tiralejo to land a few yft on the Gulf of Mexico trip and I heard of Capt. Terry of the Ridtide's success with St Croix's 7' Premier Saltwater rod rated 20-40 lbs. He landed over 50 bluefin tuna on the rods this year alone.

OTI (360tackle.com) introduced new 7' tuna popping rod recently, but I can not comment on the rod as I didn't see it yet.

If money is not an issue, I highly recommend to buy Japanese popping rods. But high price tag of over $600 is not for everyone.

I ordered two piece St Croix bank( PM70HF2) rated upto 65 lbs for popping tuna. I think this blank can handle tuna in 100 lbs range.

[SkeeterRonnie]

Kil- you really need to check out OTI's spinning rods... they are light enough to cast those smaller popper, with enough backbone to land 100 pounders.

[Deep_Sea_Gull]

Kil,

I opened up a USPO shipped tube that had an OTI 7 foot popper rod in it and handed it to you when we were in Louisana before the Capt Tomeny trip...

Black with yellow trim... It had a nice rod sock too.

[ksong]

Originally Posted by Deep_Sea_Gull

Kil,

I opened up a USPO shipped tube that had an OTI 7 foot popper rod in it and handed it to you when we were in Louisana before the Capt Tomeny trip...

Black with yellow trim... It had a nice rod sock too.

It was funny that I was looking for an opportunity to test the rod on the trip as I knew you would get one for the trip. But I forgot about the rod while fishing on the trip.
I bented a few popping rods while we were at Tomeny's lodge. The OTI rod could be one of them. I might thought it was one of the expensive Japanese popping rods.

[Deep_Sea_Gull]

I forgot about lots of things on that trip... It was an endurance trip for me. How long can I stay awake and fish. LOL!

In a word that rod is "SWEET"
It does remind me of a much more expensive Japanese rod. That is part of why I like it so well.

[ksong]

Tony,
While casting for several hours on the trip, the reel and rod weights became a big factor for me. That is one of the reason I choose the light rod for bluefin popping even I might encounter a 150 pounder.
I heard Sami got a 50-60 lbs bluefin on a popper today.
I have a trip on Tuesday. We are going to troll for scouting. While trolling, we are going to jig when we see some marks in deep and throw poppers when we see some surface action. There is no way tuna escape us as we cover everything.

I hope I can show you some bluefin pictures caught on poppers or jigs after the trip.

[Deep_Sea_Gull]

I wish you good weather and great fishing.

[stickbom]

Hi Kil, so how many of the Tiralejo surf rods do you have now and how would you rate them? I might be keen to order one myself and would like to hear some reviews from folks I am familiar with

[ksong]

Originally Posted by stickbom

Hi Kil, so how many of the Tiralejo surf rods do you have now and how would you rate them? I might be keen to order one myself and would like to hear some reviews from folks I am familiar with

I have two. one is TRC-100MH2 and the other is TRS-90MH2.

TRC-100MH2
It is 10' casting rod. Line weight is 17-40 lbs mon0 / 20-65 lbs braid and lure weight is 3-5 oz. It weighs 17 1/2 oz.
The tip part is as thick and strong as 500 g jig stick.
I originally purchased this rod for popping yellowfin in Gulf of Mexico.
I landed three yft on the recent Gulf of Mexico trip though they were not big.
The rod is very strong and I feel I can land any tuna under 100 lbs with this rod. Fighting tuna with long 10' rod is not easy, but it is not that difficult as many people think if you know how to fight.

TRS-90MH2
It is 9' Spinning rod. Line weight is 15-30 lbs mono / 20-65 lbs braid and lure weight is 1-3 oz. It weighs 14 oz.
The tip part is light and looks fragile to fight big fish.
I purchased this rod to cast light one or two oz poppers for bluefin in Cape Cod Bay, MA. Though it doesn't look strong to fight tuna, I decided to buy this rod as I have to throw one or two oz poppers and there are reports that professional guides there catch bluefin regularly with similar action St Croix spinning rods. The rod is very light (14 oz) and cast pretty good.
After I caught a 80 lbs bluefin on this rod, I am convinced this rod can handle a tuna upto 100 lbs if I treat the rod very gently.
This rod has a life time warranty and I can use it for other purposes if I break it whiling fighting tuna and get a replacement.

[papio]

Ksong, I assume the rods are one piece. Are there any 2-pc popping that could handle an 80-100lb tuna or AJ? Is this a custom build issue? I'm looking for long rod but space dictates a 2-pc for me.