I had previously fished over the years with a Kilwell Powerplay two-piece rod, and these NZ made rods are top quality. They are a little heavier than the new slim line blanks that have become popular, but I found I could cast well with this rod. I tried out several lengths one day at a casting session and discovered that the 13ft+ model suited me better than the longer 14ft+ rods. I caught a lot of fish on this rod over 10 years of using the Powerplay and still have it to take down the beach. However, since just before Covid struck, I have been using a couple of Tica surfcasters and these slim line blank designed, three- piece rods have really impressed over the last several years. At first, I was hesitant about the idea of a three-piece surfcaster, but after testing them I soon adopted the Tica Kazumi Gold model as my go to rod, which has low rider guides (as I fish with braid) and can cast between 100- 250gm weights. This 4.5m (14ft plus) surfcaster is super light, with a sensitive tip for feeling the subtlest of bites, while still providing plenty of power through the blank for casting and fighting fish. Getting older and battling the west coast waves, casting often and standing around for hours in the surf certainly takes more of a toll on the body, so a light surfcaster is a blessing. The slim line blanks have certainly made a difference for rods over 14ft, and many models are now 15ft plus, so the technology used by the rod companies has really made a key change for fishing with longer surf rods. Longer rods over 15ft are better suited for surfcasters who fish often on the west coast where the surf conditions are a lot bigger than on the east side. Having a longer rod means keeping the line higher and The Tica range of surf rods offer good options for all budgets from beginners to more experienced surfcasters. Snapper are a prime target for surfcasters and often require longer casts to reach them off shallow beaches. Feature 56 FISHING IN GODZONE MAGAZINE
View this content as a flipbook by clicking here.