S
oftbaiting is one of 
my favourite forms of 
fishing when out in 
the boat, it appeals to 
me as you are really 
hunting down fish, by 
drifting, casting and 
striking on that hit 
from a fish.  When a big snapper 
strikes the softbait in shallow water 
and line screams from the reel and 
your lightweight spin rod doubles 
over, there is no better angling buzz!
A good softbait rod is designed to 
be cast and to work the lure (softbait) 
well, while also set the jig head hook 
on a strike, with strength through the 
blank for fighting fish.  Most softbait 
rods sold in Godzone are spin rods 
to go with spin or fixed spool reels 
which are best suited for casting.
There are also overhead softbaiting 
rods available that are usually paired 
with baitcaster reels, however 
as I fish with spin combos this 
article will cover these rods.
BUDGET
Firstly, when it comes to budget, 
this is important and the more you 
can afford to spend then the better-
quality rod you will own.  The best 
quality rods have carbon fibre for 
lightness, improved strength and 
rigidity to achieve distance when 
casting and help work the lure.
The guides and components 
like reel seats and butts are 
also important and if you 
buy cheaper rods, they won’t 
perform as well or last as long.
To give you an idea, if you looked 
on Marine Deals you will see 
there are around 400 different 
options for softbait rods ranging 
from as low as $79 and up to 
$799.  While there are also top 
end NZ made rods such as the 
Lanza Slipknot that sells for $750 
and even some of the well-known 
international brands are selling 
spin rods for over $1,000.
Feature
58  FISHING IN GODZONE MAGAZINE
Softbaits catch fish like 
snapper and have been 
around in Godzone for 
a generation now.
Buy a spin rod fit for 
purpose, it is for softbaiting 
only and not a rod to 
cover all the bases.

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