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[Matt]

I've picked up a Penn 330GT2, and i plan on fishing from log booms and boats.  Last weekend a borrowed a rod and we were fishing 14oz weights.  My guess is that in spring during high water, we will be fishing 20oz at times.  Point is, its got to be able to throw of serious lead.  I was borrowing a 7 foot rod and that worked, but I think I could do 8 feet as well.  Another big thing for me is it has to have a decently long butt section for leverage during casting.

My budget is $120 all in.  As far as I can tell, that restricts me to a heavy Ugly Stick, or some Okuma boat rod- is there anything else that falls into that price range?

Also, when describing the rod, please include the line rating and specific model.  You can buy an Ugly Stick trout rod, so simply "Ugly Stick" is only moderately helpful. 

[Verdi]

Trophy make a good afordable rod i think it is around $100,

http://www.redlsports.com/trophyxl/heavy_rods.html

I would go Quantum Big Cat or Shimano Technium and spend a little more?


I have a trophy and shimano
The trophy is now my back up, the tip is not as sensetive as the shimano.
The shimano rod is always pulsing which could be stressfull to watch at first but once you are use to it , you can tell the difference between junk fish bites and sturgeon.

For fighting the fish i would stay they are the same.

good luck.

[NFM]

I would strongly suggest the shimano technium , i personally fish this rod myself and it is by far the best sturgeon rod out there. Designed for the Fraser River Sturgeon fishery. For the extra 50 you will spend you will get alot more of a rod.

[Sam Salmon]

Matt-keep your eyes open for used rods there are always adds from people who wanted to get into Sturgeon but then.........

Check the back pages here and on Craigslist too.

[coho killer]

The technium is by far the best for its price i think i only paid 129 for mine. My buddy has a ten foot ugly stick and he can cast way further then i can.

[Matt]

Where did you get the Technium?  Also, can you give me the specs- length, line rating etc

[joska]

what about that rapala magnum... i know it aint a technium but will it get the job done? with a penn 330 with say the 100lbs power pro? with the smaller dia.  how do you balance the braided line to the rod? i really dont wanna break another rod.... this is one of the best fourms

[NFM]

The Technium does have a little of a softer tip , but i find it is much easier to feel when a fish is biting the hook. The power of the technium is great and it has lots of power is by far the most durable rod . Rode like The ugly stick are great as well but there not as much fun to catch fish on as they are alot more stiff and no feel on the tip (very hard to notice the bite) I like to call it a meat stick lol. The trophy has a softer feel then the ugly stick  it is not as durable nor does it have the power behind it which you will notice one you set the hook and start fighting a fish .

[Spiznack]

Technium from boats is as good as it gets!  From shore I like to use a 12 foot medium heavy Ugly Stick as it enables you to cast the huge weights over longer distances.  It also depends on what part of the Fraser you will be fishing.  Up river the current is much quicker and shore fishing can be tricky.  The Ugly Stick seems about perfect for the tidal portion of Fraser if you are fishing from shore.  If you do go with an Ugly Stick try and find an older model.  I find the newer, lighter models are not built as well and can break.  The older Ugly Sticks are virtually indestructible.  My 2 cents.

[bbronswyk2000]

The Technium does have a little of a softer tip , but i find it is much easier to feel when a fish is biting the hook. The power of the technium is great and it has lots of power is by far the most durable rod . Rode like The ugly stick are great as well but there not as much fun to catch fish on as they are alot more stiff and no feel on the tip (very hard to notice the bite) I like to call it a meat stick lol. The trophy has a softer feel then the ugly stick  it is not as durable nor does it have the power behind it which you will notice one you set the hook and start fighting a fish .

The Trophy is not as durable? I had 2 of them and they were my favorite rods. I have used them all. Tough as nails. I even played a 10 footer on the Trophy and not once did it feel like it was going to break. When I get back into a boat and geared up for sturgeon again it will be 2 Trophy's and 2 Technium's. I like them both. If your on a budget go with the Trophy or even cheaper than that but a damn good rod is the Big Cat. Had one of those as well and for the money its a tough rod that takes a beating and keeps on ticking.

[jetboatjim]

Trophy rods not durable?......I have 6 that have been used anywhere from 5 years till present.
I have never had a problem with them, and I do abuse them....the one in the vid below has been used for a long time, and has seen hundreds of sturgeon.
for the money go with a trophy.....

check out the bend....  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbiC3LrDBoY&feature=channel_page

[Sam Salmon]

The first Trophy Sturgeon rods I ever saw  were a bit on the light duty side I imagine Redl's started bringing in a heavier model after the first year.

[jetboatjim]

there is a lighter and a much heavier rod available fom redl....or the shops that stock the stuff...like sea-run.

from redl....

TCS580C 8' 1 50 - 80 sturgeon $107.99
TCS580MC 8' 1 30 - 60 sturgeon king medium $102.99

[Stealth]

Check out the Rapala Magnum I have 5 of them and have caught a few hundred sturgeon on them this season with many big ones
including a 10 footer.

They have sensitive tip and tons of power in the bottom end. I actually had a fish lift a clients feet off the floor when the fish dove
and pinned the rod on the boat rail. A serious HOLY POOP moment!

The only week spot is the tip top that will cost 5 bucks to replace, the rods run between $80 to $120 depending on where you buy them.

I highly recommend them great bang for the buck!

[bbronswyk2000]

Trophy rod in action with a 10 footer



Ya its not durable LOL