Recently I had the opportunity to test out the new TFD Big Fish spinning rods made by Temple Fork Outfitters. These rods were designed by Larry Dahlberg who is known for his "Hunt For Big Fish" television show. I was given the 8 ft 6 in 2 piece rods in power strengths of #2, #3, and #4. The target species on this test was Giant Trevally out in the Indian Ocean out of the Islands of Maldives.
I teamed the rod up with a Daiwa Saltiga 6500H spinning reel spooled with 80 lbs Momoi Diamond Braid. The rods were found to be extremely light which made casting comfortable in 100 deg temperatures. The handles allow for both hands to be used to load up the rod to make extra long casts. They are quite powerful and can handle about anything that swims in my opinion. When I visited with Larry at the Chicago Sportshow, he held the tip to the floor and told me to pull up on the rod with all my strength in an attempt to break it. The rod won!! My favorite was the #3 which had no problem casting heavy stickbaits up to 6 oz. The handles are made out of premium cork which again saves on weight. As of today these rods are not yet available. I believe a 9 ft rod in the same power strengths will be available soon.
The casting rods are available. I did not try these out but have a 7 ft 6 in model Mag 3 ready to battle golden dorado on my next visit to La Zona and perhaps to battle Yellowcheek on my upcoming trip to China. The casting rods are also 2 pieces. They are available in lengths of 7ft 8in, 8ft, 8ft 6in, 9ft, and 9ft 6in. Larry has a patented rubberized Comfort Trigger handle on them. Both rods utilize Temple Fork's high modulus carbon fiber blank material. These rods are again very light which will allow extra long casts throughout the day without get wore out!
I am sure that both the spinning model and casting models can handle the brutal punishment of a multitude of fresh and saltwater monsters!
