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Spopper rod and reel?

E

Eddie Bray

Senior Member & Supporter
Just getting my gear together for the new season and I have decided I am going to get a spopper and need a rod and reel to suit. I will be Barbel fishing on the Wye, Severn and Wark Avon.

I was going through my Sea Fishing tackle and found a pair of Penn Power-Graph 9' 6" Uptide rods, one is 4-10oz and the other is 2-8oz (never actually used them and they got put in a corner of the garage when I sold my boat). I was thinking about using the 4-10oz rod with a cheap chinese 4000 or 5000 size reel loaded with 0.5mm 90lb Braid.

Would this be too heavy for spopping? I also have a pair of Dam 3lb test curve rods so could use one of those instead?

Looking at the spoppers they seem to hold circa 10oz when full so am leaning towards the 4--10oz rod.

Any advice would be welcome, TIA.
 
I used a Korum opportunist (10ft 2.25 tc) as a dropper rod a few times last season. I used it in conjunction with an old 4000 size Shimano Baitrunner loaded with some cheap eBay braid. That did the job really well. Mostly used with a medium sized dropper, but occasionally used for really close marginal work with one the those huge droppers that probably does close to a pint a drop.

I wouldn’t fancy my chances of being overly accurate at any range with the sea rods you mention, if it’s range & accuracy you’re looking for, speak to a carper about spod set ups - your 3lb tc might be perfect.

Have a practice in the garden, if you can!:)
 
Thanks very much for your reply, my back garden is only about 20 yds long so would be a bit concerned I might overcast the garden.

The bigger spoppers are about 6 ounces unladen so full of bait would expect them to be a lot heavier.

I would ask a carp angler, (I don't know any), but I am not sure how they would know about casting a weighted spopper rather than the unweighted spod they would usually cast but it is worth a try, I will post this on the maggotdrowners forum and see what I get back.

Thanks again.
 
Most heavy rods will cast it but with these things to use them properly, accuracy is key. A dedicated spod rod and reel will make casting that sort of weight easier and in turn get you to hit your mark every time. On the small rivers like the Avon I’d just use a dropper with underarm plop and on the bigger rivers like the Wye the spopper would be perfect but you need to be hitting your spot well. Spod rods ain’t just high tc rods.
 
I use a big Bertha spod rod rod for carping that’s 5lb tc I think. I use a 4lb tc rod for marker but that would be fine for spombing on the river. Got both second hand. Think the big Bertha was fairly expensive but the other rod was about 25 quid
 
If you do buy a reel to do the job make sure it has a decent line clip - the spod reel I got from china was great until the line clip broke off.

I’d suggest getting a used one from a recognized brand if you want to save a few quid
 
Dave Quinn said:
If you do buy a reel to do the job make sure it has a decent line clip - the spod reel I got from china was great until the line clip broke off.

I’d suggest getting a used one from a recognized brand if you want to save a few quid
Click to expand...
Dame happened to me Dave, deffo buy a known brand 2nd hand, just for the line clip alone.
Spopper rod wise, if your just dropping on the inside line on a large river, even a 1.75 rod using the medium spopper will suffice. No need to cast, just underarm. If it's the large spopper a 2lb plus rod will suffice. You maybe only need a spomb rod in extreme circumstances. My 13ft 2.75s, easily cast to the far bank of the Trent. I do use a spomb rod too, but only because I cant be arsed breaking a rig down. This is a fox warrior spomb rod I picked up for 25 quid.
My advice is, if you only fish short, use a Barbel rod, if your far banking on a bigger river often, go down a spomb route.
 
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