I'm in need of some advice for a new rod for my Penn Slammer 260. A couple of weeks ago while fishing in Panacea I hooked into a hefty ray and he broke my old inshore rod which I dubbed the "wet noodle" due to it's extremely whippy tip. I've been wanting to replace it for a while so I wasn't too sad about it breaking but now it leaves me with the daunting task of replacing it.
Though my extensive research I've narrowed it down to these medium power, fast-action rods:
Hurricane Calico Jack 7' (CAJ-455)
Line Wt 8-17 lbs
Hurricane Calico Jack 7'6 (CAJ-457)
Line Wt 8-17 lbs
Hurricane Redbone 7' (RB-455)
Line Wt 8-17 lbs
Lure Wt 3/8-3/4 oz
Hurricane Redbone 7'6" (RB-465)
Line Wt 8-17 lbs
Lure Wt 3/8-3/4 oz
Crowder E Series 7' (ESS708)
Line Wt 8-15 lbs
1/4-3/4 oz
St Croix Triumph 7'6 (TRS76MF)
Line Wt 6-12
Lure Wt 1/4-5/8 oz
St. Croix Mojo Bass Inshore 7' & 7'6
Line Wt 6-12 lb
Lure Wt 3/16-5/8 oz
I use my Slammer primarily inshore so I'm looking for something that can handle everything from finicky trout to an over-slot redfish. My main question was regarding rod length; as you can see from my list I have both the 7' and 7'6" lengths listed but I'm not sure which would be better suited for my style of fishing. I've heard that a 7'6 will cast further vs a 7' with the same output in energy but wouldn't a longer rod be more vulnerable to snapped tips?
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My reel is spooled with 8 lb Ande mono and I have a spare spool with 10 lb PowerPro. In addition, I generally throw soft plastics on jig heads. I don't want another "wet noodle" but something with a little whip to get a little distance to spooky reds.
I've tried out all of those listed above (with my reel) and I'm leaning more towards the Redbone or the Calico Jack; any horror stories or objections that I should know about? Should I look into a different brand that isn't listed above? Thank you guys for all of your time!
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