Introducing the graphite based
Pro-Blue rods for stand up saltwater anglers
When it comes to serious big
game like Tuna and beyond this is a trade off most anglers are easily willing to
accept, but what about those big hard fighting fish right in the middle of the
spectrum? Were talking about Stripers, False Albies, Cobia, Lingcod, Permit,
Grouper, and Roosters and Snook. Sure, these fish can be taken on Fiberglass or
hybrid blended rods but added sensitivity from pure graphite can certainly be an
advantage in certain applications. There are those that attempt to use their
graphite inshore and flats rods, and while they will also do the job in some
cases, there are times when you will hook into that huge saltwater fish, and
that underclassed rod simply doesn’t have the muscle to get the job done.
We paired up the Pro-Blue rod with
a Calcutta 300TE, which balanced out the rig nicely
That’s where the Pro-Blue
comes in. This new series of rods is specifically designed to offer anglers a
lighter, more sensitive, yet deceivingly powerful solution for fishermen that
target monsters of the deep standing up. Using a unique blend of pure graphite
the Pro-Blue rods are intended to catch big fish on “not so big” tackle.
the rod features a cork foregrip
and plastic winding check
There are a total of six rods
in the Pro-Blue lineup, ranging in size from 6’6” to 8’. They are available in
both casting and spinning variations, but all are single piece rods. The rods
themselves remind me of pumped up GLX rods. They feature a beautiful graphite
weave and blue threading just like the GLX bass rods…only bigger.
Ergonomics were good thanks to
100% Genuine Fuji components
To increase the rods
durability the entire blank is coated with a serious layer of gloss. Just like
any good saltwater rod the rear handle is elongated to provide anglers with more
leverage, and Loomis caps the rod off with a composite cork butt. Loomis rods
have never been outwardly flashy, and the Pro-Blue’s are no exception, overall
they are very clean, simple, yet elegant design.
Fuji guides handled braided lines
without issue
Real World Test: For
our tests we chose the PBR844C which is 7 feet in length and is a fast action
rod that rests right in the middle of the Pro-Blue lineup in terms of power. We
targeted a variety of fish including Scorpionfish, Lingcod, and ocean residing
stripers. We paired the rod up with a Shimano Calcutta 300TE which balanced the
outfit out nicely.
A underside look at the reel seat
Next Section: Cast it already..