Cedros 6 ft XH or 5'6" XXH

[Capefox]

I'm planning on using a Cedros A jigging rod for 60/80 lb sinker rigs and knife jigs on a 3-day group boat. The 5'6" seems very beefy but I wonder if it's too short for fishing at the rail, but is 6' XH strong enough to deal with a cow on the off chance I'm that fortunate?

 

[Tymeflyme]

7.5' rod minimum on rail fishing for Bluefin.

 

[malanx]

Using anything under 7' is risky - if the spectra touches the hull and the fish runs, snap.

I do use some 5'4" rods, but it takes one moment of mistake to lose your fish and a lot of line. I wouldn't recommend it unless you're comfortable holding your rod way out, under load, to avoid the line touching the hull. If you're railing the rod, you won't be able to react fast enough.

 

[MikeC.]

neither, time to buy a little longer rod

 

[Capefox]

Thanks for the feedback, guys. I can't transport one of those longer rods by air so I'll just rent a couple of rods from LM or Pt. Loma. They usually have Seekers or Calstars.

 

[Sacto John]

I have both the Cedros 601H and 601XH that I use for daytime speed jigging as well as nighttime knife jigging. The XH is definitely the way to go. I match both to Andros A16II reels spooled full with 100lb threadlock and then use a 20ft section of 80 -100lb fluorocarbon during the day or the same length of 200lb fluoro at night.

I used the 601H in jigging in panama and pulled on some large Cubara Snapper and African Pompano fishing 25-30lbs of drag with out much issue, but the heavier knife jigs we use for Bluefin made the 601XH a better choice.

I still use a 7'4 rail rod for sinker rigs, and bait presentations as well as other deep jigging techniques that go not require you to impart action with the rod. But if fishing speed jigs, I have found fishing with a smaller dedicated jigging rod allows you to spend much more time on the rail without getting worn out.

 

[Capefox]

I also discovered that Okuma makes an XH 6'6" version of the Cedros A jigging reel. That seems like an acceptable middle ground between length, power, transportability, and jig action.

 

[lazyfisherman]

The jigging rods most people use for daytime jigging are generally 6ft. Longer the rod, that harder it works you while jigging.

 

[smoked sALmon]

For what it's worth, I have a cedros 6'6"mh that has caught lots of albacore and a couple bft to 70lbs. Its rated 50-100lb but I fish it with 40lb topshots on a torium 16. It wasn't my favorite rod at first, but I have grown to really like it. It's also my go to rod for bottom fishing jigs 3oz-6oz