Looking for something to fish live mullet below a spillway in brackish/salt water. Water runs about 20 feet to inches. Lots of mangroves/dam pilings/barnacles/oyster bed stuff to get cut off on. Plus the current is strong. Seeing some big snook....20-30# range. Will be fishing from shore.

Not sure if a 4-5 power popping rod is enough. Not sure if a heavy mag bass would do. Back in the day we used plug casting blanks from calstar/seeker. Don't know what else is out there now. What would y'all recommend? Six to seven foot range, probably conventional gear.

Not interesting in keeping any of the fish, just having a nice battle (so no grouper rod/meat stick needed).

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

[www.mudhole.com]

AmTak Bushido Mag bass heavy action. I built one recently, used it casting spoons for Chinook Salmon, caught one about 15# in a couple feet of water next to brush, and it handled the fish very well. Good caster, too.

Bushidos are great blanks for a good price.

They have one in extra heavy power, too, but the rod above is pretty powerful. (802 grams/77 degrees action angle CCS)

I have fished the spillways of south Florida and while I'm sure there are set-ups that some experienced spillway fishermen use to corral those giant snook, it's a gamble at best. The snook you're after will take a hand sized bait and head straight down the canal away from the spillway. They have power AND strong current working to their advantage. At 30 to 40 pounds you MUST stop the fish FAST or it's over before it begins. They are incredibly powerful. I have watched guys with 50# offshore trolling gear get humiliated again and again. I can't recommend a blank other than to say a VERY strong one loaded with VERY heavy braid. Good luck, it's not easy.

Thanks Jim. You and Jim Gamble are probably some of a few that know what this fishing is like. I have no wish to result to 4/0 reel and 80# braid. The blanks we used to fish were akin to 15-30 or 20-40# live bait blanks. They were very fast taper E or S glass blanks with big fat butts. We got away with reels like newell p220's with drags tighten to the max. They don't make long runs but can make a very determined short one!

Was hopeful someone had luck with something like a curado and a 5 power mag bass blank. We will see if others respond.

With the mouth on the big ones they can take an arm/leg sized bait:)

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

I would take a look at some musky blanks or maybe a backbouncing blank. You need to be able to stop the big girls. I usually fish the lake worth s155 or s40 spillway with flairs and swimbaits.

Russell, can you direct me to a source of info on what the "4-5 power" means? Re the reels for your project, I'm sure you already know that the drag limits on many popular reels probably won't pass muster. But I expect some of the in-shore reels, especially from Quantum or Abu Garcia would have drags that could handle your job.

My two fifths of a nickel's worth. While I'm a rookie rod builder, I've been servicing and tuning reels for a long, long time. The Curado is a nice little reel, particularly the E series. But, using one for this application is taking a knife to a tank battle.

Russell, that Bushido I recommended could be 5 power. But I don't know what 5 power means. All I know it is a very powerful rod for inshore/muskie/etc that cast quite well and isn't that heavy.