What's everyone's favorite rod and setup for popping corks for sea trout and redfish? I have limited experience, but I personally like the Z-Man EZ pre-rigged shrimp. I suppose my realistic target fish size would be 5lbs.

American Tackle Bushido CB72/8-15 or American Tackle Matrix MA-P7/8-17, these would be my choice.

You may also want to check out the American Tackle MB731/12-20 - it has outstanding sensitivity and plenty of backbone for when the stray Redfish slams your shrimp!

Thanks for the info. I'm really just looking at what everyone uses. Every manufacturer seems to have multiple popping blanks. I do like the idea of a mod-f action so I can use some top water plugs. Any other good baits to use? I never run deviated from the plastic shrimp since it works for me but honestly I don't have anything to compare it to.

Any 7' medium power blank with a fast tip will work fine for the heaver popping cork. I use what we call a rattle cork which is light weight sliding foam cork with an internal 8" stiff ss wire looped on both ends and a couple of plastic "rattle" beads both above and below the foam cork. When you pop the cork, the beads simulate the sound a shrimp makes when it "pops" to escape a predator. This lighter cork allows me to use a 7' medium light blank in both the casting and spinning configuration. After over 50 years of targeting specks and reds along the Louisiana coast, my best combos are the ML casting with a 1/4 oz jighead and a 3" to 4" plastic tail. and then the 7' ML spinning for the rattle cork.

I use the same rattle cork on a ML rod. I feel like I do better with metal beads over plastic beads. The weighted plastic shrimp are 1/4:ounce as well. I only get to go to the Outer Banks once a year so I really don't want to spend a decent amount of money on a blank That will not be used often.

Rainshadow SP843, a lot of blank for the money. 844 if you need a bit more muscle.

Liberty P704/705 from GetBit.

I just built one out of a Lamiglas 7'6" Lamiglas rod that I like very much. I can't remember the model number just now, but it is very nice.

Fishing is not a sport, it is an art.

I’m getting suspicious about how a chorus has emerged to answer quickly and repeatedly that American Tackle products are the best option for so many questions that are asked here. I get company reps, as sponsors, giving product updates and answering questions. The frequency and intensity of the other drum beating is becoming a little curious, though. This fandom just doesn’t seem in balance with the positioning of many of their product lines and the popularity of several other component and blank manufacturers.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/20/2021 05:49PM by Kendall Cikanek.

*popcorn*

Maybe some have just started looking at their products and liking what they see. I really thought their Bushido fly blanks boxed above their weight class and hated to see them go, a great product for the price. Haven't had a component failure in the near 20 years I have used Am Tack, so they most be doing something right. When G Loomis was owned by Gary, he used Pac Bay components, no one complained while he was building his customer base, being herd bound about rod building components can restrict your knowledge base and options.