Steve Starling Squuidgy Spin

[Vulcan]

Hi everyone, I was lucky enough to get some money/gift voucher for my birthday and purchase a SS Squidgy Spin/ Daiwa Kastor 2000 spooled with Super 100 for $245 .
2 months later I walk into another reputable store in my region & they tell me that the squidgy spin isn't suitable for fireline to pas through the gides as it will cause grooves.
Can anyone help with info in regard to guides not being suitable for fireline.
Thanx
Vulcan

[jimi]

I would be very surprised if you did put grooves in the guides on this rod as it was specifically designed for fishing with braided line.

I think the story about braids putting grooves in rod guides is a bit of a myth. I've certainly never seen or heard of anyone who has had this problem. I guess it may happen on a $40 kmart cheapy, but you would be unlikely to see any problems on a reasonable rod like the squidgy.

Cheers
James

[Geoff R]

Did an article on this subject a few copies of Modern fishing back, I agree with James, I have yet to see or hear of anyone that this has happend to.
I even saw a "hooked on Adventure" segment last week, both Bushy and Starlo were using Steves Squidgy and Stella "Bream" rods on Trevally and Mack Tuna, with braided line. All those who have hooked a small Volkswagon before would know the fighting capabilities off these fish and they performed wonderfully.
Regards Geoff P

The previous Hooked on series where Buschy uses Starlo's light spin bream stick to land a 70 pound Sambo out at the Houtman Abrolhos Islands???

That reel was loaded wioth braid and it sure took some absoluterly "searing" runs from that sambo of Buschys, If ever a rods guides were going to groove and break the GSP - then that was the fish to do it - and they didn't.

It's some idiot workin in a tackle shop who dont know Jack Shyte..who told you that old wives tale.

Pity you didn't name the shop and the idiot - maybe Starlo would like to take it up with him in person????

It's an old wives tale...one that gets repeated TOO OFTEN, with little if any basis in fact.

My lads each have a Starlo Shimano light spin rod that Steve recommended for trout and bream - they used them last season to land AT LEAST 10 Salmon off the beach EACH using 15 pound Berkley Fireline...and not ONE groove in any runners!!! (Not one of the salmon was much under 10 pounds either)

Fantastic little rods is the ONLY way to describe them - they were bent right back into the butt landing those salmon..and so far no breakages - amazing really when you think about it.

Take it from me - you WON'T see Starlo with his NAME associated with crap product - he's VERY VERY carefull about this...he tests stuff until HE is personally satisfied that it meets HIS expectations which as an angler are pretty bloody high let me tell you from personal experience.

If it has his name on it you can rest assured - it's bloody good value AND darn fine equipment that HE Himself is happy to use..

You simply can't GET a better recommendation than that in the tackle world today IMHO...

Rest assured - your Starlo rod will be beating fish about the gills for a LONG while unless you do something dumb with it like lose it or worse break it in a car door....and their ain't no GSP braid made that will groove the runners unless you live to 150 years and fish 365 a day all that time on marlin or bigger fish, and even then I'd still back the runners against the braid!!

Next time you see that guy in the tackle shop - tell him from me he's a bloody idiot!

Cheers!

[torvic]

Haha, trouty, jeeez! U have to teach me how to write those essays one day

:p

Yeah, dont always think the tackle shop dudes know what theey're talking about, my first 'bream' rod was a big fat ugly stik because the guy thought it was strong enough for bream. And then when i asked for 4 lb fireline he was like 'are u crazy' and because I didnt know better went and got 6 lb.

To top it off, 'u wont catch flathead on that', referring to a pack of atomic grubs i was holding up ;)

[farrie]

Mate i have one and i am wrapped i have caught two nice GTs and had no worries at all happy fishing mate see ya!

[Craig]

Vulcan

I used my Squidgy for 95% of the fishing I did in Carnarvon (see other posts) and it handled Mulaway, Fingermark Bream, Mangrove Jack, Yellowfin Bream, Flathead etc all on fireline and not a scratch - a great value for money rod.

Get out there and hammer it !

cheers

Craig

[BreamDestroyer]

Are these Squidy rods rare??
I've looked in my 3 local stores and can only find the "Stella" and "Stradic".
I REALLY wanna check the "Squidgy" out after all the good reports!

[torvic]

They shouldnt be too 'rare', just give the shops a call before visiting em to see if they are available. When buying my Stella I was wondering whether to go squidgy or this one, as far as I was concerned these rods were identical, only the squidgy was longer. There wasnt any noticable difference apart from this, although Iv yet to have a feel of the squidgy with a fish on it

[dan_WA]

Anyone seen this ?
on the surfcasters site - guides

http://www.surfcasters.iinet.net.au/TipsMain.html#Guides

It makes an interesting read, but what does it prove?

It proves - that if your an idiot and bend ya line at 180 degrees around an inferior guide, and pull it back n forth fast enough - you can create enough friction and thus heat to melt / damage a cheap plastic runner.

When was the last time a brluebone groper lept outta the water and did that to anyones rod?

No - you cast it out and wind the line back, WET, read lubricated....like to see his friction test with wet line..

2 ndly - the line don't go around the runner at 180 degrees, the rod tip bends and the line goes "almost straight" thru the runners (if your fishing the rod right and using the butt).

ALL it proves is the guys a knicklehead....

Most good gear will use as a MINIMUM SiC (Silicon carbide) runners and even this dimwits dopey faked test couldn't damamge those runners.

That stupid test was like saying, I ran over my rod n reel with my car and it broke - therefore it woulda broke on a fish so the manufacturer should gimme a new one for being a knucklehead.
:rolleyes:

Cheers!:D

[BreamDestroyer]

I finally found the "Squidgy Spin"!!
Looks and feels nice. The guy in the shop was trying to talk me into the Daiwa Procaster though, but I must admit I love the squidgy!!!

[Brody]

... too long for boat work i know it would be good for flats but what about the rest and does it have enough grunt to get a big bream out of snags.

Brody.

[yogi]

Was the article about runners breaking or line breaking? Seem to me it was a test about how normal runners can cause breakoff of line.

Yogi

[TheJigJedi]

I've been using a $10 K-mart cheapy for over a year with fireline...total number of grooves....ZERO!

[Simon]

NO!!!

enough said

Simon.