Need Advice from You Sage Long Rod Downrigger Guys

[Sharphooks]

I have a Sage that I built up about a decade ago for spring fishing in rivers. It's a club: 12 feet long and stout as they get. I believe it's a 1411 GSH (?---I don't know my way around the Sage nomenclature)

Looking to downsize a bit--- maybe their 10 1/2 rod, medium stout but NOT a noodle? B 3106 --did I get that right?

What would you guys recommend that would handle bigger springs in the salt chuck, could be used in a DR, but won't beat you if you fish it all day long?

thanks the comments, Gents

 

[Fish Assassin]

A 3106 is a great rod.

 

[Sr SQ]

Sage rod #s are easy
First # denotes the power and the next 3 are the length
3106 = 3 power - 10' 6"
3113 = 3 power - 11' 3"
4120 = 4 power - 12' 0" (likely this is the blanks you have if its a 12' ) etc.

They also have a couple actions on a few, an "L" after the # denotes lighter (slower) action perfect for the centerpin drifter.
2106-2106L
3106-3106L etc

The "b" simply denotes its a blank not a factory built rod.

3106 makes a nice light DR rod but that 4120 you have is a sweet rod too

 

[Sharphooks]

Thanks for the comments guys. So could you take one of those lighter 10 1/2 Sages and put some major bend in them in a DR without blowing them up?

I usually hear about them in relationship to river fishing for steelhead, not saltwater duty

 

[Fish Assassin]

Oh ya..... I'd love to have a set of 3106's. Do they make a 3 power in a 9 or 9'6 blank? I love using shorter rods. Easier for others to handle.

 

[Sr SQ]

Absolutely, keep in mind once you lift a rod past the 45 degree mark you are loosing leverage and just putting more bend in the rod.
Once you go past 90 degrees you are transferring the load onto the tip and get into a very dangerous area, at this point any rod can let go.

 

[spoiler]

sage rods

I have a Sage that I built up about a decade ago for spring fishing in rivers. It's a club: 12 feet long and stout as they get. I believe it's a 1411 GSH (?---I don't know my way around the Sage nomenclature)

Looking to downsize a bit--- maybe their 10 1/2 rod, medium stout but NOT a noodle? B 3106 --did I get that right?

What would you guys recommend that would handle bigger springs in the salt chuck, could be used in a DR, but won't beat you if you fish it all day long?

thanks the comments, Gents

I use a Sage 4110 which is a 11' 4 power. it's a great downrigger rod or power moocher and has lots of jam for the XXL size springs.

 

[mikep]

I'm going to be bold and say that the sage 3106 is one of the best rigger rods built....from coho to hawg Chinook it will do the job. There was a 396 built but it was a pretty fast action being built of graphite 2, it was a little fast for the rigger in my opinion...I have yet to kill a 3106 in the rigger AND THEY HAVE MANY HOURS ON THEM.

 

[Birdman]

get the 3106 - I guided with mine for 6 years - constant strain on the DR fishing 200+ feet most of the time. the only injuries to the rods were a couple of blown tips from guests reeling the flasher into the top of the rod. these can handle everything from dragging a big foul hooked hali off bottom all the way down to still being sporting on coho. can't recommend them enough.

 

[Rollingmud]

Question on the 3106. Should I use my shimano 200 or 400?

 

[JUST ONE MORE]

also a quick question, where does one buy Sage rods in Nanaimo?

 

[Sharphooks]

Today I got my new Sage 3106 in the mail---wow, way beefier rod then I was expecting!





based on comments from guys on this Forum I bellied up to the bar hoping I'd get a relatively light weight rod with some backbone---this one seems to be the ticket. Thanks for the feedback, MikeP et al

Trying to keep my mind off other things, I fiddled with it today---reworked the reel seat so it would accept an Ogden Smith "Seos" I just picked up in the UK (has a 4" Brass Foot!)

Check out the approach to avoiding "reel creep" in the DR:






Haven't tried it yet but the weight feels pretty good.

I lined it with 40 lb test--- it's rated for "6 - 20"----you guys think 40 is too aggressive? I like the heavier line for knot tying and line longevity---not so much because I think I'm going to get the huge spring (although it def. helps confidence when you have heavier line on when that happens...)

what say you--- 40 on a 3106 is too much?

 

[Aces]

No, 40 will work fine

 

[finaddict]

Sage rod #s are easy
First # denotes the power and the next 3 are the length
3106 = 3 power - 10' 6"
3113 = 3 power - 11' 3"
4120 = 4 power - 12' 0" (likely this is the blanks you have if its a 12' ) etc.

They also have a couple actions on a few, an "L" after the # denotes lighter (slower) action perfect for the center pin drifter.
2106-2106L
3106-3106L etc

The "b" simply denotes its a blank not a factory built rod.

3106 makes a nice light DR rod but that 4120 you have is a sweet rod too

It could also be a 5120 which is a 5 power 12 foot rod but not likely. They made these for a few years, but I believe stopped due to the brittleness of the graphite for the power. Many 5120's "exploded " when flexed too hard. I have a 4120 blank that I built into a level wind and without a doubt it is one of the best "Big" river blanks ever made. Sage also made a 3106 L (Light). I built one into Centre pin and that is by far my favourite river steelhead rod.

In addition to the nomenclature that Sr SQ has detailed, GSH is simple. It stands for Graphite Steelhead, which is what it was originally designed for. I would suggest that a 12 foot rod is overkill for a DR. that is a lot of rod when landing a fish and could get in the way of anything overhead during a netting process.

 

[Sharphooks]

I used a 4120 last summer with a huge center pin---beat me up after a two week trip and yes, 12 feet of rod in a small boat when fishing solo makes it a bit tough

It's interesting that the 3106 is rated for "6 to 20" lb test--sounds like they were trying to cover all the bases. Based on the flex, I would think 12 to 25 would have been more appropriate

 

[mikep]

You won't be disappointed with that....it will handle Any king you hook up. Also if you really like that rod I have a brand new brown blank sitting in plastic that I would let go.....you could rig it up right with the proper reel seat.

 

[Sr SQ]

It could also be a 5120 which is a 5 power 12 foot rod but not likely. They made these for a few years, but I believe stopped due to the brittleness of the graphite for the power. Many 5120's "exploded " when flexed too hard. I have a 4120 blank that I built into a level wind and without a doubt it is one of the best "Big" river blanks ever made. Sage also made a 3106 L (Light). I built one into Centre pin and that is by far my favourite river steelhead rod.

In addition to the nomenclature that Sr SQ has detailed, GSH is simple. It stands for Graphite Steelhead, which is what it was originally designed for. I would suggest that a 12 foot rod is overkill for a DR. that is a lot of rod when landing a fish and could get in the way of anything overhead during a netting process.

Pretty sure the 5120 was the next generation graphite as well, defiantly in a league of its own.......I guess everyone has to have a lemon in there line-up
I blew up 2 of them with very little effort where as my 4120s have never let me down.
As for a super power house the 4110 can pretty much take anything, 12oz @ 200' power mooching