Anyone got either of these rods?

[x]

Shimano Nexave NEXSF450BX

Penn PowerXstix 15MFS

Veals do both - 15 foot beachcasters, both under ?100, the Penn is ?75.

Anyone tried/own either or these and how would you rate them? Any comment/suggestion appreciated.

[pete]

Alot people have good things to see about the penn rods but I'm afraid I aint one. I have the penn venom match and while its been well used I was dissappointed to have the ring insert fall out and recently the spigot joint section has become worn and the rod doesn't fit together unless the top section is pushed really deeply into the lower section. But as I said other folk are very happy with their penn rods.

pete

[Steve]

The longer Nexave was reviewed in Total Sea Fishing (a proper review, not a company sales pitch), and it came out well enough, his only problem with it was the bright blue color, otherwise he thought it was a good rod. Better as a fixed spool rod than with a multi, although it could probably be used for both. Veals are doing a deal on them, I was tempted to have a look at one myself!

[Viper]

I have the Penn PowerXstix 15MFS, very nice rod, quite light with good bite detection. However my experience with longer rods is quite limited so I don't really have any standards to benchmark it on...

[x]

Thanks for the input so far lads. Much appreciated. There seems to be some good deals going on the Penn rod with a 525mag - which might prompt me to overcome my reservations about multipliers (like how do you know when t thumb the spool when casting in the dark - is it just experience or are birdsnests from the spool over-running when the leads hit the water at night something you have to put up with?). So I'm swinging towards the Penn on value terms at the moment.

However, my first thought would have been the Shimano rod with an FS reel - simply because it's impossible to goof up a cast. (I learned to cast with spinning rods when I was no age and am naturally loth to move away from what I know and trust)

Also, here's a question. In competitions, where you almost invariably have some folk on your right (I'm right handed), I always use a basic OTG cast from directly behind where I'm trying to cast - just so if I crack off my lead is at least definitely not heading somewhere there are people who could get hit (and my shockleader is 10-20lb more than I really need anyway). Anyone else do this? Some of our comps are pegged every 15 yards which I feel is a bit close if something goes wrong....

[daven]

you get used to the thumb at dark thing very quickly. You know by the sound on the spool

[Norfolk and Goode]

Hi, during the day after you cast out listen to the sound of the spool just as the lead starts to slow down before it hits the water and you put your thumb down. When you feel you have the sound embedded and you know what sound your listening for, cast out, then close you eyes and listen for that sound of the spool again. Once you get used to the sound it makes then you have it made. It might not work eveytime but it should be close. Alturnatively, if you are using a reel with magnets then put them on the slowest position possible. This also helps to slow the reel down