One of the things I follow along with in the fishing world is trends. Rods, reels, lines, lures — whatever it may be. The one trend we’re seeing in the all of those categories is the push to make everything lighter in weight. It seems that everything weighs a fraction of what it once did, and in turn, this means more control over your setup along with longer fishing time due to less fatigue and, of course, more finesse presentations due to the lighter lures and jigs being used.
Tsunami took this idea of lightweight and put it all into one of their latest surf rod creations — the Tsunami Airwave Elite LT series. The rod was specifically designed to be used with lighter line, tackle, and reels.
I got my hands on the 8-foot, 6-inch model, and right away, I could see this rod doing exceptionally well for a number of different species and applications. More specifically, bouncing jigs and bucktails for fluke (or summer flounder for those folks to the south). Working small soft plastics and poppers for schoolie stripers and cocktail blues wouldn’t be out of the question either with this stick. Even if I were to hook into something sizable, I could tell you while the rod is rated as light, it does have some backbone when you put a good bend on it. And of course, as we approach August and September, this light model, and specifically the 5/8 to 2 ounce-rated rod that I have in my hands, would excel at casting small tins and epoxy jigs maximum distances to reach albies crashing on small bait.
The rod features a 70/30 split with an F3 ferrule system, making it easy to transport and secure when together — giving a one-piece feel. Fuji Concept K series Guides with SiC Rings make up the guide layout, while Shrink Vinyl Grips provide your hands with all-day comfort.
The rod is available in four different lengths and powers for all sorts of specific applications, with the smallest 7-foot, 6-inch size being able to cast down to ¼ ounce and the 9-foot model handling payloads up to 2-1/2 ounces. These rods start at $195.00.
For more from Tsunami go to www.biminibayoutfitters.com.
