Rod for a Release LG reel

Hey I have a weird question.

I have a Release LG reel coming tomorrow and I want to get a rod to mount it on.

My fishing experience is pretty limited to freshwater so I was wondering if someone here could give me some advice on the right rod to mate this reel with.

I was thinking about getting an Ugly Stik Tiger rod about 7' so I could use the setup for kayak fishing and hopping on a party boat here and there.

I want to run braid with a mono top-shot but I'm not sure what rod to get. What action, etc? Does the marked line weight on the rod mean the same thing for braid vs mono?

I see myself mostly using this setup for halibut and salmon and maybe an occasional tuna trip.

Any advice? I hope my question adequately conveyed my lack of saltwater gear knowledge.

Chad

Very nice reel but overkill on a kayak, it would be a crime to put it on a Ugly stick. Maybe a loomis,Cal Star or Tescata. Reel holds 500yards of 80lb braid put a couple hundred yds of mono then put the braid on top then topshot of fluorocarbon. That's going to be one heavy reel with line on it. Why not the SG?

Mickfish: I agree on it being overkill for the kayak but I wouldn't want to put it on something that would be impractical to use on the kayak as well.

I do have a Penn 309 and a spinning reel to use on the kayak as well but the Release LG is for going after some bigger stuff. I will probably order an SG when I have more funds (I'm graduating nursing school on June 7th so.... God willing... hopefully soon.)

So no Ugly Stik huh?

Of the brands you mentioned could you give me some specs to match a rod with this reel?

VK: Thank you for the links. I'm working my way through those threads. Thank you!

Dexterbase, like Release Reels on facebook and see what people are pairing with the LG. Crash maybe our resident expert on Release Reels and he uses Sato rods. Absolutely first class combo.

Dexterbase, like Release Reels on facebook and see what people are pairing with the LG. Crash maybe our resident expert on Release Reels and he uses Sato rods. Absolutely first class combo.

What a trip. I actually just replied to an email from Brent at Sato about getting something custom put together.

...trippy....

You have one helluva reel. Lots of people use this size in Florida for Amberjack, Kings, Wahoo, Lemon Grouper, Sailfish, Dorado and other larger species. It would be a great reel if you fish long range out of San Diego for yo, yoing for Yellowtail. The SG would be a better option in our water but since you have this one you can back the reel with mono and what ever size braid on top of the mono then if necessary top shot with floro carbon as your leader. Two rods come to mind with me if your looking at a Calstar. Those would be a 196 and 270. Either in 7 foot or 8. The 196 is a good live bait rod and doubles for a nice Salmon, Halibut rod if you use Ball weight rather than down rigger. The 270 is best suited for Albacore, Sturgeon, Blue fin and Salmon also. The 196 is best overall and almost the same as ugly stick 2200. The 2200 will work well. I've caught lots of Albacore using the 2200 Ugly stick including using it for mooching Salmon.

Dexterbase I misidentified "Cajun" as Crash. Sorry I guess I was tired.  Anyway, sounds like you are soon to have a setup to reel in the big ones.
Sincerely, Amos

The SG would be a better option in our water but since you have this one you can back the reel with mono and what ever size braid on top of the mono then if necessary top shot with floro carbon as your leader.

The reel came in today.

Wow.

This reel is gorgeous. As I was expecting from other reviews and rumors I heard, this reel is gorgeous. I have honestly never held a reel this nice. I have held turbochargers and high-end 1911 handguns this nice but not a reel. The fit, finish, and quality reminds me of my Kimber 1911.

As I also suspected but wanted to confirm in person is that this is not a huge reel. The large handle is beefy and confidence inspiring but the spool size and housing seems actually more compact than my Penn 309. I have to find a scale to put it on but even the weight (without line) seems pretty comparable and I'm not even certain I can notice a difference in my hand.

Edit: The LG is actually 2oz lighter than my 309.

I thought about getting the SG but I am not made of money and I could only afford to get one reel right now. I was hoping for something that would be slightly over-gunned for salmon and albacore but up to the challenge in the event I have the opportunity to target larger species. This feels smaller than my Penn 309 but will likely handle even the largest fish I will ever go after.

I am blown away. Now I need to figure out which rod is worthy of this amazing machine.

Man it feels like Christmas. 

Beautiful piece of machinery!
Agreed, it would be a shame to slap that reel onto an Ugly Stick. I would look for a Calstar, Seeker, Loomis, or Lamiglas. Or a custom rod.
Please don't drop it in the water and make sure to stash it before landing in gnarly surf!!!

I love release reels. I have 3 SG and an LG. I am using custom seeker rods for them and will have them for show at GS8. I have the LG on a custom phenix black diamond blank 50-80 for halibut and big ling hunting. Cant beat lifetime warranty! thats why I'm selling all my avets!

Dexterbase I misidentified "Cajun" as Crash. Sorry I guess I was tired.  Anyway, sounds like you are soon to have a setup to reel in the big ones.
Sincerely, Amos

 Brent, the owner of Sato has some great rods on eBay right now. He is trying to build up some cash to go spend some time with his daughter so hit him up!