What's the lightest rod in your arsenal?

That you use regularly for butts and/or rockfish?

Hi ObK

 I broke the Bank for a  Xmas. Rod a CalStar GFZGR700XL.
                                                                Sea-ya
                                                                Ernie

http://www.charkbait.com/cs/csrodCalstar.htm

I started out with an Ugly stik tiger rod with 25lb mono & found it to be too heavy duty for the majority of fishing I do off the kayak.
So I went light with another ugly stik rod with 14lb mono. I lost a lot of heavier fish on this, the line just wasn't up to the abrasion and the rod was kind of noodly for lings. I put 20lb on it & that helped dramatically.
Now I'm using a Sabre rod rated 15-20lb with 30lb spectra, and this combo is pretty much perfect for me.
The next step, oddly enough, will be to go back & set up the lighter ugly stik for a second yak rod when fishing school rockies and halibut.

http://www.dbluefishing.com/ProductShow.asp?ID=175

For halibut in the bay I go lighter, with a steelhead rod.

I have a 7'6"  12-20 lb MH Shimano Clarus flipping rod matched with a Cardiff 300 that works pretty well for those fisheries.

That you use regularly for butts and/or rockfish?

6'6" Medium Light power Shimano Clarus. Rigged with 8 lb test and lures to 3/8 oz. Blues/Blacks/Olives caught on this kind of gear are a hooot!!. Biggest fish so far was a Black that was just shy of 23". Easily 5 lbs if not more. I'll use this to jig vertically if I'm over a school of mid-water rockies, but mostly it's used for cast and retrieve near kelp.

Remember, not all rockfish need a vertical presentation. IMNSHO, if you are doing the vertical jigging thing,  then be prepared for the fish of a lifetime and don't go too light.

Scott

Thanks guys - I was starting to think that the 8-16 ML Baitcaster I got for my second rod might be too light...

it's got 20# braided line on it, but I just don't know how it would fare on a big fish (I'm sure it would be hella fun though...)

Those are two very different rods for me.
Halibut get a Tiger Lite M with 15lb mono or 20 lb braid.
Rockfish get a Shimano Trevala MH with 30lb braid and a 20 lb mono topshot (so I can break off easier when snagged).

heavy duty meat hook and 50lb test. In the ocean you never know when that 50lb salmon will bite..or that 50lb ling or striper. ihave hooked all three over the years all while rockfishing. Except for the ling i was fishing for her.

Freshwater when i know whats going to bite on the big side 6lb test and an ultra light rod. biggest fish landed 35lb catfish. But it was in a lake not a huge deep ocean with waves and wind.

My light gun is a 7'2" Lamiglas, 8-17 lb line with a Calcutta 200 GTB with 40 lb braid and 6 foot 20 lb mono topshot. It gets worked out!

My light gun is a 7'2" Lamiglas, 8-17 lb line with a Calcutta 200 GTB with 40 lb braid and 6 foot 20 lb mono topshot. It gets worked out!

Mako1, for what type of fishing is this your go-to rod? What's the biggest fish you've taken on it? This is pretty much what my recent rod is too, and haven't yet had the chance to put it through its paces.

Obkook, this rod was initially my bass frogging rod, with a Chronarch reel. It still is my frogging rod, but I've discovered how good it works as my second rod on the ocean. Big fish on it so far came from Shelter Cove where it landed half a dozen lings around 30 inches. I lost a couple others that wouldn't be stopped and broke me off in the rocks. The 20 lb mono topshot is so I can break off snags. Anything heavier is too difficult and perilous to break off. Lots of times I also keep it rigged with a half set of Sabikis and a 1 oz jig as a weight. If all else fails this manages to bring in enough rockies for a couple meals, plus it's fun!

shimano trevala rod paired with a shimano calcutta 401 TE - 40 # braid backing with 20# mono top shot

10'6" Browning noodle rod (2-8 lb). Challenging but fun.

GLoomis STR 1024C, rated 8-12#.  Break out the long, light stuff ... it's a lot of fun.

-Allen