Fladen’s Maxximus Solid Carbon Rod - 12/03/2009

Roger Mortimore gets afloat to give Fladen's new Maxximus Solid Carbon 20LB-40LB Boat Rod a good workout.

Fladen’s Maxximus Solid Carbon range has some exciting new additions, including this versatile 20lb-40lb model. This rod has already proved its incredible power, having beaten a 123lb striped marlin during initial tests. It’s a very slim, two-piece rod measuring 2.1 metres long and the butt detaches just above the reel seat, making it easy to transport. It’s fitted with a top-quality Fuji reel seat and eight Fuji intermediate guides plus the tip guide, all secured with black thread.

It has a very sensitive tip and a progressive action; the more it bends, the more you can feel the power in the lower section. This action will tire fish but not the angler, and if you’re hooked into a diving pollack or cod, you won’t tear the hook out. There are two other models in the range. The lighter 10lb-20lb version is ideal for bream, bass and flatties while the heavier 20lb-60lb model will handle serious fish like big cod and pollack or congers.

I chose to fish with the mid-range version because I was going to target cod in a fairly strong tide and would need to use up to 10oz of lead to hold bottom. I coupled the rod with a small baitcaster loaded with 30lb braid and 20 feet of 30lb mono as a shock absorber. To start with I baited up a Pennel-rigged running leger with a lug and squid cocktail and simply dropped it over the side of the boat. The sensitive tip soon showed a bite that turned out to be a whiting. The next drop down saw several sharp taps on the tip. I picked up the rod to ‘feel’ for the bite and hit it; this was a better fish that put up a spirited scrap. The tip of the rod was bent right over so it was the mid-section that controlled the fish and a couple of minutes later a plump codling of around 3lb was lifted aboard – that was more like it!

Satisfied with its downtide performance, I decided to change the plain lead for a 170g Breakaway and lob it uptide. Now, the rod is not really designed for casting uptide but it easily lobbed the gear 50 yards or so, which was plenty far enough for the lead to get a hold. The soft tip and supple mid-section easily absorbed the rock and roll of the boat, so avoided pulling the lead out. Several minutes went by before the rod tip showed that a fish had found the bait; following a few sharp nods the tip straightened as another fat codling pulled the lead out.

Six hours at sea gave me a good idea of how this rod feels and handles fish. I didn’t catch anything big but it was good fun playing fish on this slim, light rod. I have no doubt, as the initial tests proved, that this rod will handle some big fish and you’ll have a lot of fun with it as well – I can’t fault it!

INFORMATION FACTS AT A GLANCE