Technical Spec
The Supercast Bass rod has a superb action to target bass and other species in the surf or estuary marks. It’s made from high-grade carbon with Daiwa’s unique blended glass compound-taper tip. It has two equal sections and a fast action with a supple tip that won’t damage baits when casting and is perfect for showing gentle bites.
The fittings include seven shock-ring- protected aluminium oxide guides plus tip, as well as a well-placed Fuji screw-up reel seat with Duplon grips above and below the seat and at the bottom of the butt. Rated to cast leads of 2oz to 4oz, it’s capable of punching a clipped-down sandeel or worm bait up to 150 yards. However, it’s more suited to lobbing big crab baits into gullies or whole squid and bunches of worm into the surf.
Apart from lobbing baits, it could also be used very well for casting larger lures for bass or pollack from the beach or rock marks or also for drifting livebaits under a float.
Live Session
This was conducted in a strong wind and rough conditions, which should be ideal for a bassing session. The rod was matched with a trusty old Daiwa 6HM reel that I’ve used for years and it still performs perfectly well. The reel was loaded with 15lb clear mono and topped with 20 feet of 30lb fluorocarbon leader.
I made a few casts with a 3oz plain lead to get a feel for the rod’s action and using an easy overhead cast I was getting 50 to 70 yards – plenty far enough for most bass marks. The rod loaded very smoothly during the cast and I could feel the glass tip bending until the power in the mid and lower section came into play. Then I quickly unloaded to fire the lead well out to sea.
The end rig was a simple running leger, comprising a 4ft trace with a 4/0 hook baited with squid and a 3oz Breakaway lead to hold bottom in the current.
This was lobbed just 20 yards on the down-current side of a wooden groyne where bass often lurk, waiting for food to be washed to them. Once laid in the rest, you can see the glass tip bend to keep tension on the line and absorb the pull of the waves without pulling the lead off the sea bed.
This was when I encountered one of the problems of rough weather – weed! Tons of the stuff was collecting on the line and masking the bait. As I was winding clumps of weed in, I got an idea of how a good fish would feel – and there is plenty of power in the butt section of this rod to bully and control any such big fish.
The next few casts produced the same results. So, it was time to try another spot nearby to avoid the weed. However, this was also badly clogged up – so, it was time to call it a day.
Summing Up
Having handled many bass rods over the years, I can report that the Supercast STB is up there with the best of them. It’s light and well balanced with a brilliant action and bite detection. So, if you’re looking for a good bass rod or a lighter second rod, it’s well worth taking a look at this one in your local tackle shop.
INFORMATION
Blank material: High-grade carbon with blended glass tip
Overall length: 11ft 6in
Sections: Two – equal
Rings: Seven plus tip
Whippings: Black
Reel seat: Fixed screw-up
RRP: £185
TSF RATINGS
Appearance: ★★★★★★★★★★
Casting: ★★★★★★★★★★
Fishing: ★★★★★★★★★★
Value for money: ★★★★★★★★★★
Contact: Daiwa on 01698 355723
Website: www.daiwasports.co.uk
