mattyk Posted June 23, 2009 Report Share Posted June 23, 2009 Just wondering if anybody is using these rods (especially the 8'6 sling blade) and what you think of them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Posted June 23, 2009 Report Share Posted June 23, 2009 I don't have one but they look and sound like a great rod. Maybe a bit pricey for me though. What would you be teaming it up with, Matt? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raf Posted June 23, 2009 Report Share Posted June 23, 2009 matt i've seen and played with one this year and unless you are getting a great deal on the legend line, stick with the premiere. there is absolutely 0 justification for the extra cost of the legend other than to say "hey look at my fancy smurf blue rod - my gear's better than yours". st. croix has a 8'6" premiere that will do the same job - it's a great rod and holding the two in either hand, you will not notice a difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Double What?? Posted June 23, 2009 Report Share Posted June 23, 2009 I have an 8' "Top-n-Tail" and love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattyk Posted June 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2009 thanks for the feedback. I would be teeming it up with a Calcutta 400TE. I really like my other premieres that I have. I was looking to get a longer rod. The longest that I have is the 7'6 MH premier. I might stick with the premier line as its much cheaper or I might try the 8'6 Okumas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhombeus Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 The sling blade, as the name suggests, was designed specifically for the new wave of double #10 and #13 bucktails (dbl cowsgirls, etc.). It was in development for over 2 years, and is one of the best muskie rods you can buy. I disagree that you won't notice a difference when compared with the premier line. The legends are lighter and come with a life time warranty. All this said, I own 3 premier series rods because I just don't spend enough time on the water to justify the legends. If you are looking for a premier rod to approximate the sling blade, the closest you will get is the the PM80HF. The only 8'6" premier rod is the PM86XHF, and in my opinion it is a bit too heavy for the big blades. Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom McCutcheon Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 Matt, I managed to pick up the 8'6" sling blade at the Muskie Odyssey in April for a great price from the silent auction. It is noticably lighter than the premiers which I have been using. I have a Daiwa Luna 300 on it at the moment and I have no problems handling some of the larger double 10's etc. When I was fishing on Saturday during the all day rain I found that my bottom hand had a tendancy to slip off the small cork part at the base of the butt, just need to get used to it I guess. I would have had a hard time justifying even to myself the price of the rod if I had to pay the full nine yards. (don't let my wife hear me say that) That being said, it is fast becoming the first rod I will pick up and use. Cheers Tom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pigeontroller Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 (edited) I just bought the 8' TopnTail Legend Tourney. Yes they're pricey, are they nicer than the Premier? Absolutely. Namely much lighter, especially the split grip. Now Raf, what have you got against the Smurfs??? Hefty Smurf was obviously a closet Homosexual, but otherwise they were a peaceful bunch of little forest dwellers... Edited June 24, 2009 by Pigeontroller Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raf Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 the two rods i compared in my hand were the 8'6" XH premier vs. the 8'6" "bulldawg" legend rod. Both had 7000s on them and I noticed no appreciable weight difference. i use the 8'6" XH premiere for dlb 10s, 13s and 16s but lures are homemade & typically bigger than the store bought "cowgirls". the store bought stuff i toss on a 8' premiere. matt i also have that 8'6" okuma XH and while it's a good rod, the action is a little too slow for blade baits (IMO - i like the fast tip of the st. croix). it does make a great twitch bait, bulldawg etc rod. bill, i just wouldnt be able to share smurfette. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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