We got in touch with Gem Stapleton (@clickbaitgem), who has been field-testing the Tronix Pro Rod range thoroughly in her fishing in both the UK and Norway. For those that don’t know their Naga from their Banzai, Gem is sorting us out with some practical insights into the rod range below.
Competition Naga Review
“I used this rod in Norway for big fish baits targeting halibut, and it’s also my go-to rod for fishing in rough conditions because it handles them so well. I think this rod covers most beach fishing situations, though there are better rods for targeting smaller species. I wouldn’t use it for, say, fishing for golden greys or other species that require a more finessed approach.”
- Great for fishing with 6oz plus a bit of bait.
- Can handle rough conditions well.
- Plenty of power to haul in decent fish.
Competition Performance (2 Piece) Review
“This is my go-to rod for most of my fishing. Mainly, I target flatties, and it is ideal for them. It is also great for fishing for schoolies in a decent wind with a nice surf running along the beach.”
- Perfect for 5oz plus worm baits.
- Fast-recovering tip makes it lovely to cast, in my opinion.
- Light in the hand with a slim butt, making it ideal for fishing smooth ground like the sand and shingle beaches we have here in Sussex.
Competition Blackout Review
“This is the rod I now take to Norway by default because it is a true all-rounder. It can show bites from small dabs and yet handle big fish as well.”
- Ideally suited to 5oz plus worm baits, but can handle 6oz plus big fish baits with no problem.
- The glass tip means the bite detection is better than other rods in the range that have carbon tips.
- I think the action is more progressive than the Performance and Naga above, and the rod feels softer, making it easier to compress on the cast, but the glass tip is slower to recover.
Xenon C6 LD Review
“This is my go-to rod when I am fishing venues where it is advantageous to use a slightly shorter rod (e.g., Brighton Marina). If I didn’t have the Performance, Naga, and Blackout rods, I’d be quite happy to use this on my regular trips out, too.”
- Lives up to its name—best for casting 6oz with worm baits without a doubt.
- The bite detection is awesome, probably the best I’ve seen in a two-piece rod.
- Being at a slightly cheaper price point than the Competition range, you can feel this when casting. It’s not quite got the finesse of the more expensive rods, but it can still put a bait a decent way.
Banzai Multi Tip Review
“I really love this rod and have a pair of them. It is not suited to rough conditions or, say, using grip leads. It’s designed, in my opinion, for the fun side of lighter fishing with plain leads and is a sporting rod for these situations.”
- Fantastic rod for fishing for summer species, with really excellent bite detection (see the Sole fishing blog I wrote for Tronixpro—it’s on their website).
- The tips provide low resistance to the fish, which is really important when fishing for ‘spooky’ fish like mullet. I’ll also be using it this summer to fish for bream, schoolies, etc. It’s already been out with me on a few trips this spring.
- Good for fishing in really close and up to about 80 yards out, in my opinion.
Competition Match GT (2 Piece) Review
“Some people love this rod for fishing over heavier ground. For me personally, it is too heavy in every sense of the word, as I’m only 5ft 3 and weak, lol. In the right hands, it’s a great rod.”
- This is a beast of a rod, probably the heaviest in the range in terms of the ground it can fish over well.
- Needs at least 6oz of lead to compress properly, in my opinion (I couldn’t feel a 5oz lead on the cast).
- The glass tip means it has good bite detection.
- I wouldn’t use this rod for light work ever—it really is a beast!
View Competition Match GT
Thank you for reading! Find Gem’s Youtube here.