High end rods and reels are a curse and a blessing. After buying my first ASWB rod and my first saltiga. I literally don't want to fish with anything else. Everything about them is so perfect.
All depends on what your fishing for. Matching the Right rod and reel for the primary intended target should be priority 1 vs just a name brand. Then when you know what your targeting you can make a far better evaluation of the products on the market.
A few suggestions on your new set up to keep it living for longer, I would recommend getting a nicer reel because you will not be able to get the best out of your rod with out it. Second I wasn’t paying too much attention but I saw you put your hook on the eye of the guide, when you do this you can get knicks in your guide that will cause your line to break... braid and abrasion resistance don’t go together very well. I hope that helps!!
My favorite rod. Black hole 7’6” and a Saltiga reel. Cost a small fortune but fishes beautifully. Caught everything from blues and bass to 150 lb shark.
I recently found out something about myself, I don't cast as far when using expensive rods. I went full monte with an Eagle rod until it snapped (with a 3oz weight). And the replacement didn't get any special treatment either. Max effort with every cast and so far it's been "fish on!"
Is the eagle a glass rod and was the expensive rod graphite or another material? If so yes glass is easier to cast but you aren’t gonna get the performance that you would with a graphite rod
If you spent 300 on a rod you should pair it with a better reel. Not knocking the BG, but something a little more expensive will make your setup better. I had the Dark Matters rod for a while and I always pair with a different reel all the time. Now I'm going to try it out with the Visser 3. Never use the guide to hold your lure. Good video.
"Other fish like sea lions" 😂 gave me a good chuckle. Great video I've been on the fence about picking up that same rod and now I think I will thanks for the review and action shots!
Thanks Die Hard, I just got my Dark Matter, 10 foot rod and will test drive it in the water tomorrow morning, Monterey Bay :-). Good review- I have short arms LOL, so length of butt shouldn't be an issue. It is super light ( 7 ozs ) love the feel. I'll bring 1 oz up to 1 1/2 oz lures. By the way Josh at JandH tackle is great. You're right throwing casts for 4-5 hours non stop will tire the arms out. This should help.
I was looking at that rod it looks good. Have you tested the daiwa saltis west coast inshore rods. I'm looking for a new one and in the past used steelhead rods.
@@chungl1758 just got the 9'6" medium heavy. It was damaged so I got a great deal. Will probably get the medium action next. That medium heavy is rated up to an ounce, but can handle way more.
Cool vid I was wondering how the Dark Matter performed after the last live! When is the 1st Annual Die Hard Fishing tourny going to be maybe late summer? Could be cool!
Very nice lite reel. Daiwa Ballistic LT. It’s very nice medium priced reel. I used one inshore with a guide in Florida. Had to have one here, on my Phenix Trifecta.
I fished all your fishing spots in the 70s 80s 90s and make or rebuilt all my rods, to much $$$ for that pole ! Upper and lower handle sucks! And no color in the wrappings but hey it's just me and what I like, ps got a killer pole at house sale in February for $10 dollars! Your videos are excellent!
@@marvicty I been fishing a lot for bass the last 3 years in the bay, all the bass are under five pounds! All the ones I have seen anyway not like the old days!
When you hold up the Dark Matter rod by itself, where is the balance point? What is the distance from the balance point to the reel seat? I appreciate it if you can share this information as I'm looking to get a new rod.
Rod looks dope, Excellent review. Quick ?, With estimate about how many feet can you cast the Calissa on 30- 40lb braid? I mainly use 1oz Spros & 1oz Swimbaits on 7'6" & 8'6" rods, I'm thinking I might want to start throwing those Sardine glows, too.
@@rublizz I haven’t hit the surf as much lately So my opinion is untested I have been bass fishing for the past couple of months and missed out on the stripers coming in That totally sucks about your snapping..I’ve had that done before with other rods, most likely user error as I had a tendency to high stick when hooking a fish before How did yours break?
@@rublizz did you reach out to Josh from j and h tackle? From all accounts, he seems reasonable and would take care of you I should be hitting the salt again soon, I’ll throw a comment if anything good/bad happens
I had one for about 7months, fished it mostly for surf perch and a few jetty sessions. One day I tossed a 1oz lead head from the jetty and it broke. I was offered a replacement where I cover shipping back and told I could just sell the replacement if I didn’t want it. Haven’t given them my business since
How did the rod break? Could it have possibly been your line wrapped around the tip prior to the cast? It happens to the best of us. Also, they offered to replace it with you covering shipping. I imagine they didn't ask you how it broke? I just don't see why you wouldn't replace it with that offer. Seems like a fair deal from them.
I took ur advice on one of the last videos on using whole squid and caught a rockfish, lingcod, and 25 inch halibut on a kayak. They really are like candy for fish!
Die Hard, I did use the Dark Matter rod yesterday. I found the same thing you did. Even for me I think the butt is too short. I had to figure a new way of casting. It got distance fine. But I felt as though because I really couldn't extend my arms I was missing out on the max distance. Love the feel of the rod, but the short butt is down grade imo.
Thanks for the equipment review. I wonder what rod you use the most for surf casting? And I am looking for a versatile rod. My current is an eight foot medium flex salmon rod and it doesn't cast far.
This OB rod looks perfect for what your targeting with plenty of power to handle a bigger striped bass. Also look like a great rod to finesse jig surf sized halibut IT has Fuji Alconite K guides which means these guides which are a nice touch to complete the rod. Look like it comes with a (B) size rod butt D is the long size you mentioned. As for top surf target from the Central to Nor-cal Surf would have to go with White Sea-bass over striped bass given a WSB incredible fighting powers and determination where they can dump a spool of line amazingly quick. Both Monterey and Santa Cruz have some key spots to try from the surf near rocky reef locations with late July to early October the best time to try as they push bait balls in close enough to cast for them.
Have you ever thought about rolling your own? We make our own rods here in Fl. like it's no big deal. Are you one of Cuanangs kids? I left Ca. before it went full batshit crazy. I miss the sturgeon fishing on San Pablo Bay.
Is that rod a casting rod, or a spinning rod? The guides on it look a bit too small for a spinning rod. Which begs the question, why the spinning reel?
sir great vids i watch you from morn till night (my children think i have a crush) im 62 just retired all i want to do is fish. im 4feet 11inches tall. i cant find a good (cheap) BUT....... worthy SURF ROD thats for small hands and my shortness, HELP. iwill continue to watch you are the only person i hit the bell for (now they think im obsessing) LOL think you have a sexy voice. STAY SAFE....
Very strong & light weight rod but the handle is a little for for casting lures for farther out. I got the 6’8 charter special spinning & 6’8 conventional rod for boat fishing like them both.
ChanatorT2030 Draven bg is shit . I had one before, one trip wAter got in it . It froze up on me if was just a shitty reel . In my opinion shimano Stradic is a better budget reel
shotgunaaron all you need to get in the game is a 9 Ft st croix triumph or a 9-10 ft diawa coastal rod . Good rods for the budget . I paired my 9 ft st croix with a Stradic and be hooking
Sea Lions are not fish last I checked (ca. 4:00). Regardless, please bring something to measure these fish. The guessing game is not a good comparison method because all of us, with the exception of few people, cannot guess right. It only takes a second to do it. I would like to see how the fish you catch are increasing/ decreasing in size to make determine some trends for what that is worth. Plus the bragging rights are real when the length has been measured.
I have the Megabass Shadow Pangea. Costed me $750 a few years ago. It's a worthless piece of expensive shit. Tip heavy and not sensitive to detect light bites. Caught 1 undersize striper and caused me elbow tendonitis from it being tip heavy. My cheap Okuma and Cabela rods have been catching all the fishes. I looking into the Shimano Dialuna or Trifecta rod or this Dark Matter for a better striper rod. Anybody have any comparison on these rods, let me know.
If you are still looking... The Shimano Exsence Genos or Infinity lines are top notch rods which might serve your needs well. Less expensive than the Shadow Pangea and a whole lot lighter, sensitive and better.
@@cstarsfly Totally agreed. The Megabass Shadow Pangea was a waste of money. It is heavy, and its sensitivity is nothing special. I have been using Phenix rods, and they are light and sensitive like bass rods.
@@audiomacaudiomac5019 Phenix rods are excellent too! Good choice! Since you have gone with Phenix, no need to try the OB Surf. Those Phenix rods are better and you will be disappointed with the OB Surf in comparison - it is very similar to the Shadow Pangea, maybe a little better.
I personally wouldn't bring very expensive lures out into the surf. I don't handle my rod/reel carefully enough to not get sand into it :(. And yea I agree that flexibility/versatility is key on the surf.
I feel like there’s a limit to how expensive you can go with a fishing rod, I’ve lost 110$ rods by letting someone inexperienced use them and they’ll leave the rod unattended then it’ll get yanked into the water by a fish, and Im normally pretty upset when it happens cause you’d think paying attention is common sense but I guess not, however I’d probably beat the living crap out of someone if I lost a rod in the 200-400$ range
You may be fishing for fish most of the time, but inadvertently you are also fishing for sponsors. , you never know what this whole thing could turn out to be, right? When giving a product to use like that, make sure to give a good plug to the person and the company that lent you the equipment. Next Step would be to look it over.. how's the craftsmanship? What's the action like? How about the real seat, good grip? What are the guides and firls like? Is multi-piece for travel? How long is it assembled, and in take down? All great places to mention the finer quality issues long before you jump onto the price bandwagon. Just trying to help you for the future!!
Tip, never hang hooks on the porcelain guide...use the frame holding it ;)
Better still if the rod has a place for the hook to be stored. I did not catch a view to see if this rod has one.
Thanks for the tip!
To each their own man some nice rods don’t even come with hook holders, and personally hate putting a hook on my guide
High end rods and reels are a curse and a blessing. After buying my first ASWB rod and my first saltiga. I literally don't want to fish with anything else. Everything about them is so perfect.
All depends on what your fishing for. Matching the Right rod and reel for the primary intended target should be priority 1 vs just a name brand. Then when you know what your targeting you can make a far better evaluation of the products on the market.
Glad you enjoy the rod!
What is the lure rating for this rod?
Thanks for spoiling
@@nicholascovi-mccarthy4432 Up to 2 ounces. It really shines with 1-1.25 oz
Nice unbiased review Adam. I like that you’re very honest with your content. Great fishing btw!
A few suggestions on your new set up to keep it living for longer, I would recommend getting a nicer reel because you will not be able to get the best out of your rod with out it. Second I wasn’t paying too much attention but I saw you put your hook on the eye of the guide, when you do this you can get knicks in your guide that will cause your line to break... braid and abrasion resistance don’t go together very well. I hope that helps!!
Ben Geis I agree BG is shitty
4:05 "They are very vulnerable to other fish. Like sea lions."
Um. Yes.
Jammy Pajamies LoL damn I was just about to comment on that.
Die Hard is on that “I just quit my job for youtube” posting frequency. Great work dude! Can’t wait to get back in the surf
Short butt rods are for boat fishing only , rear grip 15 - 25 for beach casting .
My favorite rod. Black hole 7’6” and a Saltiga reel. Cost a small fortune but fishes beautifully. Caught everything from blues and bass to 150 lb shark.
I recently found out something about myself, I don't cast as far when using expensive rods. I went full monte with an Eagle rod until it snapped (with a 3oz weight). And the replacement didn't get any special treatment either. Max effort with every cast and so far it's been "fish on!"
D'artagnan V8der I recently got a Phenix rod. It seems I’m more timid when casting it. I’m afraid I might break it.
Is the eagle a glass rod and was the expensive rod graphite or another material? If so yes glass is easier to cast but you aren’t gonna get the performance that you would with a graphite rod
I really like Phenix rods, I own 3, I would say that they don’t take hevy weight very well and they are more Fragile Than others though
Love the set up. I'm sure it's gonna bring great fishing pleasures to all of us viewers!
If you spent 300 on a rod you should pair it with a better reel. Not knocking the BG, but something a little more expensive will make your setup better. I had the Dark Matters rod for a while and I always pair with a different reel all the time. Now I'm going to try it out with the Visser 3. Never use the guide to hold your lure. Good video.
"Other fish like sea lions" 😂 gave me a good chuckle. Great video I've been on the fence about picking up that same rod and now I think I will thanks for the review and action shots!
Lamiglas is a amazing rod as well, great surf rods I’ve yet to buy one but I will soon, their inshore rod is awesome
Thanks Die Hard, I just got my Dark Matter, 10 foot rod and will test drive it in the water tomorrow morning, Monterey Bay :-). Good review- I have short arms LOL, so length of butt shouldn't be an issue. It is super light ( 7 ozs ) love the feel. I'll bring 1 oz up to 1 1/2 oz lures. By the way Josh at JandH tackle is great. You're right throwing casts for 4-5 hours non stop will tire the arms out. This should help.
way to bless the new bad ass setup! nice work bro
I was looking at that rod it looks good. Have you tested the daiwa saltis west coast inshore rods. I'm looking for a new one and in the past used steelhead rods.
I have the Daiwa saltist west coast inshore 9' spinning rod medium. great rod ! I wish they had a medium/heavy though.
@@chungl1758 just got the 9'6" medium heavy. It was damaged so I got a great deal. Will probably get the medium action next. That medium heavy is rated up to an ounce, but can handle way more.
Hello , what the rod you using . example 5-9kg 8-12kg or 8-15kg and is it 10FT or 12FT .
What is the rough casting distance with an 1oz bucktail?
250 is a good price.. I use a 11 footer megabass XOR shadow for plugging 1 oz lures.
I was going to say is that Dark Matter!
Love Phenix rods, I have a 8’6ft Black Diamond spinning. It just weird they don’t come with hook or lure holders smh
Die Hard Fishing Hi may I know what rod you are using tks.
Them bg's getting it done! 💪🏾
Cool vid I was wondering how the Dark Matter performed after the last live! When is the 1st Annual Die Hard Fishing tourny going to be maybe late summer? Could be cool!
Very nice lite reel. Daiwa Ballistic LT. It’s very nice medium priced reel. I used one inshore with a guide in Florida. Had to have one here, on my Phenix Trifecta.
I fished all your fishing spots in the 70s 80s 90s and make or rebuilt all my rods, to much $$$ for that pole ! Upper and lower handle sucks! And no color in the wrappings but hey it's just me and what I like, ps got a killer pole at house sale in February for $10 dollars! Your videos are excellent!
I also fished those beaches back in the day and is it just me or are all the Stripers small???. Are there any schools of large Striper left?
@@marvicty I been fishing a lot for bass the last 3 years in the bay, all the bass are under five pounds! All the ones I have seen anyway not like the old days!
Ehat would be a good versatile surf rod for plugging and use with sand crab?
When you hold up the Dark Matter rod by itself, where is the balance point? What is the distance from the balance point to the reel seat? I appreciate it if you can share this information as I'm looking to get a new rod.
Nice session die hard ! What would you recommend as a versatile rod for plastics and bait ?
What's the pod cast your talking about?
What size is the reel?
Pair Daiwa Certate or Exist with this rod. Im having fun casting with hookless lures
Where ate you fishing? What beach
Rod looks dope, Excellent review. Quick ?, With estimate about how many feet can you cast the Calissa on 30- 40lb braid? I mainly use 1oz Spros & 1oz Swimbaits on 7'6" & 8'6" rods, I'm thinking I might want to start throwing those Sardine glows, too.
I can usually get 100-150 feet
@@DieHardFishing Thank you 👍 I'm most definitely going to look into the Sardine Glow and see what I can do & accomplish with em.
What is the model of the Daiwa Rod? and lure weight?
MVP with the full time videos
Hi bor nice catch that is Ver expensive fishing set up bro fish on!
Love the video!! Thank you for that. I tried to open the link to the new Rodman’s reel, but wouldn’t open.
What’s the name of the reel?
You should throw 2-3oz jigs. You'll double your casting distance. Double the area you can cover. And reach out to those schoolies when others can't.
Rob Fish that’s what mikis are for
How many guides not including tip? 50/50 split?
Which model BG reel are you using there? Nice vid.
What action is your rod and what action do you prefer throwing surf?
Hi bro I want to know the size of the reel on your surf rod
Are you fishing the monterey/santa cruz beaches or Pacifica? I'm think of going out tomorrow and wanting to know where would be my best bet. Thanks.
Great vids always man, from the Bay Area been surfishing since a kid. Ordered the rod look forward to plugging with it in Salinas area
I can recommend Lesath lm7 the best
get a Daiwa morethan reel .. it'll pair up great with it
I got this rod - it bombs! its a 10ft that feels like im throwing a 7ft
How's the rod holding up cuz I bought two and they both broke in half throwing 110 jerkbaits
@@rublizz I haven’t hit the surf as much lately
So my opinion is untested
I have been bass fishing for the past couple of months and missed out on the stripers coming in
That totally sucks about your snapping..I’ve had that done before with other rods, most likely user error as I had a tendency to high stick when hooking a fish before
How did yours break?
@@DiamondHead2010 I was using a jerk bait and when I did my cast it just snapped in two right next to the biggest guide
@@rublizz did you reach out to Josh from j and h tackle?
From all accounts, he seems reasonable and would take care of you
I should be hitting the salt again soon, I’ll throw a comment if anything good/bad happens
How long is your rod ?
How far did you cast out
Great gear. Tough waves. Great job
What size hooks?
Are the beaches still open ?
I had one for about 7months, fished it mostly for surf perch and a few jetty sessions. One day I tossed a 1oz lead head from the jetty and it broke. I was offered a replacement where I cover shipping back and told I could just sell the replacement if I didn’t want it. Haven’t given them my business since
How did the rod break? Could it have possibly been your line wrapped around the tip prior to the cast? It happens to the best of us. Also, they offered to replace it with you covering shipping. I imagine they didn't ask you how it broke? I just don't see why you wouldn't replace it with that offer. Seems like a fair deal from them.
Dark Matter nice, its a kick ass rod but deff little expensive
Nice setup big dawg!!!
What beach did you go? Can you include the beach in your videos so that I can go there too 😅
I took ur advice on one of the last videos on using whole squid and caught a rockfish, lingcod, and 25 inch halibut on a kayak. They really are like candy for fish!
Congrats on the Cali Coast Triple Header!!!!!
Die Hard, I did use the Dark Matter rod yesterday. I found the same thing you did. Even for me I think the butt is too short. I had to figure a new way of casting. It got distance fine. But I felt as though because I really couldn't extend my arms I was missing out on the max distance. Love the feel of the rod, but the short butt is down grade imo.
What beach is still open to fish? Anyone know about where this beach is or others around it that are open?
Monterey ,Santa Cruz Beach. Google it
Why do you say it wouldnt be good for sandcrabs
Now all you need is a Stradic
4000 ci4 fk to make the most out of weight savings. when the fl comes out with ci4 i will pull the trigger. still love my fk.
I got the new ones it hella smooth
If you want ultralight rod expensive 9' Century Demon rod rated 1/16 to 1.75oz. 2oz for the blank
Thanks for the equipment review. I wonder what rod you use the most for surf casting? And I am looking for a versatile rod. My current is an eight foot medium flex salmon rod and it doesn't cast far.
Daiwa saltist surf 8’3” beautiful light rod
Great Job.. Yell “POWER” it helps to get it out further hahahha.
Mike's Tackle Box wats up bro! Your hilarious 😂 I yelled out Kilikili power 🙊
lol, I remember that for next time
Charter boat told me they don’t go after White Sea Bass because they spook easy...so I think you can sneak up on them with your Kayak!!!
Now you need a great reel. A Van Staal
Best rod you can get for the money on the market.
This OB rod looks perfect for what your targeting with plenty of power to handle a bigger striped bass. Also look like a great rod to finesse jig surf sized halibut
IT has Fuji Alconite K guides which means these guides which are a nice touch to complete the rod. Look like it comes with a (B) size rod butt D is the long size you mentioned.
As for top surf target from the Central to Nor-cal Surf would have to go with White Sea-bass over striped bass given a WSB incredible fighting powers and determination where they can dump a spool of line amazingly quick.
Both Monterey and Santa Cruz have some key spots to try from the surf near rocky reef locations with late July to early October the best time to try as they push bait balls in close enough to cast for them.
Have you ever thought about rolling your own? We make our own rods here in Fl. like it's no big deal. Are you one of Cuanangs kids? I left Ca. before it went full batshit crazy. I miss the sturgeon fishing on San Pablo Bay.
please tewll me where this is
oh man... yeah that's the rod... so its as light as advertised eh? Want.
Hi you have luerel I'm looking for 4
Is that rod a casting rod, or a spinning rod? The guides on it look a bit too small for a spinning rod. Which begs the question, why the spinning reel?
Man those were some nice ones!! Great hookups 👍👍🎣
Great vid
J and H should send you a Tsunami Saltx TSSTX 4000 bk to match😄!
I will pick an odm rod over dark matter any day of the week.
why aren't you using that rod anymore? Is it because it's pretty top heavy?
sir great vids i watch you from morn till night (my children think i have a crush) im 62 just retired all i want to do is fish. im 4feet 11inches tall. i cant find a good (cheap) BUT....... worthy SURF ROD thats for small hands and my shortness, HELP. iwill continue to watch you are the only person i hit the bell for (now they think im obsessing) LOL think you have a sexy voice. STAY SAFE....
Very strong & light weight rod but the handle is a little for for casting lures for farther out. I got the 6’8 charter special spinning & 6’8 conventional rod for boat fishing like them both.
I still think your Shimano convergence is still pound for pound the champ! ⚡️⚡️⚡️💪💪💪😂😂😂
Hell yea! It’s worth the $$$ that setup is sick. I like it.
ChanatorT2030 Draven bg is shit . I had one before, one trip wAter got in it . It froze up on me if was just a shitty reel . In my opinion shimano Stradic is a better budget reel
🔥
Little outta my price range :-( ……….. Thanks for the vid and nice fish!
shotgunaaron all you need to get in the game is a 9 Ft st croix triumph or a 9-10 ft diawa coastal rod . Good rods for the budget . I paired my 9 ft st croix with a Stradic and be hooking
Sea Lions are not fish last I checked (ca. 4:00). Regardless, please bring something to measure these fish. The guessing game is not a good comparison method because all of us, with the exception of few people, cannot guess right. It only takes a second to do it. I would like to see how the fish you catch are increasing/ decreasing in size to make determine some trends for what that is worth. Plus the bragging rights are real when the length has been measured.
Y HAS EVERYTHING GOT TO BE SUPER ,SUPER FAST ,SUPER EXPERIENCE, SUPER EXSPENIVE,
Perfect for a pro like Adam! I break the tips on my rods, won't buy that expensive of a rod! Great catch and video!
Super
I have the Megabass Shadow Pangea. Costed me $750 a few years ago. It's a worthless piece of expensive shit. Tip heavy and not sensitive to detect light bites. Caught 1 undersize striper and caused me elbow tendonitis from it being tip heavy. My cheap Okuma and Cabela rods have been catching all the fishes. I looking into the Shimano Dialuna or Trifecta rod or this Dark Matter for a better striper rod. Anybody have any comparison on these rods, let me know.
If you are still looking... The Shimano Exsence Genos or Infinity lines are top notch rods which might serve your needs well. Less expensive than the Shadow Pangea and a whole lot lighter, sensitive and better.
@@cstarsfly Totally agreed. The Megabass Shadow Pangea was a waste of money. It is heavy, and its sensitivity is nothing special. I have been using Phenix rods, and they are light and sensitive like bass rods.
@@audiomacaudiomac5019 Phenix rods are excellent too! Good choice! Since you have gone with Phenix, no need to try the OB Surf. Those Phenix rods are better and you will be disappointed with the OB Surf in comparison - it is very similar to the Shadow Pangea, maybe a little better.
i have it
I personally wouldn't bring very expensive lures out into the surf. I don't handle my rod/reel carefully enough to not get sand into it :(. And yea I agree that flexibility/versatility is key on the surf.
I feel like there’s a limit to how expensive you can go with a fishing rod, I’ve lost 110$ rods by letting someone inexperienced use them and they’ll leave the rod unattended then it’ll get yanked into the water by a fish, and Im normally pretty upset when it happens cause you’d think paying attention is common sense but I guess not, however I’d probably beat the living crap out of someone if I lost a rod in the 200-400$ range
You may be fishing for fish most of the time, but inadvertently you are also fishing for sponsors. , you never know what this whole thing could turn out to be, right?
When giving a product to use like that, make sure to give a good plug to the person and the company that lent you the equipment.
Next Step would be to look it over.. how's the craftsmanship? What's the action like? How about the real seat, good grip? What are the guides and firls like? Is multi-piece for travel? How long is it assembled, and in take down?
All great places to mention the finer quality issues long before you jump onto the price bandwagon.
Just trying to help you for the future!!
I Wat a FISHING rod
Grüß Aus Deutschland
I guess there's no hook keeper on the rod.
Dude tried to sell me this for tarpon. I don't think so.
Wowwww that is alot of a rod. Not even a seeker or calstar.