GREAT FOR WINTER COD
An old rod that is still very much available and perfect for the winter cod fishing season
Check out this 12lb-class boat rod.
PENN RAMPAGE II 12LB-CLASS BOAT ROD RRP: £84.99 Before I kick off this review, I must stress that this particular blank has been discontinued by the manufacturer.
However, after a quick check on Google, it’s quite clear that many of the larger mail order tackle dealers still stock it. The recommended retail price was £84.99 when the rod was launched, but you can pick them up off the internet for as little as £63 now.
The 7ft 6in long Penn Rampage II 12lb-class boat rod is built on an equal section HR 24T carbon blank, which provides a nice progressive action, making it ideal for all manner of boat fishing situations, from downtiding for cod and rays to fishing on the drift for bass, pollack and turbot.
I have been using this rod on and off for about 10 months and I’ve caught some quality fish on it, including a double-figure cod from the River Mersey in quite a fierce tide. It’s had a real good testing during this time, so I’m confident that I can say it’s a little gem.
EXCELLENT FITTINGS
The rod is finished to a high standard with a rather nice black aluminium screw-winch reel fitting, which offsets the red-coloured blank nicely. There are no fewer than 11 Fuji ‘O’ guides, including the tip ring and it’s great to see such a blank rung correctly with the proper number of rings, especially one that has a through action like this.
When the rod is compressed under pressure from a big fish, the line does not touch the blank at all, which is exactly how it should be. Quite often I see through-action rods where the manufacturer has scrimped on a couple of rings, which in turn changes the action and makes the rod feel completely different, and if the line touches the blank, or worse still pings underneath it, that’s never a good sign.
GREAT VALUE
The original asking price represented outstanding value for money, but now you can pick it up even cheaper, which makes it a real bargain. So if you are looking for an affordable 12lb-class boat rod that is robust, reliable and performs well under extreme conditions, this one really fits the bill, but be quick, I’m sure they will sell out fast.