Berkley air IM8 rod

[fukutomik]

I am looking at buying a Berkeley air IM8 rod. I am trying to decide between a medium and medium/heavy. I usually fish from the banks throwing spoons, jigs and corkeys at salmon. Please help me decide.

[natetreat]

I would go with lighter. I just picked up and looked at the MH version of the rod in the store the other day and it was pretty crunchy. It would be better suited to plunking big 6 to 8 oz. weights rather than throwing spoons and spinners. When you're targeting these line shy coho you're going to want to be throwing 6 to 10 pound test and you're going to want a rod forgiving enough that it can absorb the wicked head shakes these fish can give without snapping your line, while being long enough to give you proper leverage for a solid hook set and control of the fish when bring them in.

If you get something too heavy you're going to be fighting your rod when throwing lighter weights, and it's the equivalent of playing wiffle ball with cedar tree. If you can barely feel the bottom than a subtle strike from a wary coho will undoubtedly go unnoticed. The air series has a really sweet rod in the light category that is 10' 6" 6 to 10. Unless you're fish ultra fast current and need to put 20 pounds of drag on a fish, you're going to find that a light rod is much more pleasant to fish with and is better suited to almost all of the river conditions that you're going to face. Even when I'm targeting big kings I rarely use more than 10 pound test line, especially in the early fall when river clarity is pretty good. When I'm going down to Blue Creek on the cowlitz to fish high water I'll bring my meat stick, but even then I don't go higher than 15. There are times when you need a meat stick like when you're plunking big weights, putting a lot of downrigger stress on a rod, getting massive take downs when pulling plugs and fishing super currents and white water rapids, but for the most part, light tackle is the way to go. This season I fished shoulder to shoulder with guys throwing heavy tackle with baseball bats and my light and sensitive tackle pulled up 20 fish before they got one. Get the 9 foot or 10' 6" light model paired with a reel with a smooth drag and you won't be sorry.

[fukutomik]

Thank you very much for the assistance. I saw the lure weights on the rod and sometimes I have thrown up to 1oz weight with my old rod and was concerned that that would break the pole but usually now the weight is always 3/8-1/2 oz. Since I am a beginner, I did not want to spend a ton of money but still wanted a respectable setup for salmon and steelhead. I just received my reel to match up with the rod. The reel is a Abu Orro, its seemed like a decent reel for me to use and learn. I am also guessing that if I end up putting 15 lb line on a rod that has a line max weight of 12 is not a big deal.

[Matt]

I would say not to buy one. My buddies and I call them the "Snap master". Boy do they love to break, they are super brittle. Go with an Okuma SST or something else in the same price range. Much better rods. My iM8 broke right where the 2 rods connect together within 3 months of its purchase, broke it on a small fish about 5 lb.

[wolverine]

After breaking a 12'-3" Loomis and a 9'-6" Lami on the beaches on gag, gag, puke pink salmon this summer I decided to use and abuse some less expensive rods off the beach. I got a screaming deal on a mis-marked new style 10' 6-10 lb IM-8 Shimano Clarus that I was going to use for throwing large Rotators and 2-1/2" & 3L Buzz Bombs. Tried it but I don't like it as the mid section wimps out and the distance achieved isn't up to par. Also bought a Fenwick HMX IM-8 9'-6" 10-20 lb rated that is the absolute bomb for distance casting. Wholesale Sports had the new Berkley Air IM-8's on sale for $60 so I bought a 9'-9" 6-10 for a back-up BB/Rotator rod or for company. It does a very good job but not quite up to the Fenwicks. I also bought the Berkley in a 10-9" 6-10 rated for a light herring float rod for the smaller herring baits. It does a superb job at this task and has landed over 30 silvers so far. My only real gripe is that I just don't like the coated metal guides without inserts. I looked at a 10-6" 4-10 rated Berkley rod also. Too light for the beach but would make a great long river float rod.Being an old spey rod caster I'm used to checking the male/female ferrule fit. The Berkleys do work a little loose during use but an occasional check with eliminate the "snap-o-matic" that Matt referred to. I'm glad that someone likes the Okumas. I've seen a lot of the beach rats break their Okumas. Of course most of them should just use Ugly Sticks as they break everything else.

[natetreat]

After breaking a 12'-3" Loomis and a 9'-6" Lami on the beaches on gag, gag, puke pink salmon this summer I decided to use and abuse some less expensive rods off the beach. I got a screaming deal on a mis-marked new style 10' 6-10 lb IM-8 Shimano Clarus that I was going to use for throwing large Rotators and 2-1/2" & 3L Buzz Bombs. Tried it but I don't like it as the mid section wimps out and the distance achieved isn't up to par. Also bought a Fenwick HMX IM-8 9'-6" 10-20 lb rated that is the absolute bomb for distance casting. Wholesale Sports had the new Berkley Air IM-8's on sale for $60 so I bought a 9'-9" 6-10 for a back-up BB/Rotator rod or for company. It does a very good job but not quite up to the Fenwicks. I also bought the Berkley in a 10-9" 6-10 rated for a light herring float rod for the smaller herring baits. It does a superb job at this task and has landed over 30 silvers so far. My only real gripe is that I just don't like the coated metal guides without inserts. I looked at a 10-6" 4-10 rated Berkley rod also. Too light for the beach but would make a great long river float rod.Being an old spey rod caster I'm used to checking the male/female ferrule fit. The Berkleys do work a little loose during use but an occasional check with eliminate the "snap-o-matic" that Matt referred to. I'm glad that someone likes the Okumas. I've seen a lot of the beach rats break their Okumas. Of course most of them should just use Ugly Sticks as they break everything else.

That's interesting. I wouldn't be casting BB's with my loomis or lami, having been through warrantee replacement for both before it's a PIA. I also use okumas, but I go with the Celilos, a step down from the ssts but half the price. I busted the tip off one through my own clumsiness, and I have the other heavier one in a baitcaster for big kings.

I like the feel of the air rods, but I've never picked one up, just haven't needed it. I did however just bust a Fenwick on a pink using 8 pound flouro and six pound leader, and it was the 8'6" rated 8 to 15 pounds. I'm not sure I'm even going to bother having warranty service on that, it lasted less than three weeks. It was a nice rod while it lasted, but I think I'm going to try the berkely air 10'6" next time.

[Bodofish]

I would say not to buy one. My buddies and I call them the "Snap master". Boy do they love to break, they are super brittle. Go with an Okuma SST or something else in the same price range. Much better rods. My iM8 broke right where the 2 rods connect together within 3 months of its purchase, broke it on a small fish about 5 lb.

That's 2 Matt's say no. I have three friends (not counting Matt) that have bought the Berk IM8 rods... We call them Buzz Ream Me specials. They have a lovely feel but are very fragile. All three broke in a different place. Unless you have a velvet glove and a padded fishing spot with no boats involved I'd say it's not a great rod. Oh I forgot one more thing. Don't catch any big fish.

[tnj8222]

Broke one on a chum in slow water. Would rather use a convergance or sst.

[returnofthefish]

I checked out those air rods as well. I just didnt like the feel of them. I ended buying an okuma sst rod. I had the baitcasting version and it was fine for drift fishing with corkies and yarn. Mines was the 8'6" version which was ok, but I would rather go for the 10'6" for drifting.

[Matt]

Would rather use a convergance or sst.

+1000 best bang for the buck out there I think. The convergence rods are tanks and the SST's are built on IM8 blanks similar to what Loomis uses, they are a very nice feeling rod. I own several of them now with no complaints.