Daiwa Saltist Inshore Light Action Surf Rods Review

What I needed but…

Perfect rod for easily slinging 1/4 - 3/4oz spoons, bucktails and toppers an easy 60+ yds, and puts some distance for soft plastics off the beach for blues, mackerel, drum and trout.

The rod seat is pretty blah like others mentioned (somewhat flimsy and the foregrip was loose, though it did tighten up after some use and exposure to the elements surprisingly) but the REAL… read more drawback is the hookkeeper: it’s in the absolute worst possible spot, with its back-pointing design (toward the reel) making it possible that the line can get caught on it on a harder cast, especially on a wider 4000-size reel. I clipped it off with some pliers and taped over it to prevent it from happening again. Just a bad design choice, and had lost me two spoons before I fixed it myself.

Paired with a 4000 Ballistic MQ spooled with 10# power pro. Mackerel and Bluefish success stories on it so far.

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Definitely a good rod

This rod is surprisingly capable of fighting some thick boy's with no problems. The only reason i gave it 4 stars is because I wish the handle was longer. I had some issues using topwater but am yet to discern whether or not that was due to the line I was using. Definitely recommend using this rod with lighter line though. 15 to 20 lb test should do the trick. I got the 9 foot medium… read more and its pretty solid overall. Further testing is needed on my end but so far its a decent purchase, especially for the money.

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Great rod for lighter salt stuff

This rod is crazy light for its size, and is perfect for lighter salt stuff. It is light enough, and has a nice enough action that I have also started using it for fresh water bank fishing on some river spots I fish where I need the extra casting distance of a longer rod.

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Happy to purchase again

I own the 7’6” light action model- Using it exactly as it was intended. Drop shot, jerk baits, C-rigs, occasional spoon or buck tail on the beach In SoCal all 1/4-1/2oz class gear. Very sensitive but strong, caught a ton of fish on it. Paired it with a 2500 series BG. Held up nicely the couple times I snagged a big ray. Only 4 stars due to the upper handle cork material.… read more It feels cheap.

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Ultra light surf rod !

This is a great light tackle surf rod that is designed for West coast fishing but has worked incredibly well for me on the east coast from the Brewster flats of Cape cod to the Jersey shore. In Cape cod I fished the brewster flats with light sand eel imitations with light 1/8 to 3/4 ounce jig heads and fresh sand eels or gulp Sandeels in a natural color bouncing the bottom using… read more a daiwa ballistic LT 3000 and 15lb 832 braid in lime green with a 9ft floro 20lb leader tied with an alberto knot. With this set up I'm able to cast a good distance to skittish stripers in the clear water and still have enough power to fight the fish while having a great time on a light set up. In New Jersey I use this set up on the sandy beaches of Island Beach State park to catch mid size bluefish up to 8 to 10 lbs with a trace of wire leader as well as stripers in the 6 to 10 lbs size with no wire. For fluke Its worked great with a spro bucktale and a 3 to 4inch gulp teaser bouncing along the sand bottom

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