Levante Flippin Special for light punch rod?

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BucketHunter
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Levante Flippin Special for light punch rod?

Post by BucketHunter » Thu Mar 30, 2017 1:38 am

Just as the title suggests.
I won't ever see a fish over 7lbs, and don't have to deal with the crazy Florida veg up here in Canada. What do you guys think?
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Re: Levante Flippin Special for light punch rod?

Post by Hobie-Wan Kenobi » Thu Mar 30, 2017 2:13 am

I am in the same situation as you when it comes to a punching rod. I am from Northern Michigan and I too was looking for a lighter punch rod. I am going to try out the Destroyer X7 Destruction. In hand it feels it will be able to punch the northern waters without being too much rod. I do however, prefer a parabolic rod for punching. I also wanted to try a longer rod as well.

I had the Tatula Flipping rod at one point. I really liked the rod but it was slightly too powerful for my liking and I wanted to try a longer rod as well. The Tatula is probably what you are looking for. The rod is light and really nice for the price.

Below is what I was looking for in a rod. There are some nice suggestions in this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=24&t=61488
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Re: Levante Flippin Special for light punch rod?

Post by BucketHunter » Thu Mar 30, 2017 2:45 am

I have a 711H Envy for punching currently, as much as I love the power and the fast tip, I do want to try something more moderate. The Tat would just be more of the same I fear, and I want something approaching 8ft anyways. I would love to get my hands on Bub's Punch Rod, but no one carries them north of the border.
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Re: Levante Flippin Special for light punch rod?

Post by BucketHunter » Thu Mar 30, 2017 2:48 am

Is the Zillion JDM 8 footer any more moderate than what we've mentioned ala Tatula and Envy? Anyone?
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Re: Levante Flippin Special for light punch rod?

Post by Hobie-Wan Kenobi » Thu Mar 30, 2017 5:05 am

BucketHunter wrote:Is the Zillion JDM 8 footer any more moderate than what we've mentioned ala Tatula and Envy? Anyone?
Someone has posted about the 8ft Zillion and said it is semi-moderate. I also have read that the Zillion is a beefstick as well. You can pick one up from Tackle Warehouse for pretty cheap.

http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Daiwa_Zi ... e-JDZ.html
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Re: Levante Flippin Special for light punch rod?

Post by Markymarc » Thu Mar 30, 2017 10:10 am

Whoa my personal best in Quebec is 8 pounds ... 3 times (footall jig, arrow head spoon, flipping jig) :D

Besides you need to take them out before you realise you just flipped a 20 pds pike \:D/

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Re: Levante Flippin Special for light punch rod?

Post by poisonokie » Thu Mar 30, 2017 11:04 am

I just got my 8' Zillion stick in tonight. I'm not sure what to make of it yet. The handle is 2" shorter than the Tatula flip stick, but the overall length is 6" longer. It's a little tip heavy with a Zillion TWS mounted on it, but better than I expected. It seems like a very powerful rod. Overkill, really. I will probably be looking for nightmarish brush piles to fish with it. I'm gonna play around with it here in a minute and relay some impressions.

What gets me is how TW shipped it. When i saw the tube i thought, "Man, that sure seems short for an 8' rod..." and when i looked closer I realized the butt end was sticking out of the tube about 2"! The capped the other end and taped the plastic bag to that end. The rod was in its sleeve with foam taped to the tip and bubble rat around the butt. It's still in perfect shape, amazingly, but damn.
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Re: Levante Flippin Special for light punch rod?

Post by poisonokie » Thu Mar 30, 2017 12:15 pm

Yeah, this thing is a beast! Given how long the business end is, it's definitely a fast taper, but that means it still has a pretty good bend. This is a powerful rod, for sure, but seems very sensitive, moreso than the Tatula. The tip seems just a little sweeter. It has the same reel seat as the Tat, it's just Zaion. I like the eva better. It seems harder and higher quality. All 8' of the blank is absolutely arrow straight, as are the guides. It has 4 double footed guides vs. the Tatula's 3. They are normal sized, not semi-micro. The fit and finish are top notch. It will take some getting used to, but that in itself will be a blast. I cant wait to flip brush piles, punch algae mats, or throw a c-rig on it and see what i can feel. I can tell it's well suited for all of that and more. It is tip heavy, though, as i said. The balance point is 2" from the clamp nut. Overall it's very lightweight, though, so it feels fine to me.

Anyway, it's probably not what you're looking for exactly, but i wouldn't pass it up. I think the Tatula Flip or Frog rods would suit you well. I certainly love fishing mine. Too bad they already sold out of the JDM 761HFB. I almost went with that instead of the 8 footer, but since i already have the Tat761 I went for it. I'm glad i did. Awesome rod.
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Re: Levante Flippin Special for light punch rod?

Post by BucketHunter » Fri Mar 31, 2017 10:32 pm

So I decided to just do it right and get a full blown punching rod. I have access to the Levante at a great price, but I just scored a new Champion 805 Flip at a steal. I have my pitching and flipping sticks in the Envy line already, so why not just go full tech spec right? I want to add either the Diablo Spec R or the EMTF as a lighter end/all purpose heavy stick to complete the line.
I've always coveted this rod, and I can't wait to get it.
I have the Tat frog rod already and I love it, but it's def not what I am looking for in a punch rod.
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Re: Levante Flippin Special for light punch rod?

Post by BucketHunter » Fri Mar 31, 2017 10:37 pm

Markymarc wrote:Whoa my personal best in Quebec is 8 pounds ... 3 times (footall jig, arrow head spoon, flipping jig) :D

Besides you need to take them out before you realise you just flipped a 20 pds pike \:D/
So you bested the provincial record 3 times already? :-k
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Re: Levante Flippin Special for light punch rod?

Post by Markymarc » Sat Apr 01, 2017 12:24 pm

Ya could be but I heard of bigger fish.Been fishing for 30 + yrs

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Re: Levante Flippin Special for light punch rod?

Post by Teal101 » Sun Apr 02, 2017 1:01 pm

I use the XX Amart Flip for punching duries up to 1.5oz and my buddy just got the Levante version for the same. Really love this rod for punching.
I like TD-Z's
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