United Composites Sidewinder RSW Popping Rods

The new Sidewinder spinning rods arrived from UC and turned out even better than we hoped for. These are factory built specialized one piece popping rods built on 100% graphite blanks that combine high recoil with a parabolic bend to make fighting fish easier. These rods are finished with the best components made for the style of fishing including Fuji SiC guides, an LD DPS Fuji seat and even a carbon fiber composite gimbal that works perfect in a rod belt or hip. Unlike other rods in this style these feature much more durable EPDM foam grips over EVA, which improves the feel and longevity at the cost of a bit of extra weight. 

Since these are rods specifically made for working big poppers you'll want to pick your model based on the lure casting weight range, even the lightest XL and L models are capable of landing tuna, yellowtail, GT and more. Don't let the drag ratings fool you, these are very conservative estimates and each rod has a lot more to give, capable of fishing above their range. 

The Sidewinder series has been available as blank only, and in 2 piece for a while now and they were used on some of the nicest popping rods by boutique builders around the US and abroad. These are especially capable for GT fishing, when every bit of pulling power matters. 

Which model is right for you? The best way to decide on which blank will work best for you is by the casting lure range you're fishing. The line/drag rating on these rods should only be used as a secondary criteria, since these blanks are underrated for how capable they are. The XL and L models are great for 50-80g lures like smaller 150mm Feed poppers targeting tuna in the 30-100lb class, you can also use some larger stickbaits or pencil poppers in the 60-100g range. The M is a great all around rod for a mix of different lures, capable of using larger 175 Tackle House Feed, Oceans Legacy or Nomad Chug Norris poppers for tuna south of 150lbs.  The H model is the last of the more practical tuna models, especially for fishing in California, capable of fishing the largest poppers readily available in the US in the 130-150g range and stickbaits up to 200g. If you're regularly targeting tuna in the 200lb range this would be a great option.

The heavier XH/XXH models are especially focused on giant trevally fishing where huge lures sometimes in the 200-350g range are required along with a heavy drag rating to keep them away from reefs and structure. Using these two models on a long fight with tuna would be almost as difficult as finding lures over 200g to cast, but the extra material in these models is helpful for the 300lb+ fish caught in some of the premier destinations in the US like the Outer Banks of North Carolina and Cape Cod.