i dont understand how Byron Tea Hill dosent have way over 5.8k subs the way his channel looks compared to many other people is just unmissable the quality of his videos are just on point every time and he always is uploading whilst having his youtube look like it could be his job, the ammount of effort that goes into each one of his videos is just next level and gives you the perfect information every single time whilst being entertaining which many fishing youtubers seem to miss, aswell as Byron Tea Hill always has the best of both worlds in his videos such as when he is trying out a lure as a challange and manages to provide action of using the lure and catching aswell as him talking about the science of fishing you dont expect to see a fishing youtube account this good
Mate how do I respond to this. Jacob this made my day mate, thank you very much for the support and the kind words legend. It's always hard to balance the right content, sometimes it works, sometimes not so much. lol. I appreciate the support mate, thank you again.
Couldn’t agree more Byron, valuable information right there. I now have 5 Miller’s paired with everything from Certates to Exists. It has taken my fishing to another level in just 18 months. Having said that a Diawa 732 ULFS mated to the new Airity is up there in our style of finesse angling. Another point worth mentioning is I have noticed that Diawa reels seem to sit at a better angle to the first guide helping casting and retrieval with less drag on the line. ……. Hey I’m a tackle snob now….your fault!
Another great video that gives plenty to think about - I have a Stradic C14+ 3000 and a Vanford 3000 with Samaki Zing 3 and Atomic Arrowz 70l. More than happy with both reels and the rods are pretty good for the fishing I do which is mainly Flatty hunting. The dream combo however would be a FlattieFreak 7'6'" combined with a Shimano Stella FJ 2500 - dream on! The rod makes all the difference as long as your reel is ok then I would spend the $$$ on a decent rod for sure but getting approval for such expenditure is hard work - maybe it will be easier to ask for forgiveness rather than permission...
Been toying with the idea of moving from mid range to high end over the last few months, so quite timely advice with some great points Byron. Favourite set up right now is my original Samaki 7'6 flats Zing Extreme with a stradic ci4 1000, throwing sugapens at YFW. Unreal fun! Dream combo, may as well shoot for the stars, Millerods Brawler with a Stella FJ and go hunting donkey bream in gnarly structure. Enjoy your style / approach mate - keep them coming!
My fave combo at the moment is Daiwa TD Black Scratchy with Daiwa TD Sol III 2000D running 6lb braid. My dream combo is Millerods XFLC with a 2000 Airity running 6lb. I would use this as an all round light rod from the kayak, or shore based, catching bream, flathead, bass (when appropriate), Trevally, etc.
My favourite combo that I own is the Daiwa Gen Black Two Drunken Monkeys with a 1000 Shimano stradic CI4. It's ultralight and good for small surface lures on tiny creek bass. An affordable combo which has lasted me years and caught lots of fish. My dream combo would be a Millerods GrubFreak 7'3" with a Daiwa Gekkabijin Air 2003. A beautiful, lightweight combo perfect for targeting bream on small soft plastics over sand flats. I'm all about light weight!
Another top video explaining it simply. I love my infeet and luvius combo, but I fish of breakwalls and I'd really like something a couple of feet longer. this video has given me some ideas, cheers.
Thanks mate some great advice I will follow. My favourite combo has been a Daiwa Battler paired with a Daiwa certate. I’ve been rapped with it until a week ago due a two rod horror accident I visited my local tackle shop and was suggested a Daiwa Rebellion. A midrange rod but by far the best rod I’ve fished ever. Paired with the certate I’m in love casting small hardbodies all day with long accurate casts.
Hey mate, my current combo is a Abu Garcia revoMGX 2500s reel with 6lb braid to 4lb flouro matched with a Abu Garcia salty stage KRX ultra light 1-3kg jigging rod. I love fishing my soft plastics with this combo. But I am slowly getting into fishing hard body’s thanks to you Byron, all the information you have provided on your channel has now got me hooked on getting better at fishing with them.
Okay, 1 searched your name 10 times 2 I love millerods the guys a gun for many years now 3 for me the dream rod is a swim freak, fr something different I’d be chasing a big mulloway or cod 4 if you send me a rod I’ll send you a Gillette Mach 10 razor 5 that footage of you casting and snapping a rod on the kayak brought tears to my eyes. 6 you are spot on with the sensitivity, perhaps this is the main issue, feeling the best of a skim swim tail, the feel of a stick or rock or bite helps decide what kind of strike or response I give, certainly makes me a better angler Love your work bth
My favourite combo so far is the Luvias Airity 2500, paired with a Infeet z 732LFS. I dont do a lot of light tackle fishing but my dream combo would definetly be a Zenaq paired with a 2020 saltiga to go and chase world record kingfish in NZ! Do love light tackle fishing, super fun when a monster takes a bite and your drag screams!!
Thanks again for a great review. 100% agree with the info provided by sellers/manufacturers of rods, must be full disclosure and descriptive. It's a mine field trying to decipher rod jargon. I don't go for the popular choice and like to try new rods. My favorite combo at the moment is TT black mamba paired with a Daiwa Freams LT3000. Mostly using soft plastics and surface lures for bream and flatties. Like most I own a bunch of rods but nothing super high end as I'd be nervous taking it out on the kayak 🤣.
My go to set-up is a Yamaga Blanks Calista 82M with a Daiwa Certate LT 3000-XH, it’s super light but with a very responsive yet powerful backbone. I use it for perch, seabass, zander and pike and it has caught me perch from 10 cm pike of 125 cm. It’s as all-round as it possibly gets!
Very well spoken and explained bud. I agree with everything you have touched base on hear . I have used every hi end rod over the years but as soon as I stumbled across Millerods then it became easy for me to change my hole quiver to only Millerods. My go to is my Millerod blade freak uls matched with a Daiwa certate 19 with a vex blade. Great in the hand great to cast and great when loaded up. Twitch freak I am yet to perches but it’s my next in line..
Thanks Jesse. Hope your well dude! hopefully I get to see you at bemm next year! you're part of that cult following i was talking about! ahahaha thanks legend.
Currently running a 732 infeet z paired with a 2000 Gekkabijin X from Japan spooled with some 6lb braid and I must admit over the last 10-12 months I have not been more impressed with a setup ever, caught just about everything there is to offer in the way of light lure fishing on the far south coast on it and it’s stood up to the test time and time again using many different techniques. My dream combo however is probably very likely to be coming true soon, Revelry 2000 which I’ve already pre ordered paired on a Custom Miller rods Mudder spooled with 6lb braid and possibly a spare spool for some 3lb straight through fluoro, gonna be a dynamite setup for rolling the flats at coota or some of the other systems around home. As always another great video Byron keep it up legend
My dream rod has always been any of the miller range and had the luck to feel a few and fell in love my favourite combo at the moment is my custom plastics rod with a daiwa luvias but a miller twitch freak would slide into my regular rods very easily matched with a luvais or certate! Love your videos man and a top bloke was lucky enough to meet you at one of the qld team series rounds earlier this year. Keep up the awesome work man love ya stuff!!
@@jmfishn3155 mate, it was announced on this channel. It will come up on your feed, but if you didn't see it, you'll find it on the community tab of this channel.
Great vid Byron. Last year I bought an Okuma Helios sx 1-3kg rod and paired it with an Okuma inspira 20 reel. Awesome for the price, caught some great fish on it.
I've got the miller xflc and absolutely love it. It's a great estuary all rounder in my opinion I have it paired with a 2500 stradic I would love to add another millerods to the quiver
I've always been a Shimano man until a mate working in a tackle store nagged me into a Daiwa TD Commander 742LXS Ocelot. Matched with a Daiwa Airity Luvias 2500 it is a truly beautiful outfit that is SO light and balanced in the hand. It casts light lures like a catapult and every bump can be felt. I have been tempted by the Miller rods and appreciate the quality. Only one thing has stopped me owning a few; I need even my finesse rods to have a bit longer butt section than most high end rods have (bad arthritis and wrist surgery). I need to be able to be able to grip the end of the butt with my thumb and forefinger of my non-casting hand because single handed casting even a 1-3kg outfit is painful. If a Miller was available that 'fit' me, I would buy a couple tomorrow; great value for a quality rod. Cheers Wayne
Really enjoying my new 8ft Rovex EGI squid and lure rod with a Shimano Vanford 4000 reel mainly catching trout, salmon, flathead, and squid. Perfect for the beach. My dream is the 8ft Atomic Arrowz EGI.
hi Byron. as usual all ur points r on point(sorry bout that lol). the last 15 years i have bought Daiwa products n wen i upgrade i pasted the combos to my sons until they started buying their own n now my grand sons get the combos. right now i have 3 Saltiga combos from 4/6pe to 10pe n 4 Daiwa Steez combos for river bass(have never fished a dam for bass). 3 r baitcasters for spinnerbait/chatterbait, jerk n crank the spin is for unweighted to 3/8. i have 7 swimbait rods, 5 r Millerods baitcast swimbait rods with Daiwa Zillions n 2 Daiwa Saltiga 10" spin rods with Saltiga 5000s. the 2 spins r for jew off the headlands using soft swimbaits n the other 5 r for barra/cod n flathead on the flats, different lengths n weights. also i have 2 Daiwa Commander rods in baitcast n spin for jacks which has a Steez A TW n a 18 Exist reel. i believe in buying the best u can n if so go that little extra. happy fishing everyone.
Another great review mate. I wish I was a good enough fisherperson to justify a high end rod, I can appreciate all the benefits a high end can offer but I don't fish enough atm to justify a $500-$600 rod sitting in the garage. I've been plugging away with the rods I purchased back in '99 and finding with using the new soft plastics and getting a double clutch that the rods are just not responsive enough. Just brought a Daiwa BG 2500 and looking at getting a Daiwa 20 INFEET 732LFS to help with using all new soft plastics and surface lures. I've been looking at the Miller Rods and dreaming of one day maybe one day I will pull the trigger. Keep up the great content mate.
@@ByronTeaHill as you've said and it's a saying I have lived by for years "Do your research". I never make a vital purchase these days without researching sometimes for months, weather it's $100 or $1000 the internet is there so use it,
Awesome video byron was perfect for me i struggled a fair bit with matching rods n reels for the correct situation and this is simplified for me which is perfect.
Ripper video mate. My favourite setup is my shimano sedona combo that I got from anacona, it was my first ever combo and is what got me all started. A dream combo would be a Daiwa Exist paired with a Grubfreak, throwing SP's into snags!
Great explanation on high end rods Byron! My favourite combo that I own is my 2021 Luvias paired with my TD Zero. Dream combo would be an Exist on the MillerRod GrubFreak chasing on Bream on plastics.
Hey mate, have both complimented and criticised you on your vids. This type of vid is your cup of tea. Informative, well rounded, critical- yet not hacking on. I’ll show this vid to the Froggleys/ samurai rep that I talk too. Good constructive criticism that I agree with. Favourite combo (two) Gloomis DSR 4-8pd with my old school Steez 2500 (10yr plus and still baller). Or bigger: samurai 530 15-30pd with a shimano twinpower c5000 for the ‘less fish, bigger is best’ type thing
Hey Elivs, growth is important, sometimes we get it wrong, we live we learn. Thanks mate, super glad you enjoyed the video dude, entered and cheers again. Tight lines
Thanks for the video, Byron. My favourite combo so far (I'm very new to fishing) has to be the Shimano Zodias matched with a 2500 Vanford reel - which I was lucky enough to receive for my birthday recently. I'm blown away by the feel and didn't know fishing rods could feel so good since I was only using budget Shimano combos prior to this. Dream combo wise? I wouldn't have a clue tbh but I'm keen to learn how quality fishing gear can improve my fishing experience so I look forward to more of your reviews in the future. Thanks!
Yes! Definitely agree with you. Unfortunately, some people are too far away from tackle stores and can’t physically feel and rod so want to know as much details as possible about it prior to considering a purchase, also, when you’re spending a decent amount on gear, you want to make sure it’s going to work well for you and feel good to use…after all, it’ll become an extension of you. Great review mate, and those Millerods look amazing and would pair nicely with a Stradic or similar 🤙🏻
I didn’t think high end rods were necessary, until I used one. I didn’t think I could enjoy fishing any more until I picked up a Miller Rod. By far my favourite combo is my Miller Rod Grub Freak paired with the Daiwa Luvias 2500S. My Dream combo, a custom made Miller Rod Brawler paired with either an Exist or Stella to drag big Bream from structure. Thanks again Byron.
I never had a Miller rod..but sounds and looks amazing..I use alot of light tackle..I love the grip and feel of light tackle..and the cast is also awesome. Thanks for the great tips.Thanks again and stay safe,my brother.
Favourite rod and reel: Pflueger Patriach XTR 1-3kg, Shimano 2500ci4. Dream combo - Shimano Sustain with Miller Twitch Freak catching Archer Fish. They are only small and they all go back but my son enjoys that best.
Nice video. I’m impressed with your non biased opinions. I have a mid range Miller rod and love the fact it is so versatile, I can use it for a number of species like Flathead, Bass even bream in the racks. It is paired with a 3000 Sustain. Cheers. Keep up the good work.
My favourite combo at the moment is my Shimano finesse bream raider 1-4 kg paired with my Daiwa Exceller 2500, with 6lb braid, for whiting and Bream. It is pretty budget, and I’m saving for a new rod. If I were to win the twitchfreak I would target bream, bass and whiting on small hardbodies. Cheers Byron. You are smashing it with the content👍🤙🔥💪🎣👌
Great vid mate, I have been building my own rods for years and have used Wilson live fibre blanks for beach fishing, Graphite USA blanks for baitcaster reels for barra and swimbait rods for cod. A variety of spin rods from Graphite USA, Hastings and lots of Samurai blanks from Froggleys Offshore. Always used titanium sic guides and tips for light weight and corrosion resistance. Sensitivity, strength in the blank, built properly on or under the spine to reduce blank twist under load. Butt length depending on the anglers arm length if you are casting with both hands, doing more casting or fighting fish will determine the reel seat position, the amount of guides and guide recipe for each rod blank will also vary. There is so much involved in building a well balanced, lightweight and functional rod that most anglers don't understand. Ian Miller has established himself well in Australia and the US because he fishes for multiple species and understands the different needs for different lure types targeting the same species. Rod blank materials and rod design is a science in itself.
What guys go through to make a good rod is complex and not easy imo. custom rods do offer a good amount of personalization imo. really appreciate you sharing your thoughts bud, I enjoyed the read! tight lines Evan.
Currently a Daiwa Heartland on a Samaki Zing extreme is my top end outfit for bream cranking and soft plastics. The dream would be a Luvias reel on a Miller grub or twitch freak. Do a lot of both cranking and soft plastics for bream around the Hunter and Lake Macquarie area and could put either a grub or twitch freak to good use. Nothing better than not catching fish using high end equipment!
I'm currently using a TD soll III 2500c running 8lb j braid on a samurai reaction 3-6lb. I use this for top water, slow rolling soft plastics and small hard body's. I mainly chase flattys, whitening and bass on this set up. My dream set up would be a 21 LUVIAS AIRITY LT on either another samurai reaction or a daiwa infeet. I would use it mainly for top water and or soft plastics and hard body's used for chasing similar species. Love your videos man👍👍 Keep the awesome work up😀😀😀
Favourite current Rod is an edge black widow spinning Rod paired with a vanford reel. Dream Rod is a Millerod BarraVibe paired with a stella or an exist LT reel. Barramundi is the target.
Great advise and I have found out the hard way having bought some mid range rods that once on the water did not suit my hand . My favourite combo is the Millerods Vibe Freak paired with the Daiwa MQ 3000 Saltist for targeting snapper on plastics. The one stand out rod over the last few years for me and I think underrated in the bream scene is the Nitro Vapor 07 , at just 78 grams and a fantastic action it is ideal for ultra light plastics . Love the Vlogs 👍
100% agreed mate, the decision’s are very easy when you know exactly what they where designed for. As for favorite combo it has to be my Millerod Grubfreak with a 2000 Daiwa Luvis targeting bream around the pontoons.
This video has come out at the perfect time, I have been so close to pulling the trigger on a high end rod. I've been enjoying my Certate and Infeet LFS setup, caught some awesome fish on it. Thanks for the video mate 😊
Great tips as always, I should read the manufacturers website before purchasing more often. My favourite combo at the moment is my Razoredge Masksman Long Cast paired with a 2500 Vanford, the Marksman 7’3’’ length is a winner, it’s stiff through the middle but soft and flicky towards the end, shame their no longer available. My dream combo would be 5000 Daiwa Saltist Ltd (I just love how they look) paired with a 20 Saltiga Airportable so I could jump on a plane out of WA to target some big kings in NZ.
This is a great tip, especially around the components. I’ve found through trial and error of different products in the past. It is great that some brands like MilleRods are doing a great explanation on what the rod would be used for. As you mentioned, most of the products are just bound by the magic technical numbers, where each brands tend to have a different interpretation. The most important part was around the blank quality, that certainly makes a major different from the mid to high end. I’m currently settled with the TD Black Scratchy + Vanford combo for a bit of all rounder lure setup, as I don’t have a high-end rod yet. But to dream off, I completely love with grub freak + luvias airity 2500s combo that my mate have. As I use soft plastics (especially grub) a lot.
I think it took me about 5 years to even begin to understand the numbers and what it may mean for the rod I was buying. Glad you enjoyed the episode bud
love the vid Byron defiantly gets me thinking about upgrading. keep it up.... for bream i've just been using an atomic arrowz eastury rod with an old Legalis. probably the most common set up in Australia but it works good for most things and i can go as hard as i need to on fish without worrying about it breaking... if i could get any i reckon it would be a Duffrods ultra bones with a Daiwa Luvius 2500
Great video, good to hear about the differences in better quality rods. My fave combo I have is a Atomic arrowz estuary rod with a Pflueger supreme reel. But I'd love to have a Millerrod blade freak with a Daiwa TD Sol 3 2500 to blade for bream and flathead in my local estuary in the deeper sections. I could imagine fishing with this combo all day long would be great with very little fatigue. Cheers.
Great vid mate description of what the rod is designed for is essential imo. My favourite way to choose a rod is by using my mates ha ha. Luckily they have some high end daiwa and miller rods., which I'm still yet to own. My favourite combo atm is my 7" 7' Murasame bream x with 2500 abu alx .
For me it would be a vibe freak, that's my favorite style of breaming, closely followed by twitching hard bodies, I have a Miller Rod XFLC and it is a fantastic rod, it's paired with a Stella 2500f, the Stella is a little heavy by today's standards, the reel is 22 years old and still going strong, just like the day I purchased it, so quality counts (Buy once cry once), the outfit is used as a bit of everything for breaming, a purpose built rod would be a great asset, For the vibe rod I'd pair that with an Airity 2000 or a Luvias 2000 (If I can find 1). Keep the vids coming, it is great to hear from actual users of the gear.
I’ve tried a friend’s Miller Rod Twitch Freak and it is a beautiful rod. My favourite combo so far is the 2018 Daiwa Infeet 610 paired with the 2500S Luvias. I wished there was more shallow spool reel available in Australia for exactly the reason you said “fits in my hand” perfectly, feels like a light hot knife on butter when you cast and sensitivity to boot.
Byron that's got to be one of your best tip videos yet, everything you said i 100% agree with. As for my combo, i have a 2015 2004 luvias matched with a miller rod grub freak. my dream combo would be the twitch freak with either the luvias airity or steez type 2 (Japanese model), running straight through fluro for bream on the flats.
I'm rocking a cajun rod with a shimano spheros 3k. Liking it a ton, although I think I'll throw a Stradic on there later this year. Dream combo would have to be that Miller with a Daiwa Certate
Hi mate I have owned a few over the years, I think my first was 1998 bream buster. My favourite still to this day that I own and use regularly is the bassfreak lt. I don’t have any salt water style models anymore but the twitchfreak would certainly be nice to get me back in the game. Keep up the good work mate
My current favourite out fit is my 7'2" Phlueger Patriot with a 30 Patriot reel very much under rated. My dream out fit....any Miller rod with either Diawa Exist or a Shimano Stella👍
Great vid with good information and tips. I’ve got some nice rods, but maybe not in your price bracket, but my favourite two rods would be the original Ian Miller Shimano Barra Raider & a three peace travel raider. Both are great value for money and matched with an old school Shimano Chronarch e7. the Barra Raider has been beat up and traveled and it still performs great and the travel raider enables me to explore new water when travelling. Living in SA, my perfect rod would be light and have a fast action so I could flick for mulloway here in SA or Barra when I get to Darwin. It would also need to suit my chronarch which runs 20lb braid. But let’s be real, the Ian Miller rod would be amazing and if I win, I’d find a nice reel match and new fish to chase
Picked up my first high end rod and reel today. Grabbed myself a Millerods Grubfreak and the Daiwa Luvias Airity 2500. Now to take a day off work to get the combo its first fish haha
Gday Mate, my favourite rod and reel combo is the Miller rod finesse freak lc which I purchased a couple days ago but would have much of rather to get a twitch freak and I have a Daiwa tiara 2500 matched with it. I chase trout and am really dreaming to get that 8+ pounder. The Miller rod twitch freak would help me out tremendously and help me get the smaller hard body’s where I want them. My dream combo would be the Miller rod twitch freak and the Daiwa airity 2500. Loved the video again like always
Another top vid Byron! I agree with the rod set up of a range of less expensive rods of you can't do the more expensive ones. I can't justify the big bucks arm, and prefer to buy good reels ATM. My favourite set up atm is a UL Zodiacs set up with a CI4 stradic with 6lb braid which I use for plastics. I'd love to set up a Miller rod grubfreak with a 2500 vanford and target bream and bass with it though!
Couple of favourite combos ha - 13Fishing Concept Z's on Dobyns Champion Series (have a couple different size rods all with concept Z's for different applications) Also have a small stash of Miller rods that have stella's on them (1-3k sizes) Spinning/popping larger stick baits/poppers - Zenaq rods with Saltiga reels are my go-to. Started off buying "low end gear" never thinking id sink this much money into rods/reels, but after you use quality gear for extended periods of time on the water, you understand their worth.
So i have been loving my Miller XFLC rod paired up with a 1500 size Daiwa Advantage it's a great combo. I purchase a Daiwa TD Commander Ocelot from Motackel and it showed up today and unfortunately the tip was broken, but after a quick photo and phone call a new one is on the way, so i'm looking forward to trying that out, keep up the good work on the videos your channel is awesome.
Thanks for the vid, Byron. I walked into my local TackleWorld a few days ago, thinking I would buy a Zodias to match my Vanford 3000, and after trying the reel on about 10 different rods, walked out with a Shimano Poison Adrena 2611MH (there's that alphabet soups again!), which cost twice as much as the Zodias! I'm a bit of a tackle rat and been building up my collection for years but the Poison Adrena has quickly become one of my favourite rods, it feels fantastic in the hand, it's perfectly balanced and just makes me want to go out and fish! I'm using it to cast vibes up to 20g, like the Samaki Vibelicious and Jackal Transams, chasing fatties and mulloway in my local river system. My dream combo would be customer Millerds Bladefreak, with a Stella F 2500!
Hey Alf! Thanks for the entry dude!!! Haha yup I have no idea what 2611MH means. I think when you find that rod that feels well balance and suits you, you gotta buy it! Bladefreak and Stella, can personally attest - good combo right there!
I’ve been an Atomic Arrowz fan for years (budget wise, they are awesome for the money) but have just started looking up higher. The most recent rod I’ve purchased is a Samaki Gen 2 extreme and paired it with my saltist 2500 reel. Once you start going up from the budget range there really is no going back. I’ve been using it for snapper in the shallows on plastics - I was using finesse gear but was sick of getting smoked by the monsters. Keep up the good content Byron!
Thanks for the tips Byron. I’ve had a lot of success with my stradic 2500fl and jewel 1-4 recently, it just has that right amount of sensitivity for the soft plastic and hardbody fishing that I do. If I had to dream of a setup I’d probably try out a daiwa steez matched with a 21 Luvias 2500 for flicking lures at bream, flathead, trevally, rat kings and soapies.
Very thorough video Byron! My main focus at the moment is fishing for impoundment barra and the points you raised are equally if not more important. Fishing 30 or even 50lb braid with heavy 80-100lb leaders make rod selection critical particularly for the more finesse techniques. It can be tricky for find rods that have the right action for the technique being used and the right components that allow long casts with heavy leaders yet light enough to fish for very long sessions plus deal with 1m+ barra. Personally the majority of my outfits now are Millerods with my favourites being the OneFreak/Tranx 200 or the Beast Buster LM/ Stradic 4000. The next addition will likely be one of the new barra spin models that I've heard are in the pipeline!
Love the video and the critique of the effort (or otherwise) that the brands go to, to inform our purchase decisions. My most used combo is a 2500 FJ Stella (6lb line) paired with a 1-4kg 7' 1pc Tonec Custom rod. It has been great for throwing SP's for flatties. If I had a Twitch Freak then I'd probably pair it with a new Vanford, so that I had all bases covered from my kayak.
Nice video Byron! I think the advantage that some of the local rod designers and makers have is that they are able to select blanks from across a range of companies and marry them up with the right fittings like guides and reel seats. I’m itching to get custom rods done by Ian Miller, Aaron McKell or Steve Duff - expensive yes, but absolutely tuned for what you want the rods to do. Best I’m running at the moment are Daiwa’s Gekkabijin ‘crab rods’ with the matching Gekkabijib reels and some JDM rods from Tenryu with old Real 4 Certates.
Hey legend, thanks for commenting again, mate you've been a legend to this channel. Mate I'd love to own rods from all those three guys - jealous, keen to hear how that project goes
Great vid! My favourite combo is my atomic arrows surface with a stradic 2500. Dream combo (or concept) would be a Lucia's paired with a 8'6 razor edge lures marksman longcast. Rod isn't released yet... But I'd love the length for casting flats and shorebashing rockwalls for bream, and maybe a beach trip chasing salmon!
I bought a brawler a few months ago and paired it with a 2000 td black. It’s the best rod I own! Has been amazing pitching crabs into the ship docks. If I could pick another setup it would be another Miller rods with a certate!
Awesome content mate, currently rocking a Grapiite Leader Vigore with old school Steez. Dream combo would be Daiwa Infeet 702 with an Exist LT. fish mainly for gippy bream, bass and perch.
Great channel, thanks so much, i have learned so much from watching your channel and diversified from soaking a bait. My current favorite combo is my NS Black Amped 2 flathead rod paired with a 2500 Shimano Nasci reel, it has delivered plenty of good fish. My wish list is a miller rod paired with a shimano stradic 2500. Thank heaps and keep it up.
Hey mate, a few good points to consider there and I especially like the comments about the reel seat and grips and how ergonomics plays a part. I hope if you've had that many commanders that most of them are still kicking as they're great rods and you're right that breaking one sure does suck. My dream combo is the luvias airity 2500s with the twitch freak or finesse freak from Miller. Currently my nicest combo is a little 1003 certate on the original commander tiger division (megatop and full AGS guide train) it throws light plastics and small cranks a mile.
Favourite combo has to be my Certate with the Twitch Freak. The smoothness of the certate and the loading action of the twitchfreak are unstoppable. My dream set up that I would love to get is an Exist with a Grubfreak.
Haven’t used a high end rod as of yet but love my mid range combo with the Samaki Zing gen 2, 6’10” 1-3lb with the shimano Sedona 1000 running 6 pound braid. Love the combo has got me some cracking trout
My favorite combo right now is the phenix feather paired with the shimano stradic!hopefully my next would be something in the high end range and stronger so I can target these hybrids without fear!!!great review btw!!! Fish on!!
My favourite combo is a Miller rods one freak with a Shimano Curado dc and my dream rod would probably be a Miller Rods grub freak for Yellas in the trees or a twitch freak for top water Redfin 👍🏻👍🏻
My favourite rod and reel combo I have is the shimano raider travel 2-4 kg paired with the shimano 2500 nasci. I’ve caught so many different species around SA on it and absolutely love it. I don’t have a dream combo, i fish for multiple different species needing different set ups. I love my light weight trout fishing flicking hard body’s in tight narrow streams, to fishing the salt water systems hopefully chasing mullys and sharks this summer
I’m a little bit late to the party but l use a cross fire and 1-2 kg arid rod Little bit But it gets the job done and catch some whoopers I think if I won this Miller rod it would be a huge change to my fishing career
Loved the video mate definitely one of the best channels on RUclips Dream combo would actually be one of these I’ve been looking at the twitch and grub freaks for a while now and paired with a Stella Favourite combo so far has been my diawa rebellion paired with a ci4
Another great review with very useful and valid points! 👍 My dream combo would be a Daiwa STEEZ SKYBOLT 7011LFS rod with a Daiwa Certate LT 2500 to catch bream and flathead.
Looking at getting a BassFreak as a Xmas present to myself, Miller certainly make great rods. Favourite combo, without a doubt is my Daiwa Gekkabijin 7’3”, currently coupled to a Daiwa Luvias. Great bream setup, fell in love with it the moment I picked it up. When buying high end rods, support your local and go into a shop and hold the rod before you buy. I’d much prefer to pay a couple of bucks extra, knowing that the rod feels great in the hand, than taking a punt.
Infeet Z LRS and TD black 2500s been my go to lately.The combo you used here twitch freak and Airity would be wicked! Great content again mate keep it up! 🤝
My current favourite combo is my daiwa legalis 2000 paired with the daiwa infeet 20 702lrs which is a solid affordable combo and looks great with the blue and white accents! My dream combo as got to be one of the millerods (grub or twitch freak) to go with one of the new 21 caldias in 2000. It would be great combo to catch bream on the yak! Cheers BTH, keep up the awesome videos!
Great explanations throughout the video mate, the combo I run now is the shimano zodius 2-4lb with the 2500 vanford great light rod for the estuary, dream combo would be the certate 6000 combo with saltist to target bigger fish like jew, kings around my area. Great vid mate
Awesome content! I fish for southern black bream and trout down here in Tasmania. I’m currently fishing with the daiwa hyper 1-2kg. You’ve pretty much sold me on that review. Look forward to see more content from you! 🎣
Hey Byron, my expensive rod and your interpretation of an expensive rod are worlds apart 😂 but loved the video all the same. I have a Daiwa tournament rod paired with a Stradic 2000 which is high end for me 😂 but absolutely love it. I am with you in regards to buying multiple mid range rods vs one high end rod specific to one application 👍🏼
Hey mate great vid, my combo is a daiwa exceler and Shimano raider rod, I've just started chasing bream in lake Mac and its hard work but alotta fun cheers
My favourite combo I own is a NS Blackhole Amped II with a 2500 Daiwa Aird LT, and gotta say the twitchfreak with a Daiwa Exist LT chasing bream up the creek would be a dream combo.
Dream combo for myself would be a Calcutta conquest 300 with a dream freak. Would be used for Cod or Barra. Ive already got a few Millerods and they are great but I do agree with buying a few cheaper rods when your first starting.
Love your honesty and trust your videos always. Unfortunately some of us don't have a budget for high end rods. However I have just as much fun and catch plenty of good fish on my humble Daiwa Aird X 2-4kg and matching Daiwa Aird 2500 reel. Of course I'd love a Millerod as would most people. I'd be using the Twitchfreak on trout and also estuary species like EP and Bream. Maybe one day. 🤙
Great video. You know I have a quiver of both custom and production Millerods. Have always used them and always will. Know I'm a bit late but that's okay.
My favorite current set up is my trusty trout rod with Shimano Stradic ci4+ 1000 with a 5"6' Storm discovery. Has been a great setup for the small creek fishing I do for trout. My Dream setup would be a Millerods GrubFreak or a Megabass Shoreluck sll-68uls paired with a Daiwa Luvias Airity.
100% right mate, we definitely more info on rods and specifically used for. Just got a new jigging rod combo from Catch fishing, They were bloody awesome, i explained what type of jigging i wanted to do and they put me onto an awesome setup.
I would say my fav combo is a venom spin paired with my stradic. I fish that in so many applications from reef work to barra vibes its so versatile. Ide really like to pair it with a stella and it would be so light. That said I love the look and feel of the Millers. Ide love to have one and catch gold coast flatties on the twitch freak if im lucky to win. We'll done on the review I found your perspective very interesting. Thanks for putting this video together. Cheers Mark
My Fave rod and reel combo is my Shimano Zodias 270ML with my Stradic 1000 in 6lb. I would love something higher end such as Miller rod and a stella reel but I just can push the budget that far. I tend to do mainly land based in Parrramatta river so all the usual species, bream, flatty, tailor, trevally, flounder, jew, ect. Love flicking plastics and hard bodies. That rod would be a dream come true
Enjoyed this one very much. I love my Millerod Grub Freak paired with the Daiwa Luvias 2000. Best rod imo for flicking those Softbaits around. Love the feel in my hand & its responsiveness to the slightest bite. I also love my Millerod Twitch Freak. I’ve caught a lot of Bream on that rod paired with the Daiwa Luvias 2004. Both beautiful combos & pretty sure another Twitch Freak would look very nice in my collection. Thx Byron. 👏🏻👏🏻🎣🐟🐟🐟
I've been into squid fishing recently so my favourite combo has been my daiwa emeraldas paired with the emeraldas reel! The twitch/grub freak is deffs one of my dream rods for bream fishing and more so after this video!!
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i dont understand how Byron Tea Hill dosent have way over 5.8k subs the way his channel looks compared to many other people is just unmissable the quality of his videos are just on point every time and he always is uploading whilst having his youtube look like it could be his job, the ammount of effort that goes into each one of his videos is just next level and gives you the perfect information every single time whilst being entertaining which many fishing youtubers seem to miss, aswell as Byron Tea Hill always has the best of both worlds in his videos such as when he is trying out a lure as a challange and manages to provide action of using the lure and catching aswell as him talking about the science of fishing you dont expect to see a fishing youtube account this good
Mate how do I respond to this. Jacob this made my day mate, thank you very much for the support and the kind words legend. It's always hard to balance the right content, sometimes it works, sometimes not so much. lol. I appreciate the support mate, thank you again.
@@ByronTeaHill nah all good mate the videos are great and keep doing what you are doing
I’ve been looking at a Miller rod for the longestttt time. Cheers mate this will help me make up my decision👍🏼
Glad I could help
@@ByronTeaHill I got the grub freak yesterday👌🏼
@@joshdfishing my next rod for sure
Rod is perfec
Couldn’t agree more Byron, valuable information right there. I now have 5 Miller’s paired with everything from Certates to Exists. It has taken my fishing to another level in just 18 months. Having said that a Diawa 732 ULFS mated to the new Airity is up there in our style of finesse angling. Another point worth mentioning is I have noticed that Diawa reels seem to sit at a better angle to the first guide helping casting and retrieval with less drag on the line. ……. Hey I’m a tackle snob now….your fault!
Another great video that gives plenty to think about - I have a Stradic C14+ 3000 and a Vanford 3000 with Samaki Zing 3 and Atomic Arrowz 70l. More than happy with both reels and the rods are pretty good for the fishing I do which is mainly Flatty hunting. The dream combo however would be a FlattieFreak 7'6'" combined with a Shimano Stella FJ 2500 - dream on! The rod makes all the difference as long as your reel is ok then I would spend the $$$ on a decent rod for sure but getting approval for such expenditure is hard work - maybe it will be easier to ask for forgiveness rather than permission...
Been toying with the idea of moving from mid range to high end over the last few months, so quite timely advice with some great points Byron. Favourite set up right now is my original Samaki 7'6 flats Zing Extreme with a stradic ci4 1000, throwing sugapens at YFW. Unreal fun! Dream combo, may as well shoot for the stars, Millerods Brawler with a Stella FJ and go hunting donkey bream in gnarly structure.
Enjoy your style / approach mate - keep them coming!
My fave combo at the moment is Daiwa TD Black Scratchy with Daiwa TD Sol III 2000D running 6lb braid.
My dream combo is Millerods XFLC with a 2000 Airity running 6lb.
I would use this as an all round light rod from the kayak, or shore based, catching bream, flathead, bass (when appropriate), Trevally, etc.
My favourite combo that I own is the Daiwa Gen Black Two Drunken Monkeys with a 1000 Shimano stradic CI4. It's ultralight and good for small surface lures on tiny creek bass. An affordable combo which has lasted me years and caught lots of fish. My dream combo would be a Millerods GrubFreak 7'3" with a Daiwa Gekkabijin Air 2003. A beautiful, lightweight combo perfect for targeting bream on small soft plastics over sand flats. I'm all about light weight!
Another top video explaining it simply. I love my infeet and luvius combo, but I fish of breakwalls and I'd really like something a couple of feet longer. this video has given me some ideas, cheers.
no worries Craig thanks for entering
Thanks mate some great advice I will follow.
My favourite combo has been a Daiwa Battler paired with a Daiwa certate. I’ve been rapped with it until a week ago due a two rod horror accident I visited my local tackle shop and was suggested a Daiwa Rebellion. A midrange rod but by far the best rod I’ve fished ever. Paired with the certate I’m in love casting small hardbodies all day with long accurate casts.
Hey mate, my current combo is a Abu Garcia revoMGX 2500s reel with 6lb braid to 4lb flouro matched with a Abu Garcia salty stage KRX ultra light 1-3kg jigging rod. I love fishing my soft plastics with this combo.
But I am slowly getting into fishing hard body’s thanks to you Byron, all the information you have provided on your channel has now got me hooked on getting better at fishing with them.
Yewww!!!! Mate that's awesome to hear dude, time on the water buddy! more time on the water = more fish
Okay,
1 searched your name 10 times
2 I love millerods the guys a gun for many years now
3 for me the dream rod is a swim freak, fr something different I’d be chasing a big mulloway or cod
4 if you send me a rod I’ll send you a Gillette Mach 10 razor
5 that footage of you casting and snapping a rod on the kayak brought tears to my eyes.
6 you are spot on with the sensitivity, perhaps this is the main issue, feeling the best of a skim swim tail, the feel of a stick or rock or bite helps decide what kind of strike or response I give, certainly makes me a better angler
Love your work bth
Every part of me enjoys this rob. I'm a checklist type of guy and look at you go. hahaha, $500 worth of Gillette Mach 10 Razors??
@@ByronTeaHill I reckon $2 worth of razors mate you ain't no teen wolf!
My favourite combo so far is the Luvias Airity 2500, paired with a Infeet z 732LFS. I dont do a lot of light tackle fishing but my dream combo would definetly be a Zenaq paired with a 2020 saltiga to go and chase world record kingfish in NZ! Do love light tackle fishing, super fun when a monster takes a bite and your drag screams!!
Thanks again for a great review. 100% agree with the info provided by sellers/manufacturers of rods, must be full disclosure and descriptive. It's a mine field trying to decipher rod jargon. I don't go for the popular choice and like to try new rods. My favorite combo at the moment is TT black mamba paired with a Daiwa Freams LT3000. Mostly using soft plastics and surface lures for bream and flatties. Like most I own a bunch of rods but nothing super high end as I'd be nervous taking it out on the kayak 🤣.
My go to set-up is a Yamaga Blanks Calista 82M with a Daiwa Certate LT 3000-XH, it’s super light but with a very responsive yet powerful backbone. I use it for perch, seabass, zander and pike and it has caught me perch from 10 cm pike of 125 cm. It’s as all-round as it possibly gets!
Very well spoken and explained bud. I agree with everything you have touched base on hear . I have used every hi end rod over the years but as soon as I stumbled across Millerods then it became easy for me to change my hole quiver to only Millerods.
My go to is my Millerod blade freak uls matched with a Daiwa certate 19 with a vex blade. Great in the hand great to cast and great when loaded up. Twitch freak I am yet to perches but it’s my next in line..
Thanks Jesse. Hope your well dude! hopefully I get to see you at bemm next year! you're part of that cult following i was talking about! ahahaha
thanks legend.
@@ByronTeaHill haha
Hopefully we are back on 🙏
Currently running a 732 infeet z paired with a 2000 Gekkabijin X from Japan spooled with some 6lb braid and I must admit over the last 10-12 months I have not been more impressed with a setup ever, caught just about everything there is to offer in the way of light lure fishing on the far south coast on it and it’s stood up to the test time and time again using many different techniques. My dream combo however is probably very likely to be coming true soon, Revelry 2000 which I’ve already pre ordered paired on a Custom Miller rods Mudder spooled with 6lb braid and possibly a spare spool for some 3lb straight through fluoro, gonna be a dynamite setup for rolling the flats at coota or some of the other systems around home. As always another great video Byron keep it up legend
Awwww yeah.. I am totally giving a reel you mentioned in your comment next week ;) tight lines dude and thanks for getting involved!
My dream rod has always been any of the miller range and had the luck to feel a few and fell in love my favourite combo at the moment is my custom plastics rod with a daiwa luvias but a miller twitch freak would slide into my regular rods very easily matched with a luvais or certate!
Love your videos man and a top bloke was lucky enough to meet you at one of the qld team series rounds earlier this year. Keep up the awesome work man love ya stuff!!
Right on
@@ByronTeaHill when do you announce the winner bro
@@jmfishn3155 mate, it was announced on this channel. It will come up on your feed, but if you didn't see it, you'll find it on the community tab of this channel.
Great vid Byron.
Last year I bought an Okuma Helios sx 1-3kg rod and paired it with an Okuma inspira 20 reel. Awesome for the price, caught some great fish on it.
I've got the miller xflc and absolutely love it.
It's a great estuary all rounder in my opinion I have it paired with a 2500 stradic
I would love to add another millerods to the quiver
I've always been a Shimano man until a mate working in a tackle store nagged me into a Daiwa TD Commander 742LXS Ocelot.
Matched with a Daiwa Airity Luvias 2500 it is a truly beautiful outfit that is SO light and balanced in the hand.
It casts light lures like a catapult
and every bump can be felt.
I have been tempted by the Miller rods and appreciate the quality. Only one thing has stopped me owning a few; I need even my finesse rods to have a bit longer butt section than most high end rods have (bad arthritis and wrist surgery).
I need to be able to be able to grip the end of the butt with my thumb and forefinger of my non-casting hand because single handed casting even a 1-3kg outfit is painful.
If a Miller was available that 'fit' me, I would buy a couple tomorrow; great value for a quality rod.
Cheers
Wayne
Really enjoying my new 8ft Rovex EGI squid and lure rod with a Shimano Vanford 4000 reel mainly catching trout, salmon, flathead, and squid. Perfect for the beach. My dream is the 8ft Atomic Arrowz EGI.
hi Byron. as usual all ur points r on point(sorry bout that lol). the last 15 years i have bought Daiwa products n wen i upgrade i pasted the combos to my sons until they started buying their own n now my grand sons get the combos. right now i have 3 Saltiga combos from 4/6pe to 10pe n 4 Daiwa Steez combos for river bass(have never fished a dam for bass). 3 r baitcasters for spinnerbait/chatterbait, jerk n crank the spin is for unweighted to 3/8. i have 7 swimbait rods, 5 r Millerods baitcast swimbait rods with Daiwa Zillions n 2 Daiwa Saltiga 10" spin rods with Saltiga 5000s. the 2 spins r for jew off the headlands using soft swimbaits n the other 5 r for barra/cod n flathead on the flats, different lengths n weights. also i have 2 Daiwa Commander rods in baitcast n spin for jacks which has a Steez A TW n a 18 Exist reel. i believe in buying the best u can n if so go that little extra. happy fishing everyone.
Another great review mate. I wish I was a good enough fisherperson to justify a high end rod, I can appreciate all the benefits a high end can offer but I don't fish enough atm to justify a $500-$600 rod sitting in the garage. I've been plugging away with the rods I purchased back in '99 and finding with using the new soft plastics and getting a double clutch that the rods are just not responsive enough. Just brought a Daiwa BG 2500 and looking at getting a Daiwa 20 INFEET 732LFS to help with using all new soft plastics and surface lures. I've been looking at the Miller Rods and dreaming of one day maybe one day I will pull the trigger.
Keep up the great content mate.
I have that 732 model mate, it’s a nice one. Remember you don’t need expensive gear to catch fish!
@@ByronTeaHill as you've said and it's a saying I have lived by for years "Do your research". I never make a vital purchase these days without researching sometimes for months, weather it's $100 or $1000 the internet is there so use it,
Awesome video byron was perfect for me i struggled a fair bit with matching rods n reels for the correct situation and this is simplified for me which is perfect.
Glad I could help dude!!! Tight lines
Ripper video mate. My favourite setup is my shimano sedona combo that I got from anacona, it was my first ever combo and is what got me all started. A dream combo would be a Daiwa Exist paired with a Grubfreak, throwing SP's into snags!
Great explanation on high end rods Byron! My favourite combo that I own is my 2021 Luvias paired with my TD Zero. Dream combo would be an Exist on the MillerRod GrubFreak chasing on Bream on plastics.
Hey mate, have both complimented and criticised you on your vids. This type of vid is your cup of tea. Informative, well rounded, critical- yet not hacking on. I’ll show this vid to the Froggleys/ samurai rep that I talk too. Good constructive criticism that I agree with.
Favourite combo (two) Gloomis DSR 4-8pd with my old school Steez 2500 (10yr plus and still baller).
Or bigger: samurai 530 15-30pd with a shimano twinpower c5000 for the ‘less fish, bigger is best’ type thing
Hey Elivs, growth is important, sometimes we get it wrong, we live we learn. Thanks mate, super glad you enjoyed the video dude, entered and cheers again. Tight lines
Thanks for the video, Byron.
My favourite combo so far (I'm very new to fishing) has to be the Shimano Zodias matched with a 2500 Vanford reel - which I was lucky enough to receive for my birthday recently. I'm blown away by the feel and didn't know fishing rods could feel so good since I was only using budget Shimano combos prior to this.
Dream combo wise? I wouldn't have a clue tbh but I'm keen to learn how quality fishing gear can improve my fishing experience so I look forward to more of your reviews in the future.
Thanks!
Yes! Definitely agree with you. Unfortunately, some people are too far away from tackle stores and can’t physically feel and rod so want to know as much details as possible about it prior to considering a purchase, also, when you’re spending a decent amount on gear, you want to make sure it’s going to work well for you and feel good to use…after all, it’ll become an extension of you. Great review mate, and those Millerods look amazing and would pair nicely with a Stradic or similar 🤙🏻
I didn’t think high end rods were necessary, until I used one. I didn’t think I could enjoy fishing any more until I picked up a Miller Rod. By far my favourite combo is my Miller Rod Grub Freak paired with the Daiwa Luvias 2500S. My Dream combo, a custom made Miller Rod Brawler paired with either an Exist or Stella to drag big Bream from structure. Thanks again Byron.
My pleasure, it’s totally true, your first sentence is on point mate. Thanks for the share on socials also!
I never had a Miller rod..but sounds and looks amazing..I use alot of light tackle..I love the grip and feel of light tackle..and the cast is also awesome. Thanks for the great tips.Thanks again and stay safe,my brother.
Favourite rod and reel: Pflueger Patriach XTR 1-3kg, Shimano 2500ci4. Dream combo - Shimano Sustain with Miller Twitch Freak catching Archer Fish. They are only small and they all go back but my son enjoys that best.
Entered!
Nice video. I’m impressed with your non biased opinions. I have a mid range Miller rod and love the fact it is so versatile, I can use it for a number of species like Flathead, Bass even bream in the racks. It is paired with a 3000 Sustain.
Cheers. Keep up the good work.
My pleasure Brian. Thanks mate!
My favourite combo at the moment is my Shimano finesse bream raider 1-4 kg paired with my Daiwa Exceller 2500, with 6lb braid, for whiting and Bream. It is pretty budget, and I’m saving for a new rod. If I were to win the twitchfreak I would target bream, bass and whiting on small hardbodies. Cheers Byron. You are smashing it with the content👍🤙🔥💪🎣👌
Great vid mate, I have been building my own rods for years and have used Wilson live fibre blanks for beach fishing, Graphite USA blanks for baitcaster reels for barra and swimbait rods for cod. A variety of spin rods from Graphite USA, Hastings and lots of Samurai blanks from Froggleys Offshore. Always used titanium sic guides and tips for light weight and corrosion resistance. Sensitivity, strength in the blank, built properly on or under the spine to reduce blank twist under load. Butt length depending on the anglers arm length if you are casting with both hands, doing more casting or fighting fish will determine the reel seat position, the amount of guides and guide recipe for each rod blank will also vary. There is so much involved in building a well balanced, lightweight and functional rod that most anglers don't understand.
Ian Miller has established himself well in Australia and the US because he fishes for multiple species and understands the different needs for different lure types targeting the same species. Rod blank materials and rod design is a science in itself.
What guys go through to make a good rod is complex and not easy imo. custom rods do offer a good amount of personalization imo. really appreciate you sharing your thoughts bud, I enjoyed the read! tight lines Evan.
Currently a Daiwa Heartland on a Samaki Zing extreme is my top end outfit for bream cranking and soft plastics. The dream would be a Luvias reel on a Miller grub or twitch freak. Do a lot of both cranking and soft plastics for bream around the Hunter and Lake Macquarie area and could put either a grub or twitch freak to good use. Nothing better than not catching fish using high end equipment!
I'm currently using a TD soll III 2500c running 8lb j braid on a samurai reaction 3-6lb. I use this for top water, slow rolling soft plastics and small hard body's. I mainly chase flattys, whitening and bass on this set up. My dream set up would be a 21 LUVIAS AIRITY LT on either another samurai reaction or a daiwa infeet. I would use it mainly for top water and or soft plastics and hard body's used for chasing similar species.
Love your videos man👍👍
Keep the awesome work up😀😀😀
Yewww! will do thanks legend. Your combos are solid. appreciate you getting involved mate
Favourite current Rod is an edge black widow spinning Rod paired with a vanford reel. Dream Rod is a Millerod BarraVibe paired with a stella or an exist LT reel. Barramundi is the target.
Great advise and I have found out the hard way having bought some mid range rods that once on the water did not suit my hand . My favourite combo is the Millerods Vibe Freak paired with the Daiwa MQ 3000 Saltist for targeting snapper on plastics. The one stand out rod over the last few years for me and I think underrated in the bream scene is the Nitro Vapor 07 , at just 78 grams and a fantastic action it is ideal for ultra light plastics . Love the Vlogs 👍
I now own seven Miller Rods including the recently released crank freak AU and absolutely love all of them, definitely will be getting more.
Awesome Mate!
100% agreed mate, the decision’s are very easy when you know exactly what they where designed for. As for favorite combo it has to be my Millerod Grubfreak with a 2000 Daiwa Luvis targeting bream around the pontoons.
Hey beautiful, thanks for the message. Xoxox see you at Christmas time xoxox hahahahaha
This video has come out at the perfect time, I have been so close to pulling the trigger on a high end rod.
I've been enjoying my Certate and Infeet LFS setup, caught some awesome fish on it.
Thanks for the video mate 😊
Hey Chrispyy!!!! thank you for getting involved dude. Entered and keep making sweet vids bro!
@@ByronTeaHill cheers man, you too 😊
Great tips as always, I should read the manufacturers website before purchasing more often. My favourite combo at the moment is my Razoredge Masksman Long Cast paired with a 2500 Vanford, the Marksman 7’3’’ length is a winner, it’s stiff through the middle but soft and flicky towards the end, shame their no longer available. My dream combo would be 5000 Daiwa Saltist Ltd (I just love how they look) paired with a 20 Saltiga Airportable so I could jump on a plane out of WA to target some big kings in NZ.
This is a great tip, especially around the components. I’ve found through trial and error of different products in the past. It is great that some brands like MilleRods are doing a great explanation on what the rod would be used for. As you mentioned, most of the products are just bound by the magic technical numbers, where each brands tend to have a different interpretation. The most important part was around the blank quality, that certainly makes a major different from the mid to high end.
I’m currently settled with the TD Black Scratchy + Vanford combo for a bit of all rounder lure setup, as I don’t have a high-end rod yet. But to dream off, I completely love with grub freak + luvias airity 2500s combo that my mate have. As I use soft plastics (especially grub) a lot.
I think it took me about 5 years to even begin to understand the numbers and what it may mean for the rod I was buying. Glad you enjoyed the episode bud
love the vid Byron defiantly gets me thinking about upgrading. keep it up....
for bream i've just been using an atomic arrowz eastury rod with an old Legalis. probably the most common set up in Australia but it works good for most things and i can go as hard as i need to on fish without worrying about it breaking... if i could get any i reckon it would be a Duffrods ultra bones with a Daiwa Luvius 2500
Great video, good to hear about the differences in better quality rods. My fave combo I have is a Atomic arrowz estuary rod with a Pflueger supreme reel. But I'd love to have a Millerrod blade freak with a Daiwa TD Sol 3 2500 to blade for bream and flathead in my local estuary in the deeper sections. I could imagine fishing with this combo all day long would be great with very little fatigue. Cheers.
yeah mate, it makes a big difference hey!
Great vid mate description of what the rod is designed for is essential imo. My favourite way to choose a rod is by using my mates ha ha. Luckily they have some high end daiwa and miller rods., which I'm still yet to own. My favourite combo atm is my 7" 7' Murasame bream x with 2500 abu alx .
100% Geoff. Thanks mate, nice combo!!!
For me it would be a vibe freak, that's my favorite style of breaming, closely followed by twitching hard bodies, I have a Miller Rod XFLC and it is a fantastic rod, it's paired with a Stella 2500f, the Stella is a little heavy by today's standards, the reel is 22 years old and still going strong, just like the day I purchased it, so quality counts (Buy once cry once), the outfit is used as a bit of everything for breaming, a purpose built rod would be a great asset, For the vibe rod I'd pair that with an Airity 2000 or a Luvias 2000 (If I can find 1).
Keep the vids coming, it is great to hear from actual users of the gear.
I’ve tried a friend’s Miller Rod Twitch Freak and it is a beautiful rod. My favourite combo so far is the 2018 Daiwa Infeet 610 paired with the 2500S Luvias. I wished there was more shallow spool reel available in Australia for exactly the reason you said “fits in my hand” perfectly, feels like a light hot knife on butter when you cast and sensitivity to boot.
Hey Eric! thanks for stopping by again legend. I appreciate the loyalty. totally agree. I'm a big fan of both the 2000 and 2500 sized reels. big fan
Byron that's got to be one of your best tip videos yet, everything you said i 100% agree with. As for my combo, i have a 2015 2004 luvias matched with a miller rod grub freak. my dream combo would be the twitch freak with either the luvias airity or steez type 2 (Japanese model), running straight through fluro for bream on the flats.
Ahhh legend. Thanks man, means a lot. the airity is really nice with straight through FC on it.. maybe i should do a little review :)
@@ByronTeaHill yeah for sure 👍
I'm rocking a cajun rod with a shimano spheros 3k. Liking it a ton, although I think I'll throw a Stradic on there later this year. Dream combo would have to be that Miller with a Daiwa Certate
Hi mate I have owned a few over the years, I think my first was 1998 bream buster. My favourite still to this day that I own and use regularly is the bassfreak lt. I don’t have any salt water style models anymore but the twitchfreak would certainly be nice to get me back in the game.
Keep up the good work mate
My current favourite out fit is my 7'2" Phlueger Patriot with a 30 Patriot reel very much under rated. My dream out fit....any Miller rod with either Diawa Exist or a Shimano Stella👍
Great vid with good information and tips. I’ve got some nice rods, but maybe not in your price bracket, but my favourite two rods would be the original Ian Miller Shimano Barra Raider & a three peace travel raider. Both are great value for money and matched with an old school Shimano Chronarch e7. the Barra Raider has been beat up and traveled and it still performs great and the travel raider enables me to explore new water when travelling. Living in SA, my perfect rod would be light and have a fast action so I could flick for mulloway here in SA or Barra when I get to Darwin. It would also need to suit my chronarch which runs 20lb braid. But let’s be real, the Ian Miller rod would be amazing and if I win, I’d find a nice reel match and new fish to chase
Picked up my first high end rod and reel today. Grabbed myself a Millerods Grubfreak and the Daiwa Luvias Airity 2500. Now to take a day off work to get the combo its first fish haha
Gday Mate, my favourite rod and reel combo is the Miller rod finesse freak lc which I purchased a couple days ago but would have much of rather to get a twitch freak and I have a Daiwa tiara 2500 matched with it. I chase trout and am really dreaming to get that 8+ pounder. The Miller rod twitch freak would help me out tremendously and help me get the smaller hard body’s where I want them. My dream combo would be the Miller rod twitch freak and the Daiwa airity 2500. Loved the video again like always
Another top vid Byron! I agree with the rod set up of a range of less expensive rods of you can't do the more expensive ones. I can't justify the big bucks arm, and prefer to buy good reels ATM. My favourite set up atm is a UL Zodiacs set up with a CI4 stradic with 6lb braid which I use for plastics. I'd love to set up a Miller rod grubfreak with a 2500 vanford and target bream and bass with it though!
thanks legend. its a tough one, good reel or good rod. start with a good reel imo :) - they last me longer. Entered buddy
Nice Mr Capilli always thought you were a boring English teacher until now
@@reaganquick5804 hahahahaha
Couple of favourite combos ha - 13Fishing Concept Z's on Dobyns Champion Series (have a couple different size rods all with concept Z's for different applications)
Also have a small stash of Miller rods that have stella's on them (1-3k sizes)
Spinning/popping larger stick baits/poppers - Zenaq rods with Saltiga reels are my go-to.
Started off buying "low end gear" never thinking id sink this much money into rods/reels, but after you use quality gear for extended periods of time on the water, you understand their worth.
So i have been loving my Miller XFLC rod paired up with a 1500 size Daiwa Advantage it's a great combo. I purchase a Daiwa TD Commander Ocelot from Motackel and it showed up today and unfortunately the tip was broken, but after a quick photo and phone call a new one is on the way, so i'm looking forward to trying that out, keep up the good work on the videos your channel is awesome.
Thanks for the vid, Byron. I walked into my local TackleWorld a few days ago, thinking I would buy a Zodias to match my Vanford 3000, and after trying the reel on about 10 different rods, walked out with a Shimano Poison Adrena 2611MH (there's that alphabet soups again!), which cost twice as much as the Zodias! I'm a bit of a tackle rat and been building up my collection for years but the Poison Adrena has quickly become one of my favourite rods, it feels fantastic in the hand, it's perfectly balanced and just makes me want to go out and fish!
I'm using it to cast vibes up to 20g, like the Samaki Vibelicious and Jackal Transams, chasing fatties and mulloway in my local river system. My dream combo would be customer Millerds Bladefreak, with a Stella F 2500!
Hey Alf! Thanks for the entry dude!!! Haha yup I have no idea what 2611MH means. I think when you find that rod that feels well balance and suits you, you gotta buy it!
Bladefreak and Stella, can personally attest - good combo right there!
I’ve been an Atomic Arrowz fan for years (budget wise, they are awesome for the money) but have just started looking up higher.
The most recent rod I’ve purchased is a Samaki Gen 2 extreme and paired it with my saltist 2500 reel. Once you start going up from the budget range there really is no going back. I’ve been using it for snapper in the shallows on plastics - I was using finesse gear but was sick of getting smoked by the monsters.
Keep up the good content Byron!
Good choice! Thanks Brendon, Tight lines mate
Thanks for the tips Byron. I’ve had a lot of success with my stradic 2500fl and jewel 1-4 recently, it just has that right amount of sensitivity for the soft plastic and hardbody fishing that I do. If I had to dream of a setup I’d probably try out a daiwa steez matched with a 21 Luvias 2500 for flicking lures at bream, flathead, trevally, rat kings and soapies.
Glad to help Josh, you're in mate
Very thorough video Byron! My main focus at the moment is fishing for impoundment barra and the points you raised are equally if not more important. Fishing 30 or even 50lb braid with heavy 80-100lb leaders make rod selection critical particularly for the more finesse techniques. It can be tricky for find rods that have the right action for the technique being used and the right components that allow long casts with heavy leaders yet light enough to fish for very long sessions plus deal with 1m+ barra. Personally the majority of my outfits now are Millerods with my favourites being the OneFreak/Tranx 200 or the Beast Buster LM/ Stradic 4000. The next addition will likely be one of the new barra spin models that I've heard are in the pipeline!
Ryan! I'm glad you enjoyed it mate. stoked you share some of the same ideas mate. I'll throw your entry in, thanks for getting involved
My favourite combo is a Daiwa Kungfu Prancer and Daiwa 18 2500 Exist LT.. its a sweet combo..Great video Byron.
Good choice!
Love the video and the critique of the effort (or otherwise) that the brands go to, to inform our purchase decisions.
My most used combo is a 2500 FJ Stella (6lb line) paired with a 1-4kg 7' 1pc Tonec Custom rod. It has been great for throwing SP's for flatties. If I had a Twitch Freak then I'd probably pair it with a new Vanford, so that I had all bases covered from my kayak.
Thanks for sharing, entered Grant.
Nice video Byron! I think the advantage that some of the local rod designers and makers have is that they are able to select blanks from across a range of companies and marry them up with the right fittings like guides and reel seats. I’m itching to get custom rods done by Ian Miller, Aaron McKell or Steve Duff - expensive yes, but absolutely tuned for what you want the rods to do. Best I’m running at the moment are Daiwa’s Gekkabijin ‘crab rods’ with the matching Gekkabijib reels and some JDM rods from Tenryu with old Real 4 Certates.
Hey legend, thanks for commenting again, mate you've been a legend to this channel. Mate I'd love to own rods from all those three guys - jealous, keen to hear how that project goes
Fav combo currently is a Loomis TSR with Old School Exist 2500, Dream combo would be Grub Freak with the New Airity targeting Bream
Great vid! My favourite combo is my atomic arrows surface with a stradic 2500. Dream combo (or concept) would be a Lucia's paired with a 8'6 razor edge lures marksman longcast. Rod isn't released yet... But I'd love the length for casting flats and shorebashing rockwalls for bream, and maybe a beach trip chasing salmon!
Sounds great!
I bought a brawler a few months ago and paired it with a 2000 td black. It’s the best rod I own! Has been amazing pitching crabs into the ship docks.
If I could pick another setup it would be another Miller rods with a certate!
Very nice! certate on that would be awesome
Great video! Love my certate 2500 with infeet Z 732 LFS. Dream light combo would be an Airty x Millerods TwitchFreak.
Good choice!
Awesome content mate, currently rocking a Grapiite Leader Vigore with old school Steez. Dream combo would be Daiwa Infeet 702 with an Exist LT. fish mainly for gippy bream, bass and perch.
Great channel, thanks so much, i have learned so much from watching your channel and diversified from soaking a bait. My current favorite combo is my NS Black Amped 2 flathead rod paired with a 2500 Shimano Nasci reel, it has delivered plenty of good fish. My wish list is a miller rod paired with a shimano stradic 2500. Thank heaps and keep it up.
Hey mate, a few good points to consider there and I especially like the comments about the reel seat and grips and how ergonomics plays a part. I hope if you've had that many commanders that most of them are still kicking as they're great rods and you're right that breaking one sure does suck.
My dream combo is the luvias airity 2500s with the twitch freak or finesse freak from Miller. Currently my nicest combo is a little 1003 certate on the original commander tiger division (megatop and full AGS guide train) it throws light plastics and small cranks a mile.
Favourite combo has to be my Certate with the Twitch Freak. The smoothness of the certate and the loading action of the twitchfreak are unstoppable.
My dream set up that I would love to get is an Exist with a Grubfreak.
High end! Nice
Some great tips here byron, my fav combo at the moment would have to be my daiwa td zero rod with my luvias 2500D reel
Haven’t used a high end rod as of yet but love my mid range combo with the Samaki Zing gen 2, 6’10” 1-3lb with the shimano Sedona 1000 running 6 pound braid. Love the combo has got me some cracking trout
My favorite combo right now is the phenix feather paired with the shimano stradic!hopefully my next would be something in the high end range and stronger so I can target these hybrids without fear!!!great review btw!!!
Fish on!!
nice Dude
My favourite combo is a Miller rods one freak with a Shimano Curado dc and my dream rod would probably be a Miller Rods grub freak for Yellas in the trees or a twitch freak for top water Redfin 👍🏻👍🏻
My favourite rod and reel combo I have is the shimano raider travel 2-4 kg paired with the shimano 2500 nasci. I’ve caught so many different species around SA on it and absolutely love it.
I don’t have a dream combo, i fish for multiple different species needing different set ups. I love my light weight trout fishing flicking hard body’s in tight narrow streams, to fishing the salt water systems hopefully chasing mullys and sharks this summer
Thanks for sharing! In :)
I’m a little bit late to the party but l use a cross fire and 1-2 kg arid rod Little bit
But it gets the job done and catch some whoopers I think if I won this Miller rod it would be a huge change to my fishing career
Loved the video mate definitely one of the best channels on RUclips
Dream combo would actually be one of these I’ve been looking at the twitch and grub freaks for a while now and paired with a Stella
Favourite combo so far has been my diawa rebellion paired with a ci4
Another great review with very useful and valid points! 👍
My dream combo would be a Daiwa STEEZ SKYBOLT 7011LFS rod with a Daiwa Certate LT 2500 to catch bream and flathead.
You're in!
Looking at getting a BassFreak as a Xmas present to myself, Miller certainly make great rods. Favourite combo, without a doubt is my Daiwa Gekkabijin 7’3”, currently coupled to a Daiwa Luvias. Great bream setup, fell in love with it the moment I picked it up. When buying high end rods, support your local and go into a shop and hold the rod before you buy. I’d much prefer to pay a couple of bucks extra, knowing that the rod feels great in the hand, than taking a punt.
Good choice and I don't disagree, I really like seeing local tackle stores going online in my opinion its a good move.
Infeet Z LRS and TD black 2500s been my go to lately.The combo you used here twitch freak and Airity would be wicked! Great content again mate keep it up! 🤝
My current favourite combo is my daiwa legalis 2000 paired with the daiwa infeet 20 702lrs which is a solid affordable combo and looks great with the blue and white accents! My dream combo as got to be one of the millerods (grub or twitch freak) to go with one of the new 21 caldias in 2000. It would be great combo to catch bream on the yak! Cheers BTH, keep up the awesome videos!
Good choice!
finesse freak with my stella 2500fj, very keen on upgrading to the twitch freak or grub freak! mainly fishing hardbody in metro melb!
Great explanations throughout the video mate, the combo I run now is the shimano zodius 2-4lb with the 2500 vanford great light rod for the estuary, dream combo would be the certate 6000 combo with saltist to target bigger fish like jew, kings around my area. Great vid mate
Nice that zodius and vanford combo are made for each other. nice. entered buddy. thank you
@@ByronTeaHill sure are, thanks mate 🤞🏽
Awesome content!
I fish for southern black bream and trout down here in Tasmania. I’m currently fishing with the daiwa hyper 1-2kg. You’ve pretty much sold me on that review. Look forward to see more content from you! 🎣
Thanks buddy! I'll be in Tassy early next year, can't wait!
@@ByronTeaHill sing out if you need a guide. More than happy to show you around this patch of paradise
Hey Byron, my expensive rod and your interpretation of an expensive rod are worlds apart 😂 but loved the video all the same. I have a Daiwa tournament rod paired with a Stradic 2000 which is high end for me 😂 but absolutely love it. I am with you in regards to buying multiple mid range rods vs one high end rod specific to one application 👍🏼
hahaha Kym! sorry, lol, its about fun on the water!
Hey mate great vid, my combo is a daiwa exceler and Shimano raider rod, I've just started chasing bream in lake Mac and its hard work but alotta fun cheers
Nice one! Entered
My favourite combo I own is a NS Blackhole Amped II with a 2500 Daiwa Aird LT, and gotta say the twitchfreak with a Daiwa Exist LT chasing bream up the creek would be a dream combo.
Nice! Entered thanks Rex
Dream combo for myself would be a Calcutta conquest 300 with a dream freak. Would be used for Cod or Barra. Ive already got a few Millerods and they are great but I do agree with buying a few cheaper rods when your first starting.
Yup, great advice Benno81 - especially when you're learning about car doors. hahaaha
Love your honesty and trust your videos always. Unfortunately some of us don't have a budget for high end rods. However I have just as much fun and catch plenty of good fish on my humble Daiwa Aird X 2-4kg and matching Daiwa Aird 2500 reel. Of course I'd love a Millerod as would most people. I'd be using the Twitchfreak on trout and also estuary species like EP and Bream. Maybe one day. 🤙
I appreciate that! Entered Terry, tight lines mate and good luck with the giveaway. you never know!
Great video. You know I have a quiver of both custom and production Millerods. Have always used them and always will. Know I'm a bit late but that's okay.
Right on!
My favorite current set up is my trusty trout rod with Shimano Stradic ci4+ 1000 with a 5"6' Storm discovery. Has been a great setup for the small creek fishing I do for trout. My Dream setup would be a Millerods GrubFreak or a Megabass Shoreluck sll-68uls paired with a Daiwa Luvias Airity.
Very nice! Thanks Lachlan
100% right mate, we definitely more info on rods and specifically used for. Just got a new jigging rod combo from Catch fishing, They were bloody awesome, i explained what type of jigging i wanted to do and they put me onto an awesome setup.
I would say my fav combo is a venom spin paired with my stradic. I fish that in so many applications from reef work to barra vibes its so versatile. Ide really like to pair it with a stella and it would be so light. That said I love the look and feel of the Millers. Ide love to have one and catch gold coast flatties on the twitch freak if im lucky to win. We'll done on the review I found your perspective very interesting. Thanks for putting this video together. Cheers Mark
My pleasure Mark. Tight lines, thanks for sharing your thoughts!
My Fave rod and reel combo is my Shimano Zodias 270ML with my Stradic 1000 in 6lb. I would love something higher end such as Miller rod and a stella reel but I just can push the budget that far. I tend to do mainly land based in Parrramatta river so all the usual species, bream, flatty, tailor, trevally, flounder, jew, ect. Love flicking plastics and hard bodies. That rod would be a dream come true
Enjoyed this one very much. I love my Millerod Grub Freak paired with the Daiwa Luvias 2000. Best rod imo for flicking those Softbaits around. Love the feel in my hand & its responsiveness to the slightest bite.
I also love my Millerod Twitch Freak. I’ve caught a lot of Bream on that rod paired with the Daiwa Luvias 2004.
Both beautiful combos & pretty sure another Twitch Freak would look very nice in my collection.
Thx Byron. 👏🏻👏🏻🎣🐟🐟🐟
Right on! thanks for getting involved Ruth
I've been into squid fishing recently so my favourite combo has been my daiwa emeraldas paired with the emeraldas reel! The twitch/grub freak is deffs one of my dream rods for bream fishing and more so after this video!!