FCL Labo UCB 78H

The FCL Labo UCB 78H is a purpose-built big fish stickbait rod!

In recent years we have started seeing more and more anglers looking for stickbait rods to tackle very large fish namely big yellowfin tuna, bluefin tuna and dogtooth. Designing a rod that can fight these very large fish and still be a good at casting and working lures for fish like GT can be quite the challenge. When you look at rods that would be capable of landing a 150kg+ bluefin tuna, they typically are great to fight fish but not ideal for all day casting. Similarly there are a bunch of great GT rods that are good for long casting sessions and working lures, but the mid-stiffness in the rod makes them hard to fight big fish in a drawn out battle. 

The FCL UCB 78H rod does a really great job of combining excellent casting and lure working attributes with low down power for fighting big fish. The first generation of this rod was built for a trip the Tsurusaki san (the owner of FCL) did to the East Coast of the US chasing bluefin tuna, but since then has been a favorite for anglers chasing GT, giant reef species and other tunas around the world. The rod is rated to cast up to 200g and we have found it to work great on lures from about 80-180g plus hooks. This rod will pull some smaller poppers through the water ok, but it really excels with stickbaits or swimming lures like the TG minnow. Having a shorter length than most GT rods makes it very easy on the body for heavy-class rod and although you may sacrifice a little in the casting distance, the rod makes it up in fish fighting performance. So if you are looking for a rod that can straddle the worlds of tropical sportfishing and big tuna hunting, check out the FCL UCB 78H

New Fishlogica Icon Baitcast rods instore!

These stunning rods are constructed with a blend of Toray Japans intermediate and high modulus fibers and Nano-Alloy resin tech. They have been built with barra fishing in mind, where a slightly softer tip section allows the fish to suck the lure into its mouth for better hookup rates. The highly responsive mid-section then provides for firm hooksets and keeping the rampaging fish attached, while the powerful bottom end has the strength to comfortably push the rods very hard relative to the line class.

Guides are all Fuji Polished Stainless SiC for their blend of performance and strength. Carbon fiber palming grips provide superb tactile feel as well as aesthetic appeal.

Check out the two models; The 664ML is ideal for tight cover snag-bashing using a variety of jerkbaits, plastics and topwaters. The longer 735ML is ideal in more open waters with a range of plastics from paddle tails to prawns as well as smaller swimbaits. Its also great for hopping plastics and vibes in deeper waters.