TAILWALK Hi-Tide SSD 90ML review - Can you do better for £200 on a lure rod than this?
Tony has kindly given us a review of the ever popular Tailwalk Hi-Tide SSD. It’s safe to say that Tony loves his SSD as a really good all rounder. Tony is a fantastic angler with over 30 years experience in the salt and fresh so you cant take his words with confidence.
Rod available from the fantastic Art of fishing
Link: Tailwalk Hi-Tide SSD 7-35g
(Not affiliated with this blog post)
When it comes to bass lure rods, the Tailwalk SSD 7-35g sits in the mid price range. In fact, when I purchased it, Ben from the Art of Fishing tackle shop described it as the best mid range lure rod money can buy and he certainly knows his onions when it comes to lure kit.
For me the classic image, Tailwalk+Shimano+FBM+Bass
Why did I buy this rod?
The rod comes in various lengths and casting weights. I won’t go into depth here covering each and every one, I’ll just focus on why I went for the 9’ 7-35.
It’s effectively an all rounder and that’s what I needed, however it isn’t really suited to bigger surf conditions. The 96M 10-42g would be better suited if you’re planning on fishing these types of conditions regularly. It is very much suited to smaller surf, harbours and estuaries. I’ve also used it when boat fishing and although a 9 foot rod is a touch long for boat fishing it certainly didn’t disappoint!
Most of my angling is over shallow coastal reefs, rocky headlands and estuary mouths - usually calmer conditions using top waters and soft plastics. I could be using anything from a 10g FBM, or a Patchinko 125, to a 30g Seeker. These types of marks and using these types of lures are where the 7-35 comes into its own, a perfect fit for my requirements and that’s why I purchased it.
What do I like about it?
The rod weighs a meagre 135g or as the saying goes it’s ‘as light as a feather’! Paired up with a super light reel and it all becomes a real pleasure to use. Obviously, lure fishing requires the angler to be holding and using a rod and reel constantly so if it’s a nice, light set up it’s going to be a delight to use.
There’s nothing worse than heavy, clunky kit with no feel. More feel = more fish! I’ve paired the rod with a Shimano Exsence C-3000MHG. This reel is also as light as a feather and a stunning piece of kit, more top end price wise but that’s another review for another day.
It’s a lovely ultra slim blank and is aesthetically pleasing in matt black with silver trim - nothing to dislike there. One thing I really like is the tip ring; in my opinion it’s the correct size. I use a 3-4 foot fluoro leader and occasionally the knot will catch in the tip ring. Some tip rings on some rods give anglers all sorts of aggro snagging the leader knot because they are so small in diameter. Tailwalk use a tip ring large enough for a leader knot to pass through without snagging. It’s all the little things that make the difference in angling and this is one of those little things.
Larger diameter tip ring which doesn’t snag leader knots.
When it comes to casting, the rod is responsive and snaps back quickly as opposed to flopping all over the place as some blanks do. It has a beautiful sweet spot on the cast and I can hit it with confidence at full power - it can send a Seeker to the horizon! It makes light work of working top waters and gives enough feel when slowly moving SP’s in the tide. Playing fish is a pleasure, it has a nice progressive action and it’s soft enough to enjoy every lunge and at the same time has just enough in the butt to slow up one of those 60cm plus steam trains.
Playing a large winter Wrasse from Coverack, South Cornwall
Summary
What I like to do is look at all the positives and negatives of an item of tackle before parting with the cash. In summary, the plus sides of this rod are: (in my opinion and in no particular order)
Mid price range
High quality build
Longevity guaranteed due to the build quality
Aesthetically pleasing
Casting confidence
Beautiful fish player
Light as a feather!
Another Bass on the Tailwalk SSD
In fact, the only negative, if it even is a negative, I can think of is - does anyone need to spend £200 on a lure rod to target bass in the way I’ve described above? If you read Lyle’s review of the Major Craft Ceana then the answer is clearly not. So, it comes down to personal preference and budget. All I can say is, if you do decide to purchase a Tailwalk Hi Tide SSD you won’t be disappointed..
The rod can handle some serious Pollock action! (Caught aboard Seriola sportfishing charter)
Conclusion
In all, I absolutely love this rod as an all round weapon. It satisfies all the requirements I have of a lure rod, working from the shore with topwaters to jigging soft plastics on my sib, it really does it all leaving nothing on the table.
Tight Lines
Tony
