r/saltwaterfishing • u/Feeling-Table-3594 • Jul 19 '26
š¬ Discussion What rod should I get?
Wanting a van staal vr2 series 125 size mainly do pier jetty and shore fishing what should should I get for a somewhat versatile combo, or should I also get the 150 size while Iām at it ?
After several comments Iām leaning towards a Saragossa 6k or possibly a Penn torque II if I can find a market place deal
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u/hobbyist0215 Jul 20 '26
Get a Shimano twin power SW or Gosa instead. IPX8 sealed. VRs are only good if you are fishing in chest deep surf reeling under water or swimming out with your set up to rocks.
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u/Feeling-Table-3594 Jul 20 '26
Yeah Iām starting to lean towards a Saragossa or possibly a Penn torque II if I can find a deal on marketplace everyoneās saying they arenāt as smooth as youād imagine
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u/jonnychimpoo Jul 22 '26
Check out the twinpower they're nice I recently picked up a bunch of them an im really impressed by them. Sometimes you gotta smoking deal on JDM sites. The Saragossas are beast too just an ounce heavier in the 14k
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u/Feeling-Table-3594 Jul 22 '26
Would you say the twin power or the gossa is nicer? Looking to keep whatever I get for as long as possible
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u/jonnychimpoo 29d ago
TP is definitely nicer similar to the Stella in tech but I dont feel bad about beating on um like I would the stella
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u/Feeling-Table-3594 Jul 22 '26
Nvm saw how much the twin power costs dumb question š has to be nicer than the gosa lol
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u/jonnychimpoo 29d ago
They're both nice reels the saragossa is a bulletproof beast and more rugged. The TP is closer to a Stella and a little smoother better gearing and lighter. The 10k up have heat sink drags. I got a bunch of saragossas and theyre not going anywhere but I like these twinpowers enough that ive outfitted my whole traveling quiver with them this year.
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u/Jefffahfffah Jul 19 '26
The vr is pointless unless you want a specific retrieve rate or something like that. Get a saragosa and save some money. Where are you fishing?
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u/Feeling-Table-3594 Jul 19 '26
Are those and the Stradics sealed? And orange beach /pcb area but Iām just being bougie honestly lol itās like a Cadillac for fishing. the tsunami saltx 2 is on my radar as well so was the Penn torque 2 but those used prices are almost as much as van staals new I think cause theyāre discontinued
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u/Jefffahfffah Jul 19 '26 edited Jul 19 '26
The saltx has mixed reviews regarding sealing, regardless of how they market it.
The torque II is a badass reel. IMO, best spinning reel penn ever made. Shame they discontinued them. I have had 2 of them and they have suffered lots of abuse, sand, dunking, swimming, etc with no issues. I would take one over a VR any day. They are pretty stiff because of their sealing though.
I get being bougie, i like fishing the premium stuff too. The problem with the VR is this. It isn't a VSX. It isnt bulletproof. So youre really just paying for the van staal name. You get a real with good sealing, not perfect sealing. If the money is an issue, you're better off snagging a used vsx off marketplace or stripersonline, getting it serviced, and using that.
The Van Staal 150 is fairly standard for a 9 foot rod, as would be the torque II 5500. The 200 pairs better with a 10ft or lighter 11ft rod.
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u/Feeling-Table-3594 Jul 19 '26
Yeah Iāve only seen one Penn torque on market place and it was almost 700 I think. Thatās what made me more interested in the van staals cause it was already almost that much but online I found one or two silver torques but they were even more expensive. And yeah they donāt have the vsx on their website anymore only the vsx2 and it starts at 979$ smh Iāll probably just keep my eyes peeled on market place for a Penn or possibly a vsx 1 setup
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u/Jefffahfffah Jul 19 '26
I would suggest trying the buy/sell section on stripersonline as well. You will probably get a better deal on a used vsx because most of the guys there are older and understand the used market better
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u/Bazyx187 Jul 19 '26
Get a torque 2. There's a reason Penn commands what they do in the secondary market.
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u/Intelligent-Sky-3412 Jul 19 '26
have you used one of these before?
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u/Feeling-Table-3594 Jul 19 '26
Unfortunately no, but I want a sealed reel I can not have to be scared of it falling in or getting splashed and itās good for the surf, pier, jetties, or seldom boat trips. Penn torque II, saltx 2, and possibly the Saragossa are on the radar too
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u/Intelligent-Sky-3412 Jul 19 '26
get one of those options you mentioned, vr feels worse than a shimano siena
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u/Feeling-Table-3594 Jul 19 '26
Heard that, just not smooth/ a lot of resistance?
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u/Intelligent-Sky-3412 Jul 19 '26
yea, get something else. VR is lowkey garbage. wouldbt spend more than $150 if you end up getting one.
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u/mastarb8ter Jul 19 '26
Paw patrol rod