Bush 'n Beach Fishing Magazine Location reports & tips for fishing, boating, camping, kayaking, 4WDing in Queensland and Northern NSW
SHIMANO’S Backbone Elite rods have proven hugely popular with the offshore game fishing set, delivering a range of line class options at really good prices.
And the 2018 line-up has just been given a well-deserved tweak.
There are eight rods in all; a 10kg stick with fixed guides and a roller tip as well as three 15kg options in a selection of fixed guides, fixed guides with a roller tip, or fully rollered. The same choices are available in 24kg, and finally there’s a serious 37kg weapon with a roller tip.Of single-piece construction and 1.7m (5’7”) in length, the Backbone Elite blanks now utilise Shimano’s legendary TC3 material, which is the same three-ply graphite weave the early Tiagra Game Series rods were built on.
The long EVA fighting foregrip has a new shape, which delivers a comfortable grip even with wet hands, and the guides, whether fixed or roller, are from Pacific Bay. The Slick Butts are durable and make it easy to remove a loaded-up rod from a holder, while anodised aluminium reel seats and gimbals round out a very workmanlike package.
The cosmetic has also been upgraded to a traditional game fishing colour scheme of black, gold and silver, making these rods an even sweeter pairing with Shimano’s TLD and Tyrnos lever-drag reels.
