Shimano Raider Rods

Shimano Raider Rods For Sale

The Shimano Raider is an Australian-designed series of graphite fishing rods with each model built for a specific style of fishing in Australian water rather than one blank stretched to cover everything. The range we stock runs from bream and flathead spin sticks through snapper and barra rods to surf, squid and travel models. All of them run 30T Toray graphite blanks with Fuji Fazlite guides, and most keep the cork grips the series is known for.

Ian Miller designed the original Raider blanks. The Shimano-Miller partnership has since ended, yet his actions still define how these rods load and fight. Miller himself pushed back on the entry-level tag, calling the Raider "your first 'serious' rod", and the spec sheet backs him up at the price.

The series has been through a few versions over the years. The 2015 release brought Fuji guides back to the range; the Raider 21 then replaced all of those models with a lighter 30T blank, Fazlite guide inserts and updated cosmetics. That 21 series is the version on this page and the one we currently sell.

Where the Money Went on the Raider Build

A rod at this price has to make trade-offs somewhere. Here is where Shimano spent the budget, and the physical reason each item earns its keep:

Keeping a Raider in One Piece

• Keep the rod under 90 degrees in a fight. Nearly every snapped tip that comes through our door is high-sticking, not a blank fault. Pointing the rod at the sky makes the thin tip section do work the butt section is built for. Let the butt and your drag wear the fish down.
• Respect the cast weight rating. A fast graphite blank loads violently when overweighted. Lobbing a 40 g sinker on a rod rated to 15 g can fold the tip on the power stroke. Check the cast weight column in the table below before you rig up.
• Rinse, then dry, then store. Fresh water over the guides and reel seat after salt sessions, and let the rod dry before it goes back in a tube or the garage rack. A damp rod sealed in a tube holds salt against the guide feet, and corroded guide feet are what lift the epoxy wraps.
• Run a cotton bud around each guide before the season. A cracked or grooved insert snags the cotton fibres where your eye picks up nothing. A damaged insert cuts braid under load, so find it in the garage rather than mid-fight.

Shimano Raider Rods Buying Guide

The Shimano Raider fishing rod range breaks down by the fishing in front of you. The table further down carries the hard numbers for every model; this section is the plain-language version of who each group suits.

Light Inshore Spin Models

These are the estuary rods: the 6102 Flathead, the Bream models (721, 722 and 762), the 662 Ultra Light and the two Rack models (681 and 682). The Flathead model is tuned for working soft plastics along drop-offs and flats. The Bream rods carry the light tips that finesse work with small hard-bodies and 1-3 kg leaders demands. The Racks sit in the middle as the general-purpose pick of the group. Several of these come in one and two-piece versions, so check the sections column if the rod has to fit across a back seat.

Heavy Inshore and Light Offshore Models

The Snapper models (701M, 701H and 762) and the Barra spin models (602 and 661) cover the heavier line classes, from the 701M's 4-7 kg upward. The 701M throws 10-45 g, which puts most snapper baits and heavier plastics in range, and these rods double up on queenfish, mangrove jack, threadfin and murray cod in the rivers. Anglers who prefer an overhead reel for this class of fishing have the baitcast models: Barra Mauler 582, Barra Magnum 591, the 5102 Bass, and the 641 and 642 Cod rods rated to 12 kg.

Offshore: The Reef Raider

The 5102 Reef Raider is the odd one out, a 15-24 kg boat rod for dropping baits to the reef rather than casting. It joins at the grip instead of mid-blank, so the working section of the blank fights as one piece.

Surf Models

The 1202 Surf Light and 1202 Surf Med are both 12 ft beach rods. The Light suits gutter fishing with worms, cockles and strip baits for whiting, dart, bream and flathead; pair it with a 4000-6000 size spin reel. The Med steps up for salmon, tailor, kingfish and school mulloway on a 5000-8000 size reel. Both also handle light rock work such as spinning for blackfish country species from the stones. The 942 Shore Spin covers rock and beach jobs where a full 12-footer is more rod than the gutter in front of you needs.

The Egi Squid Rod

The 782 Egi exists because squid come off when you fight them on the wrong blank. Tentacles tear, and a stiff, fast rod rips the jig free on the strike or pulls it through the hood on the way in. The Egi's softer tip cushions each jerk of the retrieve so the barbs stay put. It doubles as a light plastics rod for bream and flathead if you want one rod doing two jobs from the rocks or a boat.

Travel Rods

The travel series runs 3 and 4-piece builds, spin and baitcast, from a 1-3 kg ultra light through to Barra models rated to 12 kg. Packed lengths sit around 60-71 cm depending on the model, which fits carry-on luggage and the boot of a hire car. EVA grips replace cork here because travel is hard on gear. The travel rows in the table below include packed length for every model. Worth knowing before you order: the supplied rod tubes are being phased out, so ask us first if a tube matters to you.

Features and Specifications

• 30-tonne (30T) Toray graphite blank construction
• Cork Grips (most models - Egi Squid Rod and travel rods have EVA grips)
• Fuji Fazlite Guides (Aluminium Oxide Guides on travel)
• Shimano brand reel seat.
• Responsive action – you can feel bites easier
• We sell models for Inshore lakes and rivers, offshore, barra, cod and even travel models

Note: Images are for illustration only – some differences may occur between models, such as the rod grip and amount of guides. The price is for 1 rod only and can vary depending on the model chosen. Choose the rod you desire when ordering.

Frequently Asked Questions