Over There EX

Over There EX sits at the top of Daiwa's Over There surf ladder, above the SX and the standard series. Blanks are SVF Nanoplus carbon with X45 Full Shield bias cross-ply on the outer layer, a V-Joint Alpha ferrule, AGS carbon-frame guides and an Air Sensor carbon reel seat; Daiwa credits its ESS blank-analysis process for the taper work. Seven models span 2.97 to 3.30 m (about 9 ft 9 in to 10 ft 10 in) at 155 to 200 g, rated 7 to 70 g for lures and PE 0.8 to 2.5 for line. Five are spinning, two are baitcasting (103ML/MB and 106MHB). Read the model codes as length plus a split power call: 99ML/M is an ML tip section over an M butt, so one rod covers jig-head shads and heavier metals. Japanese surf fishing is not what an American means by surf. There is no bait, no pyramid lead and no sand spike. Anglers walk open sand beaches casting metal jigs, sinking pencils and jig-head rigged shads for hirame (Japanese flounder, the olive flounder), magochi (flathead) and whatever pelagics push bait against the beach. The closest domestic comparison is working metals and paddle-tail swimbaits along a beach for fluke and stripers. The rods run long, roughly 9 to 11 feet, to clear the wave face and hold line above breaking water at distance, and they are rated in grams and PE because that is the convention for Japanese saltwater lure tackle.