Savage Gear 1DFR Salt series fishing rods

Welcome to the Savage Gear 1DFR fishing rod series review. I have been using the range of 1DFR fishing rods exclusively since their release into the Australian market. These fishing rods released by Savage Gear is part of their new Savage Salt series of products. The range of rods fit within the mid-market sector and cover a whole range of fishing needs. This includes the offshore rods for targeting snapper and gummy sharks. Shore spin offshore rods for targeting pelagic species in the surf such as salmon. Followed by the inshore rods for targeting smaller estuary species. It’s very likely that I have used this range of fishing rods more than anyone in Australia. Therefore I can say with confidence and experience that they look great, handle well and are sold for an affordable price point. These lightweight rods are specifically designed for fishing with lures and soft plastics.

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You can see them first hand in action on the following videos

What is 1DFR

1DFR stands for “One Directional Fibre Reinforcement”. The new technology allows the rod to be strong yet very thin and sensitive. A unique manufacturing process binding the outer fibres allowing the tip to be stronger and thinner. Its been reported up to 4 times stronger than a standard blank. Despite the technological advancements these rods look great with a stylish white polish and Eva handles. They also come with Sin Salt guides that provide less friction, longer casts and decreased wear and tear over time. Really well-balanced blanks the 1DFR range ensures greater rod and tip power and longer casting distances.

I have really enjoyed the 1DFR rods from the kayak targeting squid. The 6 foot 6 3-5 kilo version has been the perfect length and weight class to tangle with big squid. Check out the video below which highlights this first hand.

The 1DFR stylish look

The Savage Gear 1DFR fishing rods have a really stylish look that makes them stand out from the crowd. The white and blue finish paired with an alien reel seat, CCS salt guides and Eva handles looks great. This is a big step up from Savage Gear who historically have had some very exuberant and flashy lure designs but perhaps lacked some colour and flash on their series of fishing rod series in the past. I have become a big fan of white colour. It’s easier to see nibbles and strikes on the rod tips. For someone like me who films a lot of fishing video content, the rods are easier to notice on the water. When recording with my GoPro black coloured rods depending on lighting and water clarity it can be very difficult to notice the rods, but that’s certainly not the case with the white rods.

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The 1DFR range – Size and lengths

The Savage Gear 1DFR fishing rod salt range is quite comprehensive. They come in many sizes and weights that cover most lure fishing requirements in Australia. These areas have been categorised as inshore, offshore and short spin. The inshore spin series for lighter fishing targeting species such as pinkies, whiting, flathead. The offshore spin series for targeting bigger species of fish such as Snapper and Gummy sharks. And shore spin series providing long casting distance for species such as Salmon, Mulloway, Tailor and squid.

Inshore – 6 foot – 6 -10 kilo
Inshore – 6 foot 6 inch – 3 -5 kilo
Offshore – 6 foot 6 inch – 15 – 24 kilo
Inshore – 7 foot 2 inch – 1- 4 kilo
Offshore – 7 foot 6 inch – 5 – 8 kilo
Shorespin – 9 foot – 6 – 10 kilo
Shorespin – 12 foot – 6 – 10 kilo

Don’t be fooled the lighter inshore rods pack a punch. Watch this video fishing on my kayak going head to head with some big aggressive salmon.

They also have 1DFR bait caster known as the browser

There is also the 1DFR browser bait casters which are an ideal choice for targeting Barramundi, Cod, and yellow belly.

Browser – 6 foot – 6 -10 kilo
Browser – 6 foot 6 inch – 4 -7 kilo

My experiences with the 1DFR inshore rods

I generally start at the lightest end of the scale then move my way up to the heavier outfits. Therefore I started using the ultralight inshore 1-4 kilo rod paired with a stealth 2000 reel spooled with 4-pound braid to target estuary species such as bream, estuary perch, and flathead. I frequently found myself at Albert Park Lake and the Werribee river targeting estuary perch on small paddle tail and curl tail soft plastics, pencil minnows and small surface poppers. This was so much fun on gear this light and sensitive. Using this same outfit around the Maribyrnong river targeting bream using fathead cranks and soft plastics. I really enjoyed the flexibility in the rod and great casting distance that allowed me to catch a few bream and estuary perch over 40cm with ease.

I then moved into the slightly heavier 3-5 kilo inshore rod paired with a 2000 stealth and 9.3 adrenaline braid. These immediately became the default outfit that I would use in my Hobie kayak and small runabout boat. I have had some amazing sessions around Port Phillip Bay on flathead, snapper, salmon and squid. The rod bend is quite amazing it really allows you to enjoy the battle with a fish that’s only 40 to 60 cm. I have thoroughly enjoyed fishing with this size, the 3-5 kilo model is very versatile and feels much lighter. In fact, it feels a lot more like my 2-4 kilo rods yet has that increased power to battle bigger fish. Light but confident that you’re not going to be dusted off. Have a good look in the video links above to see exactly what I mean.

My experiences with the 1DFR offshore and shore spin rods

I then got my hands stuck on the offshore rods. the 5-8 kilo rod which I used to target snapper and Gummy sharks in Port Phillip Bay and Western Port. The rod was paired with a 4000 stealth spooled with 16-pound adrenaline braid and a 6000 size stealth reel spooled with 22-pound braid. I had great success catching snapper up to 8 kilos and a couple of gummy sharks over a meter in size. The rod handled really well and with the extended handles fir in the rod holders nicely.

Now that winter is here I have recently started to use the 9 foot 6-10 kilo shore spin rod for salmon in the surf around areas such as Torquay and Gunamatta surf beach. I had mainly been casting metal sea lures of 28mm, 42mm and 62mm with no issues at all. Paired with a steal 3000 and 12-pound adrenaline braid I have been able to cast these things a mile and have really enjoyed the battled with big sambos.

Check out this video using the 1DFR rods I stumbled upon the biggest school of salmon I have ever seen and the results were incredible.

Where to buy your 1DFR rods

In Australia, the range of Savage Gear 1DFR rods is sold exclusively through BCF. Buy Savage Gear 1DFR rods at BCF online. At a price point of $169, these are a great option. Don’t forget to keep your eye open for sales which happen frequently through BCF to snap up a bargain.

A final word from the author

I hope you have enjoyed our Savage Gear 1DFR fishing rod series review. I have many 1DFR rods in my collection and have really enjoyed using them. They look great, work really well in many different scenarios and are well priced. If you’re interested in one then make sure you check out the videos above which highlights them in action. If you have any further notes, suggestions or corrections then please don’t hesitate to contact us directly on enquiries@fishingmad.com.au Likewise if you have any images of videos of this product that you would like to share with us or have added to the review.

Savage Gear 1DFR Salt series fishing rods