CD Rods
CD Rods fishing rods, built for New Zealand anglers by Composite Developments, a Kiwi rod maker trusted for more than 40 years. Shop the Haku topwater and jig rods, Titan and Game Tournament game rods, the Titan X Sword Pro deep drop rod, Albagame light gauge game rods, Extrasense soft bait and dropshot rods, Albagraph rods, and Hydragraph and Graphcast spin rods.
Explore more fishing rods, from soft bait rods to game rods.
Feel the action of a CD Rods blank at our Grey Lynn concept store at 36 Pollen Street, or order online for fast, tracked delivery across New Zealand.
CD RODS Topwater Rods
About CD Rods
CD Rods is the rod brand of Composite Developments, a New Zealand company founded in the 1980s that has built a reputation as one of the country's most respected rod makers. For more than 40 years CD Rods has been designing and building rods specifically for New Zealand conditions and species, and its game rods in particular are a common sight on charter boats and in game fishing clubs around the country.
The range covers almost every style of saltwater fishing, from light soft baiting for snapper to stand-up and chair fishing for marlin and deep drop fishing for swordfish.
Game, jigging and topwater rods
For game fishing, the Titan game rods are tough trolling rods with roller tips, including the Titan Ultimate with an adjustable butt, and the Game Tournament rods are built for tournament anglers. The Titan X Sword Pro is a bent butt deep drop rod made for swordfish, and the Albagame is a light gauge game rod for albacore, skipjack and smaller game fish.
The Haku family covers kingfish and pelagic fishing, with Haku topwater rods for casting stickbaits and poppers, Haku fast jig rods for speed jigging, and Haku X jig rods for heavy overhead jigging.
Soft bait, spin and CD Rods at Land & Sea
For snapper fishing, the Extrasense soft bait and dropshot rods are sensitive and light, and the Albagraph rods are versatile spin and casting rods for general boat fishing. For freshwater and light saltwater, the Hydragraph canal and Hydragraph X trout rods suit trout fishing and light lures, and the Graphcast is a long, light spin rod for casting small lures from the shore.
At Land & Sea we stock a strong CD Rods range, and our team can help you match the right rod, reel and line to your fishing. Many CD Rods blanks are built for specific techniques, so tell us how you fish.
Frequently asked questions about CD Rods
Are CD Rods made in New Zealand?
CD Rods is the brand of Composite Developments, a New Zealand rod company founded in the 1980s that has been designing rods for New Zealand anglers for more than 40 years. Its rods are developed around local species and conditions, from snapper soft baiting in the Hauraki Gulf to marlin and swordfish offshore. Check each product page for where a specific model is manufactured, as this can vary across the range.
What is a bent butt game rod?
A bent butt game rod has a curved butt section that angles the rod downwards when it sits in a gimbal or rod holder. That keeps the rod tip closer to the water and lowers the angle of pull, giving you more leverage when fighting a big fish, especially in deep drop fishing for swordfish, where you are lifting heavy fish from great depths. The CD Rods Titan X Sword Pro is a bent butt deep drop rod.
What is the difference between a topwater rod and a jig rod?
A topwater rod is longer, typically around 7 to 8 feet, and built to cast stickbaits and poppers a long way, then work them across the surface. A jig rod is shorter and stiffer, designed to work a metal jig up and down beneath the boat and to lift heavy fish from depth. CD Rods makes both in the Haku family, so choose by whether you will be casting or dropping.
What is a light gauge game rod?
A light gauge game rod is a game fishing rod rated for lighter line classes, typically around 6 to 15kg, used for trolling for smaller game fish such as albacore tuna, skipjack and kahawai, and sometimes for sport fishing for larger fish on light tackle. It gives more fun and feel than a heavy game rod. The CD Rods Albagame is a light gauge game rod rated around 6 to 12kg.
What is a dropshot rod used for?
A dropshot rod is designed for the dropshot technique, where a sinker sits on the bottom and a soft bait is tied above it on a short dropper, so the bait hovers off the seabed in front of fish. Dropshot rods have a sensitive tip to feel bites and to work the soft bait with small movements, and enough backbone to set the hook. The CD Rods Extrasense dropshot rods are made for snapper and other reef fish.
What rod do I need for trout fishing with lures?
For trout fishing with lures in New Zealand rivers and lakes, a light spin rod around 6 to 7 feet long, rated around 1 to 3kg or 2 to 5kg, is ideal. It should be light enough to cast small spinners and minnows accurately, with enough flex to protect light line. The CD Rods Hydragraph X trout rod and Hydragraph canal rod are designed for this kind of fishing. Pair one with a 1000 to 2500 size spin reel.