It's a great rod. I have the 1261 and the 1263. The 1261 is great for lighter line and lower water. The action is a little slower than the 1263, but is plenty strong to handle big fish. The 1263 is a little stiffer, and does fine with the line weight you are talking about. It did a great job for me last winter when I was in Washington. Both of my rods are GL3. Haven't tried to drift fish with them yet, but I think they would be fine on Big Water. Hope this helps you out
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