I've never been a big spender when it comes to tackle, and if anything, I've gotten even more stingy as I've aged. High dollar tackle is nice, and I splurge here and there when I feel it's critical, or at the very least, important, but it's certainly not necessary in order to catch fish. I dare say I probably catch more bass every year on just my Lightning rod alone (spinning - hair jig) than many guys probably catch all year. Regardless, I did pick up a couple bargains while the Holiday sales were going on, and I'll be anxious to try out and report on them later this year.
The first is a set of rods I picked up, three in actuality. These were Cabela's Tournament ZX Series casting rods, which were sale priced at $69 plus free shipping, normally $99 each. Despite just 14 reviews on the site, they were rated 4.8 out of 5, and I've also seen a few other positive mentions on some forums here and there. The thing with rods like these is that they are usually manufactured by one of the larger name brand manufacturers for places like Cabela's, Bass Pro, etc. In fact, the new Johnny Morris Carbonlite rods look and sound (from the description) very similar, and they have similar price points, with the BPS versions going for $99-$129. So who is the bigger name making these rods for them? While I can't say any of this with certainty, and Cabela's won't divulge, if you take a look at the Lew's Custom Speed Stick Series, you might reach the same potential conclusion I did. Reels are usually similar in that you can match the style components of the house brand to the same of the bigger name company. Their (Lew's) price point is $130-$150. So, if my hunch is right, I just got 3 new Lew's casting rods for half price. Who knows.
I picked up 2 of the frogging rods (7'3" H-F) and 1 topwater rod (6'9" M-F). I'm hoping the frog rod has a fast enough tip to be a good open water frog rod. I've heard it does, but you never know until you get out on the water and try it. I ran into that problem with the AllStar frog rod I purchased a few years back - too stiff in the tip - great for mats, but that was about it. I'm actually hoping the second frog rod will double as my jig rod. Usually those two techniques can be easily accomodated by the same rod due to similar power and actions. The topwater rod will either be that or possibly a jerkbait setup. I'll have to wait and see. I can say that weights on these rods are extremely competitive to most high dollar outfits. The 7'3" frog rod comes in at just 4.4 ounces, and the shorter topwater rod at 4.0 ounces. That puts them at least on par with my IMX Loomis'.
If everything works out, these rods will be replacing old Berkley and Daiwa topwater rods, as well as a pair of old Stanley Jig sticks I've had forever (actually all over 20 years old). They've been work horses, but I think I'm due in this regard. The newer sticks are just so much lighter these days, and in most cases, better balanced. Be looking for a review on these later this year.
Coming up, a new line I'll be trying out this year, also.
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