This post will be a follow up on my "opinions" around certain types of rod..................................but i haven't spent alot of time thinking about what i would like to say, so please bear with me............... I got to put a custom rod threw its pases for 14 hours on Choke Canyon res last week and heres what i descovered..................................

ROD: 7'3" ExtraHeavy Moderate action blank
STYLE: Baitcasting
WRAP: Spiral......
GUIDES: SIC Micros (i think after a three guide taper-down....the rest 3.5 micros)
REAL SEAT: Almost Skeletal
GRIP: Split......WITH a BALANCER

STORY: I took out this rod with two different reels, Curado E7 with 15# Flouro.........Revo sx 7.1:1 with 30#briad.............Although Choke is a Big Bass Factory with very heavy cover, i personally like to fish with "lighter" line than some................anyway

TECHNIQUES fished.........................first light, Casting a Soft plastic frog...5/0 flippn' hook...........................Midmorning, pitcin a Light weighted Tube to Grass lines........................early afternoon, Casting Chatterbiats over grass and to timber....................Afternoon Pitchin a light weighted finesse worm ar jig to Thick Timber.................the rest of the day i worked deep structure with either a C-rig or Heavy worm

this rod is spiraled "counter-clock wise" and i found that CASTING was difficult to get any distance with this set up.....i also noticed that i could cast further back handed than my more natural forhand casting (right handed)........perhaps this could be improved by spiraling, clock wise.......but with out having identacle setups i'm not sure......but with doing 50 cast each direction, i'm positive about the average distance (10+ feet) being better with a back-handed cast..................................

HERES WHERE I EAT CROW.......DANG IT :(.....................................PITCHING..........................OH MY GOD......................This was the most amazing pitching rod i have ever fished with...............distance was sweat, acuracy was off the charts, soft low trajectory pitches were almost effortless......and did i say anything about hook sets and fighting bass.............WOW, almost unfair for those unsuspecting 5lbers i caught that day.....OH ya my fish were very tight to the "jungle" and i was able to horse them out without and reel fear of gettin hung up.......i did break off two, but those very execution problems on my part........I had off and on 20mph SSE wind all day and didn't have any problems with braid or the flouro..............actually the line control really suppried me with the forest i was fishing in.................

My thoughts on the rod balancer.......................I would NEVER fish this rod WITHOUT IT...................I settled on the 2oz weight, and it made all the difference in the world.......Not only did the rod "feel" lighter with it attached, and after some time tring it without it and getting bites, it is deffinately MORE sessitive.....Since i spent about 7 hours "pitchin" the balancer is the only way to go..........................

I was asked about "tip up position"..............................i don't fish a pitch cast with my rod tip high, at most its 45degrees to the water, so i can't say if this rods setup is "better" for that rod position..........................

the only negatives for me (and only for me) were the lenght of the handle..................,i beleave 9.5" then add just over a inch for the balancer............
the Split Grip.............and the diameter of the cork.....................Although i't look cool.......i was'nt right............

1: IF a Handle lenght is greater than about 8 inches it gets in the way of the KAYAK PADDLE..................maybe not for everbody, but i don't have time to constanly adjust my paddle resting position during a tournament........also because of the nature of the semi-circular pitch i do out of a kayak the longer length handles just "get in the way"

2: because of the close in nature of my style of fishing, the split "feels" unnatual against my forarm, and i don't want (or need) the exposed blank getting mared by the items i have secured to my PFD or laying in my boat.........with Kayak Tournament fishing i'm probably setting the rod down and picking it back up as many times as i cast in a day.......(boat position adjustments).........................Side note, i have several rods with split grips, and i've hated them all, when i make a long cast my hands are positioned more like on a golf club, touching..........so i like my rods to have contiual cork..my 2 cents can't by much...hahaha..........................but i LOVE the NO FOR GRIP.............PERIOD

3: Larger cork diameter would of help with my grip alot................the taperd down style lead to slipage...............Strange thing is I've got "little girl hands" but a diameter about 1.25" seems to fit me better.....................

My Basic review......on a 10 scale

Power/ action of this blank............................................................................10
Spiral wrap for casting.....................................................................................7
Spiral wrap for pitching..................................................................................10++++++++
Mircos for flipin..................................................................................................5 (to hard to grab line, but could get used to it)
micros for line control with braid...................................................................9
Micros with fluro................................................................................................9
Micros with Mono..............................................................................................7(line memory and micros....no good)
Split grip..............................................................................................................8
Handle lenght for kayak fishing......................................................................6
Handle lenght for Bass Boat .........................................................................10 (i was in my bass boat on this test)
Balancer.............................................................................................................10+++++++++
Grip diameter......................................................................................................8
No Frills Look (no lable...all black)................................................................10(where i fish "BLING" will get my rods stolen!!!!)

Finally.........................With Work being so slow right now, unfortuantely this rod will have to continue to belong to my builder...................BUT

OH MY GOD.....................I want one REEL BAD...............................this rod was a pleasure to fish with, and those tight to cover bass didn't stand a chance
Not only was the power/action perfect for the briad.......the spiral wrap provided an awseume "feel" in pitching.................theres no such thing as a pefect rod for ALL types of presentations but for Pitchin to these highly pressured Heavy Hitters here in South Texas Jungle......This rod is about as close as a guy good ever hope for......................................Overall.................................SWEET

oh yah, i almost forgot..........the spring hook keeper thingy..........the line seemed to get caught in it ALOT....................i would probably not use this style on a rod for myself....................

Thanks for reading my review..................It's probably very clear, that i'm not a very good writer, but i'm definately very greatful for the oppertunity to go out and field test a very well built custom rod. and when i can afford to have a Pitchin rod made for me..................it will definately be a Spiral Wrapped Micro Guide rod built on this blank...........................would change the handle set up, but thats just personal preferance, NOT an issue with the performance of the rod......................................

thanks again
robert

Call me dumb but if you don't like split grips or long rear grips, why did you build it that way?

He didn't! He referred several times to "the builder" that he field tested it for and wished he could afford one.

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

Robert;
Thanks for taking the time to post such a thorough review.

The lack of casting distance may do to it’s being a heavy flipping blank it’s not really designed for distance. It is the same with my 7’2” heavy action flipping stick; I can get great distances with most Micro builds but not on that blank. But then it’s the same way using larger #6mm guides also.
Do you know what model blank it is?

Interesting about the casting distance difference between the fore hand and backhand.
I cast left handed and spiral mine around to the right. Have never noticed the difference in casting you observed, but can’t say I was looking for it either, will take one out today to see if I too pick up on a difference.
It could have something to do the style of spiral wrap, or that there is enough natural strength or freedom of movement difference in your the two casting styles mentioned to cause the distance differences.

When you decide to have the flipping stick built, I would suggest asking to have your first guide be an 8 or 10mm. I have gone to this for the same reason you mentioned about finger clearance when grabbing the line.

PS: If the 3.5 Micro’s give you the O. M .G. effect when pitching. Wait till you get your hands on one set up with 3mm guides

I asked Robert to make this post. Many times custom builders do not get back feedback like this. This is very valuable communication for all of us.

Fisherman and builders miss fire on many fronts and some times we need to sit back and listen in order to improve the level of communication and the actual desired builds start with.

I built this rod based on his initial requirements for a heavy duty flipping stick for close in work in haavy cover. It seems as if Robert decide to extend the uses of his first custom build..

The blank was the Castaway XP3 874.

In question at the time was the desired length of the rod for use in a kayak - many builders reccommended to Robert that he use a longer rod which he really did not want - he originally did not want anything to do with a spiral - his custom builder and I conspired to get something new in his hands for a trial.

After his review I think everything is pretty will defined and the only impasse at this point will be for me to build a heavy duty flipping stick with an eight inch rear grip. If he wants that one balanced it may require a full pound for him to feel the same balance.

Robert is using a custom builder nearby to run all of this through. Working with Doyne Bailey, in San Antonio, who has footed the bill for all of this has really been a pleasure.

Robert, thanks for your patience and efforts - the thing that may not work is to have one heavy duty balanced flipping stick for use in a kayak that will also be the best for bass boat work. One rod will probably not satisfy you for all the conditions unless we design an removable extension for use under all your conditions.

I am like Steve - will do some more work on casting positions and guide rotation direction for casting and pitching - both are better under specific circumstances. This was noted in Rich Forhans original work on Revolvers. The 3.5s he has are the small ones! }>

Spiral and micro converts one at a time!

Bill Stevens



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/28/2009 11:36AM by Bill Stevens.

Awesome review, VERY informative. I have a local tournament angler that I want to get a micro build into the hands of for feedback. I haven't built the rod yet, but this sure gives me a LOT more clarity of mund about it. He fishes mostly rivers with the same style as Robert. Thank you Mr. Stevens for your insight as well, and you Steve (FROG), I'm sure you know what that means if you correspond much with Mr. Balcomb!!!

Bill in WV