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Enthusiast Review


Have Your Crank and Feel It Too : Evergreen International's Husky Winder

 

Date: 4/4/12
Tackle type: Rod
Manufacturer: Evergreen International
Reviewer: Cal






Total Score: 7.58 - ULTIMATE ENTHUSIAST!!

Introduction:
If ever there was a disrespected piece of tackle amongst bass fishermen, it is the cranking stick. Time after time, you hear so called experienced anglers advising others who are in the market, that you don't need to spend a lot of money on a cranking stick because sensitivity is not a premium in this technique. Manufacturers seem to reinforce this way of thinking by offering very cost conscious alternatives to this, a stick made especially for the very definition of a reaction lure, the crankbait. In our 2009 Crankbait Rod Wars, we published 19 articles on cranking sticks half of which were priced at $200 or under, a handful more up to $240, and then the remainder were sticks over $350.


An $800+ cranking stick? Really? Only on TackleTour.

A $350 cranking stick? Thanks to the current state of affairs with our exchange rate,  let's try over $500. Walking away from this article yet? What if we told you the subject of today's review is actually an eight hundred dollar plus ($800+) cranking stick? Any guesses as to the manufacturer? Actually, given the formatting of our articles you already know, don't you? With the Enthusiast crankers in mind, presenting our review of Evergreen International's Kaleido TKLC-73MGX Husky Winder!

Evergreen International TKLC-73MGX Husky Winder Specifications

Material Proprietary woven graphite + fiberglass tip
Length 7'-3"
Line Wt. 8-20lb
Lure Wt. 1/4 - 1 1/2 oz
Pieces 2
Guides 9 + tip (Fuji Ti/SiC)
Power Rating Medium
Taper Extra Fast
Rod Weight 6.1
Origin Japan
MSRP 77,700 JPY (~$947.00)

 

Impressions: So what characteristics does an $800 cranking stick have that a $150 or $200 rod doesn't? Well for starters $200 doesn't even cover the replacement cost should you break an Evergreen Stick under warranty. That is, of course, assuming you live in Japan and can actually use the stick there. Otherwise, if you bought one and shipped it outside of Japan, you're technically voiding the warranty.

 


Introducing Evergreen International's Husky Winder Quatro Plus Cranking stick.

 

The TKLC-73MGX Husky Winder sits within Evergreen International's top end bass rod lineup. It features the woven graphite blank technology in about the first two thirds of the rod, but the tip is made of glass. Yes, it is a hybrid blank and given our very positive past experiences with the this series, we're anxious to see how the Kaleido graphite actually handles being paired with a fiberglass tip.

 

Lab Results for Evergreen International TKLC-73MGX Husky Winder

Model
Avg RoD (2-32 oz)
Taper
Measured Weight (oz)
Balance Point (inches)
Balancing Torque (ftlbs)
TKLC-73MGX Husky Winder
2.45
X Fast
6.1
9
0.27
Shallow Cranking Avg*
2.59
--
4.8
7.5
0.17
Medium Cranking Avg*
2.21
--
5.2
8.5
0.21
Deep Cranking Avg*
1.80
--
4.9
8.75
0.23
*Averages taken across sample base of 10 or more rods dating back to the Crankbait Rod Wars of 2009.

Lab: We begin where we usually do with a new stick - in the lab. We've gone back and averaged out values across each classification of cranking rods as laid out in our Crankbait Rod Wars from 2009. Because inventory varies within each tackle store and selecting a baseline rod is rather ambiguous, this should make it a bit easier to see how our cranking sticks actually stack up against the average in each category.


This stick is part of Evergreen's top end Kaleido series featuring their signature woven graphite blank.

For the TKLC-73MGX specifically, we can see it should fall somewhere between a shallow and medium cranking stick in terms of power and that it is heavier and less balanced than the average across each category. But as we've learned in the past, cranking sticks often defy lab test measurements. The best way to get a feel for this rod? Take it out on the water.


The Husky Winder is conservatively styled, yet elegant.
 


Lake Sonoma, CA was our first stop with the Husky Winder.

Field Tests: I paired the Husky Winder with one of my favorite cranking reels of all time, Shimano's Conquest 101DC. It is the same reel as a Calcutta 100DC save for the fact it is a left hand retrieve model (the Calcutta 100DC is not available in left hand retrieve). I spooled the reel with some Toray 55lb Bawo Braid and had at it. First stop? Lake Sonoma, California.


And it features an extra fast taper.

Casting: Casting ability is rarely an issue with a cranking stick. These sticks all load so easily, casting is a breeze. The Husky Winder has a very wide recommended lure weight from one quarter ounce on up to one and a half ounces (1/4, 1.5oz). Looking at the stick's RoD Chart, we didn't really expect the Husky Winder to handle both ends of its recommended lure weight range but it did surprisingly well.


The Husky Winder features Fuji's ACS reel seat.

Sensitivity: One really nice feature hybrid cranking blanks have over their full glass counterparts is in sensitivity. Because the fiberglass portion of the rod is only in the upper third or so of the stick, vibrations only travel for a short distance along the softer material before they are transmitted to the crisper, more sensitive material in graphite. The shorter the distance critical vibrations travel along the softer material, the less opportunity there is for the vibrations to dampen, the better your opportunity to feel what's going on at the end of your line.


This is why given the choice, I prefer big baits! Nevertheless, the Husky Winder was plenty sensitive to feel this "trophy" hit.

By transitioning from fiberglass to a high grade graphite, the vibrations that do make their way to that transition point in materials are immediately transferred down the length of the graphite, to the reel seat, and into your hand. Of course, this is assuming the graphite in that portion of the rod is high grade material. There is no more sensitive a blank we've fished than the full graphite Evergreen Kaleido series rods. The Husky Winder follows in this tradition and is a very sensitive stick even with that fiberglass tip.


Rip baits in the rain.

Next Section: Defying logic and specifications

 

   

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