Power: Once again, thanks to this stick's quick transition to its graphite base, there's more than enough power in the Husky Winder to handle most any cranking situation. The tip is very forgiving on strikes, but once you swing to set hook, it's all backbone. This is a powerful stick.

A look at how the Husky Winder stacks up against our cranking rod averages.

Looking at the deflection curve of the Husky Winder from our RoD WRACK tests, the curve suggests this rod is excellent choice for all purpose type of cranking situations. It doesn't quite match up with our deep diving cranking sticks curves, but out on the water, the Husky Winder once again showed that it defies measurement. This stick can handle the entire range of cranking duties from shallow runners to deep divers.

The transition from fiberglass tip to graphite backbone is just like that.

Design: The Husky Winder is a two piece stick following in the tradition of many JDM rods over seven feet in length. Separation is made at the handle so as to preserve the integrity of the blank and really, once assembled, you tend to forget it's a two piece stick. It features titanium framed guides with SiC inserts by Fuji, a Fuji ACS reel seat, and a full cork rear and foregrip

The Husky Winder is a two piece stick separating at the handle.

The blank itself is true to form of Evergreen's Kaleido series featuring the graphite weave blank for about two thirds of the rod's length and then a quick abrupt change to the fiberglass tip. This is, of course, what we can see cosmetically. What's going on underneath the surface only those involved in the design and build process really know.

And of course it is made with top end Fuji, titanium framed guides with SiC inserts.

Application: Other than cranks, I fished the Husky Winder with jerkbaits, and spinnerbaits and found it suitable for all three applications. If you're in need of a stick with a soft tip, yet reassuring backbone, the Husky Winder can easily meet your needs.

As one would expect from Evergreen International's Kaleido series, for a cranking stick, this is about as good as it gets.

Availability: This stick is made for the Japanese Domestic Market by Evergreen International and is pretty easy to acquire as long as you do not mind dealing with our less than favorable exchange rate and the high shipping costs to send a rod over from Japan. Remember, there is no official warranty support for rods shipped outside of Japan.

Conclusion: Every once in a while you discover a piece of tackle that defies logic and specifications. The Husky Winder demonstrates yet again that while our lab measurements have proven true to form with full graphite rods, anytime you put fiberglass into the mix, the reality goes askew of measurements. Blend that fiberglass with the graphite in a single blank and the only way to learn the true character of the stick in question is to take it out on the water and fish it. We make it a point to do this anyway, because that's what we're about - real, tangible, on the water experiences with the tackle.

From rip baits ...

Many a veteran bass angler will tell you that you don't need a sensitive stick for crankbait duties because when a fish hits, you'll know it. But a good percentage of bass fishing is having a good feel for what your lure is doing under water. Are you bumping rocks, stumps or pulling your bait across a soft or hard surface? Are those weeds your bait is running into or did a fish inhale and exhale your bait before you could react?

... to cranks and every moving bait in between, the Husky Winder is built to handle them all.

Being able to answer these and other questions that come up simply from what you really feel at the other end of the line makes you a more efficient fishermen. Sensitivity may not be needed while fishing cranks, but if you can have it and your soft tip too, why not? That's what the Enthusiast experience is all about and that is exactly how the Husky Winder is built. It will cost you but as we've come to find out in the world of enthusiast tackle, for the most part, all good things come to those who are willing to pay.