Event Article:
2006 ICAST Rod Coverage |
ICAST Coverage Day 2 (Rods) - Perfectly matching reels in application,
balance, and style (continued)
Quantum:
The Tour Edition PT Signature
series has grown so popular that this year Quantum decided to add a few more
rods to their line up. These rods like the others that are already on store
shelves, are developed and fine tuned by the pros themselves. For 2007 we’ll see
the following new rods by Gerald Swindle, Tommy Biffle, and Greg Hackney. The
Gerald Swindle rod will be a 6’6” Popping stick with a soft tip to produce a
unique action to the lure.
The PT Signature series, no rod is
the same, and each is designed to meet a particular pro's unique requirements
The soft-tip also allows
the fish to take the lure before the backbone kicks in to provide a solid
hookset. Next the Tommy Biffle rod is a heavy action 7’6” flippin’ stick for
fishing nasty cover, but there’s another model, a 6’10” heavy action model that
he likes to use for fishing jigs and plastics in deeper waters due to the great
sensitivity and hooksetting power.
The Gerald Swindle popping stick
Greg “The Hack Attack”
Hackey has a new all-purpose 7’11” jig rod. This rod he designed to have a
parabolic action to make it more forgiving in fishing smaller and lighter ¼ to ¾
ounce jigs on heavy lines.
The Alliance application specific
rods
Quantum
added a few rods to the existing series of Signature rods but they have also
introduced an entirely new series of fish specific rods called the Alliance.
This new series, which consists of 28 different rods, will have an action for
almost any type of lure you wish to toss – bass, musky, walleye, salmon,
stripers, trout, just to name a few.
Everything from Muskie to Trout
The Alliance rods are
construction out of HSX42 hi-strain graphite blanks using Fuji’s Aluminum Oxide
Concept guide system,
Fuji’s blank through reel seat, and depending on model will
sport cork or EVA handle material. The best part of these fish specific rods is
the price, ranging from only $49.95 to $69.95.
Each rod features a species
identification
Fin-Nor:
You saw it on the ICAST reel coverage. Fin-Nor has introduced two new spinning
reels, the AHAB and OFFSHORE. To complement those buff reels they are also
releasing a new series of rods. The new AHAB and OFFSHORE rods will have a model
to match each reel. The AHAB comes in Inshore and Offshore actions and powers
with an IGFA class ranging from 8 to 20 lb. Class, while the OFFSHORE will have
5 different line weight models.
Bob explains the Fin-Nor strategy
to JIP
These rods look fantastic, and are
designed to handle the biggest predators
Van
Staal: This coming
season Van Staal will have their own rods to match their reels. With the help of
pros from Australia where demand for high-quality saltwater gear is needed, they
have developed a series of rugged rods for saltwater anglers.
The Van Staal rods feature a split
grip design
We were
impressed with these rods from the first minute we set eyes upon on them, and as
we got more information and actually got to play with these rods, we knew they
would be winners. The Van Staal rods use a multi-layer construction process that
produces parabolic strength and lifting power that’s designed for saltwater
vertical jigging.
Quality guides that will stand up
to the elements
All
components on these rods are top-notch and will withstand any punishment
saltwater guys put on them. Because new vertical jigging techniques are mostly
done with spinning gear, we’ll see 8 spinning and 2 conventional models.
Australian Pro Ian Bailey shows us
the perfect jigging combo
Next
Section: Kistler's Chatterbait special