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Lighter than air, the new Kistler Helium LTA is a must have for anglers
looking for an edge
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Date: |
3/3/03 |
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Tackle type: |
Rod |
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Manufacturer: |
Kistler |
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Reviewer: |
Zander |
Total Score: 9.00 + TT Innovation Award
Introduction: Kistler Custom Rods introduces a new rod built with secret
graphite ingredients for an incredible strength to weight ratio. The Helium LTA
is a advanced fish combating rod, and a must have for anglers seeking an
advantage in ergonomics and sensitivity.
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Kistler
Helium LTA Special Specifications |
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Material |
Semi-secret graphite composite |
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Length |
6'9" |
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Line Weight |
12-17lb |
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Lure Weight |
1/8-3/4oz |
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Guides |
8 plus the tip |
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Rating |
Heavy |
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Color |
Graphite |
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Action |
X-Fast |
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MSRP |
$219.99 |
Impressions:
When Trey Kistler told me
that he had created a new rod unlike any I had ever seen, or felt for that
matter, you can imagine my interest was immediately peaked. In 2002 we took a
look at two Kistler signature series rods that had the look, feel, and
performance of a premium custom built rod. The Helium LTA is a dramatic
departure from the other Kistler rods we had tested, and I would soon discover
the Helium also represented a considerable deviation from the conformity of
traditional rod materials and design. The minute I picked up the 6'9" Helium LTA
Kistler sent us I knew it was something special. The rod was incredibly
light...even lighter than the wispy GLoomis's IMX 783C 6'6"!
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This is one
fast rod, notice how the tip arches during the cast |
A New Design: Kistler
has never been afraid to alter conventional rod design and always innovates to
produce a better rod. Their removal of the traditional upper cork handle,
proprietary Kistler "smart touch" reel seat, and bent hook hanger were all
welcome design implementations that improved the overall feel of the past
Kistler rods. Now they venture one step further with use of new guide and blank
materials never before utilized by any other rod manufacturer.
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Complete Test Rig for Kistler Helium LTA |
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Rod |
Kistler He69APC |
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Reel(s) |
Team Daiwa-S (Japanese Edition)
ChronarchMG |
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Line |
12lb Sufix Tritamium Plus |
The Secret Materials: Trey told us as much
as he could about the top secret blanks that the Helium employs without giving
away the classified ingredients. No other rod manufacturer as of this time is
utilizing this unique material, and lab and field tests have shown the rod to be
lighter and still more durable than any traditional graphite blanks.
Kistler has decided to market the
Helium rods as a semi-secret composite of graphite and other unknown components
which increase the strength and lighten the overall weight of the Helium.
David Dudley, the 2002 FLW Millennium Champion
explains what makes these Helium rods superior to other rods. “Feeling more
strikes truly comes from your ability to sense vibrations through the nerves in
your arm. When your arm is tired, your sense of feel is reduced. Therefore,
lighter rods heighten your reaction.”
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Kistler
"smart touch" reel seat allows direct contact to the blank, also notice no
cork handle on top of the reel, this helps reduce weight and increase
vibration transmission |
Real World Test: We had the opportunity to test the Helium LTA 6'9" rod
which is designed to be an all purpose medium-heavy casting rod. We analyzed the
Kistler Helium LTA in many largemouth and striped bass applications to assess
the rod's finesse, sensitivity, power, and durability.
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The
contoured cork and soft foam butt cap are both designed to maximize comfort
and reduce casting fatigue |
Casting/Retrieving:
The Helium casts like a dream
thanks to slick new guides and a total weight that won’t ever weigh you down.
Even with hours of casting your wrist feels little stress and the innovative
soft butt cap is very comfortable against your forearm.
This butt is much more comfortable than
traditional plastic caps employed by many other manufacturers.
The reduction of fatigue
allows anglers to get more fishing in. Casting distance is also excellent as the
rod does an superb job catapulting lures forward. Line passes through the
zirconium titanium plated low profile guides very quickly on casts and
retrieves. These ultra slick zirconium rings are durable, ultra light, and
equally attractive with their striking blue finish. Because of their low profile
to the rod your line passes in very straight line through the guides so that
friction is greatly reduced.
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The titanium
guides are almost weightless, and the attractive blue zirconium rings are
slick and durable for soft casts and silky retrieves |
Sensitivity:
The Helium’s most impressive
attribute is it's amazing feel. The new material is an absolutely fabulous
conduit for even the slightest ticks on the other end of the line. During the
test we actually had to adjust our fishing style to accommodate the upgrade in
sensitivity! The Helium was simply more sensitive than any of us was used to, so
we found ourselves a bit overzealous when it came to setting on what we
originally detected as strikes. After a hour of use the Helium feels like a
perfect extension of your senses, easily transmitting the most delicate taps.
Unlike
many standard 6’6” rods the extra 3” at the tip of the Helium add to the
sensitivity and is a real asset when finessing plastics. When you get a strike
not only do you feel it but you can observe the rod tip dance back and forth. At
one point when retrieving a single tail grub across a steep point I was suddenly
taken with what felt like a lunker of a fish. After the set the fish went
ballistic taking the lure, spooling line, and causing the Helium’s tip to whip
about. When the fish was about to break the surface I yelled to JIP..”Get the
net!” Standing side by side we saw the fish come barreling in and JIP had a good
laugh as I proceeded to lift a 10 inch Crappie into the boat. This rod is super
sensitive! Every fight is one to relish, and I liken the experience to fishing
with a fly rod two weights smaller than what it is intended for. Every fight
feels like a tug of war with a trophy fish, and is enjoyable to the very second
you haul the fish into the boat.
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Impressive
specifications for a rod this light |
Power: You
would think with this much sensitivity you would need to sacrifice a great deal
of power. This really isn’t the case with the Helium. While we do feel that the
traditional Helium rods have more backbone the Helium’s power is still very
respectable and the rod can be bowed with confidence. Just to prove the Helium
could handle big bass we spent a day field testing the rod fishing for Stripers.
The rod managed these robust fish with authority.
The 6’9” Helium LTA does have
a very sensitive and fast taper so you will need to lift appropriately to set
that hook. With so much sensitivity anglers may find themselves pointing the rod
tip to the side or downwards in all the excitement but if you can just remember
to keep that moving tip up and away from the head of the incoming fish you will
have no problems whatsoever.
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We were
happy to see the innovative Kistler hook hanger was integrated into the
Helium design |
Innovations:
Kistler adds a couple innovations and features to the
Helium LTA that set it apart from competitor
offerings, these include:
1) Modified Hook hanger:
The
Helium LTA
sports the famous Kistler hook hanger that is so simple yet works very well. The hook
hanger is actually on top of the rod by the reel seat and bent over so that when
stowing lures on the rod you don't ever have to thread a hook through the
hanger. Instead the hanger is bent so tension of the line is enough to hold the
hook securely. In addition the hanger holds the lure firmly flat against the rod
preventing it from moving and scratching the graphite.
2) Modified reel seat: As mentioned earlier
in this review, the Helium LTA features a modified reel seat removing the
unnecessary cork grip on top the reel seat so that subtle vibrations transfer
better directly through the blank.
3) Ultra-Lightweight:
Hiking from one fishing hole
to the next is made easier with a rod as lightweight as the Helium. While
carrying or fishing with this rod you never feel as if your arm is burdened. To
maximize the experience you should add a magnesium reel like the Shimano
Chronarch Mg or the ultra lightweight Daiwa TD-Z for a combo that will weigh in
below the bantamweight class.
4) Ergonomics: The Helium LTA's soft foam
butt is a welcome addition that is not only lighter than traditional plastic
caps but is more comfortable against your forearm.
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Pair up the
LTA with a magnesium reel and you have one of the lightest combos available
on the market! |
Price:
One of the reasons that Kistler rods have won TackleTour's Best Value award in
the past was for their amazing value. With the Helium you are getting a
assortment of new features and the opportunity to fish with an exclusive new
material…but all this now comes with a larger price tag. Simply put is this rod
worth it? At a price tag that puts the Kistler in direct competition with St.
Croix legend Elite and GLoomis IMX rods is this rod a worthy alternative? Our
answer is…absolutely. For just a little less than the premium competition you
can get your hands on a rod that performs just as good in the durability and
casting department and even better when it came down to sensitivity and weight.
In addition to excellent attributes the Kistler Helium is like the new kid on
the block, with a fresh face, and an attitude to match. You are sure to get
plenty of attention when fishing this hard core challenger.
Ratings:
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Kistler
Helium LTA Ratings (?/10) |
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Construction/Quality |
Whatever this new super graphite blend is we
hope that Kistler employs more of it on their other rods, it is fantastic in
terms of durability and sensitivity |
9 |
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Performance |
Great sensitivity and weight, not as powerful
as the original Kistler Signature rods but a major advancement in terms of
finesse and sensitivity |
9 |
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Price |
This is a premium rod and priced accordingly.
It is competitive with competitor pricing for a rod of this caliber. |
8 |
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Features |
Full of features like the Kistler Hook hanger,
special materials, zirconium titanium guides, sensitive "smart touch" reel
seat...and the list goes on. |
10 |
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Design (Ergonomics) |
Great contoured cork that makes extended
fishing easy, and a soft foam butt cap that rests easy on your arm |
9 |
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Application |
This rod will excel at finesse fishing
applications but can also be used for some hardcore fishing and even light
saltwater duty |
9 |
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Total Score |
9.00 |
Pluses and Minuses:
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Plus
Minus |
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J
Exciting new blank material |
L
Doesn't feel as powerful as some of Kistler's
signature rods |
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J
Lightweight zirconium titanium guides |
L
Hard to find in local stores, best place to
look is at Kistlerrods.com |
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J
Ultra sensitive |
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J
Great ergonomics |
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Conclusion:
Trey Kistler designs some of the best new rods on the market, and the new Helium
is truly representative of how far Kistler is willing to go to provide a unique
solution and experience to anglers. For us the Helium was definitely not more of
the same, rather the new materials and attributes of this rod was like a well
needed rejuvenating shot in the arm. While we wish other rod manufacturers would
go as far as Kistler does to deliver a uniquely new implantation the fact is
that most manufacturers will stick with the same formula and keep simply
tweaking it. While it isn’t always a good idea to build from the ground up the
Kistler Helium proves that when done right the result is
nothing short of breathtaking. If you are lucky enough to find one of these rare
custom rods definitely consider treating yourself to a unique new fishing
experience. Use of pioneering new materials, designing in more comfort, reduced
weight, and increased sensitivity make the Kistler Helium a worthy recipient of
TackleTour’s Innovation Award!
Until next time....Tight Lines!
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