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Getting to know glass all over again, the
Lamiglas Skeet Reese Cranking Stick
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Date: |
8/21/07 |
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Tackle Type: |
Reels |
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Manufacturer: |
Lamiglas |
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Reviewer: |
Zander |
Total Score: 8.66
Introduction:
Are you a fan of fiberglass bass rods? These
days it seems that glass rods have been shoved into the shadows as graphite owns
the spotlight. Yet there are those that believe that glass makes sense, and that
includes Skeet Reese who helped develop his own special Lamiglas cranking glass
rod.
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Lamiglas
Skeet
Reese
SR705R
Specifications
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| Material |
E-Glass |
| Length |
7'0" |
| Length from Back of Reel Seat to Base |
8.5" |
| Line Wt. |
8 - 20 lb |
| Lure Rating |
3/8 - 1 1/2 ounces |
| Pieces |
one |
| Guides |
10 guides + tip (Fuji Alconite) |
| Power Rating |
Heavy (5 Power) |
| Taper |
Fast |
| Rod Weight |
5.8 ounces |
| Manufacturing Country |
USA |
| MSRP |
$230 |
Impressions:
I’ll come right out and say it. I’ve never been a huge fiberglass fan when it
comes to bass rods. Sure I recognize the benefits of fiberglass, but the
sacrifices in terms of sensitivity are something that I just could not accept.
That being said the new hybrid glass and graphite rods proved to be very good
rods, offering a good balance of power, durability, action, and sensitivity. But
over time I found myself starting to miss the inimitable soft feel of
fiberglass. While I certainly would not switch out my graphite rods for all
glass I felt it was time to give glass another try.
Lamiglas partnered up with Skeet Reese to create their glass cranking rod
Lamiglas has long been known for their quality glass rods and they offered a new
rod endorsed by none other than professional angler, Skeet Reese. The Skeet
Reese special, or SR705R, is a fiberglass rod that makes use of a new wrap to
offer anglers a lighter more sensitive glass rod with a more forgiving tip
action that is good for crankbaits and jerkbaits.
The
cork grip on this rod is tapered with a thicker grip near the reel seat
The rod
is instantly recognizable as a fiberglass rod thanks to the light orange
appearance, and stands out from the rest of the Lamiglas offerings. You can see
the wrap under a generous layer of gloss, and the rod features a fast action.
This is interesting considering fiberglass often has a slower action than
graphite, and yet Lamiglas made sure this rod had a faster action than the vast
majority of fiberglass rods.
The
rod features a cork
foregrip
Lab Tests: In
the lab we compared
the rod to a number
of fiberglass rods
including offerings
from Powell, a
custom Seeker, and
the imported
Megabass Shiryu.
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Lab Results for
Lamiglas
Skeet
Reese
SR705R
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Model
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Avg RoD (2-32 oz)
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Rated Action
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Spine
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Measured Weight
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Balance Point
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| Lamiglas SR705R |
2.19
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H
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Bottom
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5.8 oz
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9.5"
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| Powell 705CB |
2.04
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H
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Top
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6.1 oz
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13"
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| Custom Seeker BS706S |
2.3
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H
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Left
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5.1 oz
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11"
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| F4-610GT3 Shiryu |
2.22
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MH
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R&L
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5.3 oz
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8.5"
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Rate of Deflection (RoD):
All of the rods tested
similar but there
certainly were
differences between the
Skeet Reese SR705R and
the three other glass
sticks we tested it
against. Unlike all the
other rods the Lamiglas
Skeet Reese cranking
stick spine came out at
the bottom. The
balance point was 9.5"
measured from the center
of the reel seat towards
the tip of the rod and
the line came into
contact with the blank
at a load of 12 ounces
during our test.
Fig. 1 : This RoD Deflection Chart shows the deflection characteristics of our Lamiglas SR705R against that of three other glass sticks: the Megabass F4-610GT3 Shiryu; the Powell 705CB; and a custom stick built off of a Seeker BS706S blank.
Real
World Test: To test the Lamiglas SR705R we head straight for the largemouth
bass that inhabit the Northern California Delta. We purposely searched for
heavily weeded areas to stress the durability attributes of this rod. We really
didn’t have to look far as vegetation during this time of year is still pretty
thick on the Delta.
Under sunlight you can see the fibers of glass construction
Casting: The SR705R does have a thicker diameter at the base of the rod than
graphite rods, but it is surprisingly light. My second biggest complaint about
fiberglass is that they often way a ton, and can even feel unbalanced. This is
not the case with the SR705R which weighs 5.8oz, and to be honest feels more
like a graphite rod when balanced with a reel.
We
paired the rod with an old favorite, the Daiwa TD-X
Once
you cast the SR705R you immediately feel the difference. It has a lively yet
very consistent soft feel in the tip, and the fiberglass butt section is
extremely strong making it possible to cast even the biggest of cranks with
ease.
No
blank through on this rod
By
whipping the rod quickly it is possible to catapult lighter spinnerbaits with
great precision. I was able to drop spinnerbaits in pockets of vegetation,
something I usually find difficult with a sloppy glass rod.
The
rod felt comfortable to grasp
Next Section: Get on with that Retrieve!
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