There is a new player in town, Trika is looking to shake things up with their first rod launch

Impressions: Four months ago we released a preview of the new Trika series of rods as they were launched at the very end of last season. Since that time Trika has started to build up a following among anglers looking for something new and different than the already crowded field of well-known domestic and JDM rod makers.

Trika launched last year with seven casting rods and five spinning rods

Trika may still be establishing their brand but they have considerable resources to both develop and market their products as their parent company is well established in the outdoor industry and is the team from Ravin Crossbows, Rage Broadheads, IQ Bowsights, Block Targets and GlenDel 3D Targets. As we explored in the initial preview of the Trika rods there are some styling and design cues including the use of carbon fiber, orange highlights, and even the logo itself that intentionally honor the company’s legacy as a crossbow maker.

Trika's signature look leans heavy into the tactical with heavy use of carbon fiber components

Trika’s rods lean heavy towards a tactical and modern look and feel versus traditional rod design. There is no cork here, or conventionally shaped handle grips, and even the reel seat is proprietary and has an edgier shape than those commonly employed by most rod makers. Trika has embraced the latest in materials, including use of carbon fiber in their woven handles and fused reel seats. Even epoxy and gloss are kept to a minimum throughout the rods, both for styling and weight saving purposes.

One of the high points on these rods are the proprietary sculpted carbon grips

I personally like the way the Trika rods look, and they are instantly recognizable. The blanks have been engineered from the ground up and are manufactured right here in America. These blanks also have a unique construction, which we will explore more in this review, but they are a bluish-grey color under the light which also makes them look different than the black blanks found on most rods.

The first two rods I took a look at were the 7'5" MH/F and 7'7" XH/F

Real World Tests: Prior to ICAST I was able to fish a Trika prototype rod which gave us a preview of how the new blanks felt but the components on that rod were not yet final, including a 3D printed reel seat and test guides. When Trika officially launched their brand we started fishing the mass production rods and have pitted them against both largemouth bass and stripers. Trika rods makes some bold claims with their rods stating that “independent lab testing proves the proprietary weave design in Trika rods are twice as sensitive as high-end competitive rods,” and deliver 26% longer casts on average. We were eager to see just how these claims would stack up in our real-world comparisons.

The Trika blanks are not actually black and have a greyish-blue tone under the sun

Next: Putting the Casting and Sensitivity to the Test