ARK Rod's New Series Delivers Reinforcements for Your Enthusiast Soul

Total Score: 8.25 - EDITOR'S CHOICE AWARD

Introduction: As we grow more and more conditioned to the different formulas (blank + components + grip material and design) for assembling a fishing rod at the various price points, it becomes increasingly difficult for an individual fishing rod or series thereof to capture our attention. What else can a manufacturer do to stir our enthusiasm? Well, ARK rods has accomplished this task by taking unique approach to a rather benign element of the blank.

ARK Rods steps up into the Enthusiast crowd with their latest

Part of the blank making process is to wrap the raw materials in a material not unlike cellophane in order to hold it all together over the mandrel during the baking/curing process. After the blank has been cooked, this material is usually sanded off because it serves no useful purpose afterwards. From that point, it's just extra weight that you don't need. However, some manufacturers skip that step with the goal of delivering a finished rod with more texture and intrigue in the blank.

The new Reinforcer series of rods features a wrapped blank with the company's name and an abstract pattern giving the rods a kind of animal print finish

With their brand new, Reinforcer Series, ARK has taken this approach to another level. Not only do they leave the blanks on this series unsanded, they've taken the extra step of printing their name and logo on the wrap material. When left on the blank after the baking and curing process, this wrap has the effect of giving the blank a sort of animalistic print pattern that immediately draws you in. Question is, does this wrap impede performance and are the Reinforcers truly worthy of such enthusiasm? Here's our first review of the rod from this series, so let's find out!

Impressions: At first glance, there's not much remarkable about the sticks from this series. They feature the saturated design of a split rear grip, no foregrip (on the casting rods) assembly the majority of bass rods have today and the guides seem to be a generic, titanium frame with a metal insert we're told is also titanium.

First rod in this series up for review is the RFC76MHFC

Subject of today's review is the RFC76MHFC, a seven foot, six inch (7'6") casting rod. Where the interest begins to pick up with this stick is quality of cork used in that grip assembly along with the design of the reel seat. It's a Fuji PTS featuring an open blank design and very minimal flanges. For the blank itself, ARK is using 46T carbon fiber beneath that animal print wrap reinforced by some kind of nano-tube tech. The end result is a very crisp finished rod that definitely has a high end feel to it.

Matched with a truly enthusiast reel and balanced quite nicely