Testing the sensitivity...it was
actually possible to clearly discern structure from 100 feet above
Retrieving: During our
tests one of the first things we did was put heavy 6oz jigs on the line and put
them down 100 plus feet to see just how much we could discern from the structure
below us. Sure enough the benefits of a pure graphite rod shone through. I could
easily feel rocky structure reducing hang-ups, and as we drifted off rocks I
could even feel the sandy bottom below, which allowed me to reel back up and
switch to swimbaits to target different species.
The blue threading reminded us of
the GLX bass rods
Soon we were into fish and
within the first hour we already were nearing boat limit when it came to
rockfish. The PBR844C easily outclassed even 7lb Vermilions but at the same
time the rod definitely puts the fun back into the fight. This became readily
apparent when I finally got what I was looking for with a serious strike which
pulled straight down.
Throughout our tests salt started
to build up on our reel seat, the salt was easy enough to remove with a wet rag
The line went dead as the
fish descended into what seemed like an instant snag. I pulled and as the rod
loaded up I felt that there still was life on the end of the line, and I proceed
to arc the rod up further. Sure enough the rod responded and so did the fish
below. I knew I had a decent Ling on the line and pulling him up and away from
the rocks was priority one as the boat continued to drift away further from his
lair. As I cranked down on the reel and lifted the rod I felt the power kick in.
The tip of the rod arced evenly with the midsection, and the butt seemed near
immobile. The Ling was on his way up and gave two good runs that stripped line,
but honestly never had a chance. Within minutes we had him at the boat and JIP
had him in the net.
Crank down and pull up and the
Pro-Blue does all the work...this is one surprisingly powerful graphite rod
The
first encounter was duplicated three more times as we got into a nice Ling honey
hole. By trips end I was convinced that the PBR844C was a serious standup rod
that could easily rival fiberglass rods in power, but was simply a lot more fun
to fish with, as I really felt much more connected to the bait…and the hooked
fish.
A cork composite reel seat graces
the rear of the Pro-Blue rods
Power: In the end I
wasn’t blessed with any stripers worth mentioning, but the rod did see its fair
share of Scorpion fish and Lings in our tests. The PBR844C is really built for
20lb plus fish and manhandled the fish in our tests. I would recommend the
PBR843C for taking calicos, normal stripers, and rockfish. The PBR844C is a rod
that can do it all, and has the power to move 30lb Lings, and even 40lb
stripers.
Next Section: Power continued, applications, &
ratings
