Casting: Casting comparisons with rods is challenging as environmental conditions often affect the outcome. We compared three different Trika casting rods, the 7’3” Heavy/Fast, 7’5” Medium Heavy/Fast, and 7’7” Xtra Heavy/Mod Fast versus a wide range of competing rods with similar lengths and rated actions. We primarily used Shimano Bantam and Abu Garcia Zenon reels for these comparisons as a control, repeating tests using braided and fluorocarbon lines.

The rods make use of Kigan guides with Zirconia inserts

What we found across all the Trika rods was an interesting blank characteristic where the rods felt crisp on the cast yet behaved a little more moderate than their ratings would suggest. On some competing rods that have this style backbone the tip can be whippy during the cast. This is not the case with the Trika rods as the backbone seems to engage 25% down the length of the blank from the tip allowing it to stay relatively stable during the entire cast. I found that the 7’5” rod was very accurate, and Cal observed similar with the 7’3” rod.

A look at the clean wrap under the sun. There was some excess epoxy in some areas but overall the builds are pretty clean

Trika’s blank design makes use of a proprietary weave where the graphite fibers are arranged together to provide more contact and support along multiple axises. This is similar to how some competing companies approach their builds, think Shimano Spiral-X construction or Daiwa Bias technology, and while Trika is not disclosing what their specific design is, the execution is one that has resulted in a lightweight blank with minimal twist. This stable blank reduces loss of energy, especially in the tip section, during the cast which I found positively impacted casting accuracy. In casting tests, the Trika rods performed just as well as the competing rods we compared at their price point, and even some rods retailing for much more, but they also didn’t outperform those more expensive rods, and the overall delta between them all was slight. These particular Trika MH rods seem to like lures in the middle of their rated range, and the lighter the lures the less this casting delta was even a factor.

The Trika rods felt new and different after just a few casts

The Trika rods make use of Kigan Titanium guides with Zirconia inserts which are both light and durable. Trika claims they are “40% lighter” and while this may be true versus some competing guides there are also lighter options, as well as more durable ones. When seeking ultimate light weight, I personally like recoil guides and in terms of performance and durability I still lean towards SiC guides. Trika’s engineers clearly spent a lot of time mapping out the ideal distance of these Kigan guides as casting feels natural on these rods, and even when loaded up any line contact with the blank is minimized.

A serial number is hidden under the hood on a label that will break if removed

Sensitivity: The Trika reel seat and carbon fiber hood do a great job transferring vibration. Cal described the foregrip as an “echo chamber” which amplifies vibration and sound. While I found the implementation very good at transferring what was happening on the line, I didn’t personally experience the same “amplification” of sound or vibration when fishing either the 7’5” or 7’7” sticks. This brings me back to Trika’s claim that on average these rods are 2X more sensitive than competing sticks. The company provides results from their tests without naming the competing rods, just that they “outperform high-end rods costing over $700 dollars.”

Trika really wanted to differentiate their offering and designed some proprietary components including a carbon fiber reel seat

In their tests Trika utilized acceleration tests and measured the frequency responses. The method seems sound but how does that really translate to real world performance and feel? In the field there is a lot that can affect how sensitive a rod feels, including the balance, how you hold the rod, the type of line that is used and much more. I tested the Trika rods using the same Sunline braid and Seaguar Tatsu fluorocarbon that I usually use as my control lines, and I can say with confidence that the rods are very sensitive.

Plenty of blank access here and no sleeve needed

I fished everything from Texas rigs and jigs to paddletails and heavy topwater wakes with both the 7’5” and 7”7” rods and was constantly surprised how sensitive they were when making contact with structure, and especially when transmitting the shock of strikes. While I personally find the Trika blanks/rods to be very sensitive I did not find them to be twice as sensitive as competing rods, and especially those that retail for so much more. As an example I did not find these rods to be as sensitive as G.Loomis NRX+ rods, but when doing a more apples to apples comparison I did find them just as sensitive, and in most cases more sensitive, than other rods in the $299-$349 dollar price segment.

One of the reasons that the Trika rods are so balanced and sensitive is because the components are rod specific. Unlike competing brands that often use foam core grips these carbon fiber handles are designed specifically for the blank diameters

In general, when comparing similar blanks/rods the lighter the overall combo, and how well they balance out, will lead to a rod that feels more sensitive in hand. We found that these rods paired nicely with Abu Garcia’s lightweight Zenon reels, and especially when contact fishing with lighter Texas rigs and jigs. When fishing more power-oriented applications like pitching or swimbaits I personally liked pairing the rods with the solid feeling Shimano Bantam MGL reels.  

The 7'5" and 7'7" rods look very similar, as do all Trika rods, but they do have their own character. I found the 7'5" MH/F rod to be more versatile

Next: Getting a feel for the power and action