Power: Trika’s casting offering at the time of launch consists of seven rods, all of which are rated medium power and up. There are no Medium-Light or Light powered rods in the lineup and while we found that the rods were rated accurately, they did tend to feel a little softer under the weight of a heavy lure, or there was a fish on the end of the line. This was reinforced when we examined the deflection data in the lab.

Fig 1 : The chart above illustrates the deflection characteristics of our Trika C77XHMF against the historical averages of similarly powered rods we've tested over the past twenty years.

The 7'5" MH/F is designed more as an all-purpose rod but it is swimbait capable, while the 7'7" XH/F rod is designed for swimbaits but I would argue really just scratches the surface in that application due to the action and lure weight range

What we found was the same characteristics we first observed when casting and fighting fish where the backbone of the rods engages roughly a quarter way down from the tip and the more weight there was on the line the higher the rate of deflection. Overall, this results in a rod that responds confidently but never feels overpowering and does a good job protecting the line while keeping fish pinned. This was especially noticeable when I was striper fishing and found that after the initial strike that I could easily maintain pressure on fish without feeling the need to exert excessive lift or apply unnatural angles on the rod.

I found the 7'5" rod to be much more crisp and started to really like the versatility of this stick. Like the 7'3" rod this is a good Search For One candidate

The best way that I can describe the power on both the 7’5” and 7’7” rods is that they feel different than most rods out there. These rods don’t seem to be skewed towards max lifting power, nor do they feel too limber on aggressive hooksets, and often they feel like something right in the middle. If a balance of power and line management is what the Trika team was going for then I feel like they hit the mark. When it comes to sheer lifting power we have seen other rods like the G.Loomis Conquest or Megabass Orochi XX and Destroyer rods that feel like they deliver more power, but a lot of that has to do with how these Trika blanks load and deal with torque. Trika’s casting rods deliver the power and torque that anglers need but do so through the backbone in the blank versus higher up in the tip section. The strength and resilience are there but how these blanks/rods behave during the battle is both unique and interesting, and once you get used to the difference you will have confidence to really lay into fish and let the entire rod load up and work for you at all times. As an example, here is a cast to catch video with the 7’5” rod where a fish eats an Illude gerbil wakebait and you can see how the rod loads and handles the boat flip.   

The most obvious branded element is the Trika insert in the reel seat and it is tastefully done

Design and Ergonomics: In keeping with the theme of being different Trika’s casting rods look anything, but anything but traditional. I find them tactical, yet utilitarian, in design. They are not traditional like G.Loomis rods, and they are also not exotic feeling like many Megabass rods. These rods are much like their crossbow cousins, they are purpose built with a focus on clean modern styling.

The 7'5" MH/F rod is good for fishing Texas Rigs and smaller swimbaits

The casting rod’s carbon fiber reel seat is comfortable to grasp and the dual blank through design provides excellent access to the blank, and just feels intuitive to palm. I found this reel seat design very comfortable and functional, and the branded insert on the  back of the reel seat is the most obvious styling element on the entire rod and I found the design tasteful, and not distracting visually or in my hand when palming.

The reel seat felt a little plasticky at first but I found it very ergonomic and sensitive. Under the sun you can see the fused fibers

When we measured the Trika sticks in our lab the rods all weighed between 4.5 to 4.8oz. depending on their length and configuration. The Trika 7’7” rod weighs in at 4.8oz. and the 7’5” weighs just a tad less at 4.65oz., showing just how light the blanks are. The rods could have been made even lighter with use of different guides but as discussed earlier there are tradeoffs and the use of Kigan Zirconia guides is not a surprise at this price point.

No matter what reels I used with the Trika the fit and pairing felt natural

I found the carbon grips on the rods to be very comfortable, and the ergonomic taper is a nice touch that makes the rods more visually interesting while shaving off a few grams of weight. On the front end I personally don’t love the way the foregrip cone looks on these rods. While completely functional they don’t have the same visual appeal as some competing rods at this price point. Look at the fore grips and machined nuts on rods from Megabass, Daiwa, and Shimano and the foregrip is paired down to a minimum and are attractive and still provide direct access to the blank. On many of these rods the for-nut is both a functional and branded element that adds a signature and recognizable look to each rod series. The Trika’s cone design focused on functionality but doesn’t necessarily add much character to the rods.

The rubber butt cap at the end of the rod is light and functional

Ergonomically I found the Trika casting reel seat to be very comfortable. At first it looked a little plasticky but under the sun I could see the carbon fiber and it did feel better than it initially looked. There has been a trend moving towards shorter reel seat triggers, and though this is still a topic of debate, the implementation on the Trika sticks felt good to me.

On a side note I also liked how the Trika spinning rod blanks felt...

There is a lot that the Trika team got right with the casting reel seat design including the positioning of the finger grooves and how it seems intuitive to grip if you like to palm your reel. In stark comparison I never found a natural way to hold the spinning reel seat. The finger grooves seem set too far off the reel stem, so if you position the reel stem in the center of your grip it doesn’t feel very comfortable and if you choose to pinch the spinning seat where the grooves are it sets your hand too far back and can even affect the balance of the rod. Ergonomically I think the spinning reel seats need work but I’m going to keep fishing them and provide more detailed thoughts when we focus on the spinning rods.

...but had issues with the ergonomics of the spinning reel seat

One potential gripe some anglers may have about the Trika’s ergonomics is the choice of a closed hook hanger. This is good for a swimbait dedicated rods but for sticks designed to be multi-purpose and power fishing oriented an open hook hanger is just faster, and easier to use, for stowing Texas rigs.

A closed hook hanger made stowing Texas rigs more difficult but was great for hardbaits

Overall, I think that Trika did a good job with the styling and ergonomics on the casting rods, and they should appeal to those that are looking for something modern and tactical looking. The question is how many anglers fall into this category? The design and ergonomics may not appeal to those looking for a high performing rod that still has the charm of a traditional design, or those anglers that appreciate JDM styling and all the components that give these rods their additional personality and charm.

I believe that the durability of these rods will prove to be excellent over time. After fishing the Trika 7’5” and 7’7” rods for nearly an entire season they both still look brand new. The matte blanks are tough, and the grips will not take pressure damage like EVA, or discolor over time like cork.

The cone shaped foregrip is functional and sensitive but lacks the style and elegance of some competing rods. It also doesn't look as high-end as the rest of the rod

Next: Price, Applications, and Bold Claims