Post by djkimmel on Jul 5, 2004 19:02:57 GMT -5
Been using several of my new All-Star Titanium fishing rods the past few weeks and I really like them. I got a variety to use for the different tactics I enjoy and have put all of them except 1 so far through some paces.
The rods I'm using are all the Titanium models except 1 Team All Star glass crankbait rod. I've been using fiberglass rods for crankbaiting for a long time. I've gone through a number of different ones trying to find the right action and feel so I really wanted to see what All Star came up with.
-TAS 846GCB is their 7 foot glass model. It's stiffer than other glass crankbait rods I've used but seems to have a decent amount of give in the tip. It is also more sensitive than other glass rods I've used. That's always a concern when using glass verses graphite - the trade-off in sensitivity. I haven't caught a ton of fish on it yet, but it feels like it will work out.
The blank is a little wider at the base, but tapers down to a slender tip and still feels light - it's lighter than some other glass crankbait rods I've tried. I haven't noticed any more fatigue when wielding it for a long time due to weight or wind-drag, and I expect it will be less tiring with the bigger cranks due to it's slightly stiffer action and powerful backbone. It handle ripping through weeds much easier also.
-AST844CB: I also wanted to experiment again with some graphite crankbait rods to see how manufacturers are doing with them and to see if I could find one I was comfortable with that might help with fishing in weeds and other more 'sensitive' cranking situations.
This model is a graphite 7 foot crankbait rod and you would have to think that an American company that specializes in graphite rods would know how to make a good graphite crankbait rod. They apparently do. I've already caught bass up to 4 pounds (St. Clair smallie) on the rod and I really like it. It's a light rod (good rod speed when casting) with great sensitivity.
Despite being graphite the tip gives enough when a 4-pound St. Clair smallie surges under the boat to not lose the bass. I haven't lost any bass on the rod yet using a number of different crankbaits and can feel what it happening with the crankbait really, really well. Easy to rip the weeds and feel the water change when a good bass comes up hard on the crankbait. It may take me a while to convert from glass to all crankbait - it's been a long time - but I'm using this rod a lot!
AST815CWW: This 6' 9" casting rod was designed with Terry Backsay for whacky rigging. I actually bought it to use for blade-baiting - something I'm doing a lot more of the past few years. The tip action is just about perfect for snapping blade baits while the sensitivity and butt section are pretty good for hooking and landing with these tricky baits. I've already caught big perch and some smallies on the rod. I've also found it makes a pretty good topwater rod too. Haven't tried it for whacky rigging yet, but it would probably do a good job on that.
-AST905MS is the 7 1/2 foot mag spinning rod I got for Great Lakes tubing and any other spinning application requiring a rod with some butt to it. It's stiffer and a little heavier than I expected, but it's a quality rod with great sensitivity. What I liked about it is it actually has done what I wanted - hook and manhandle tough Great Lakes smallies on tubes. I've used 10 pound Vanish on my spinning reel and it doesn't take much to put the point into a hard-charging smallie.
I haven't caught any giants with it, but a number of 2 to 3 1/4 pounders that I was able to hit hard with just a good wrist snap and then power to the boat a little quicker than normal. I think it will improve my deep channel fishing success as the year progresses also. I think it will double as a finess-lure pitching rod also when searching out shallow-cover largemouths.
AST845C-SH: Speaking of channel bass, I got this 7 foot casting rod for 5" tubes and especially the deep channel current bass. I haven't had much of a chance to use this one yet, but the action feels great and it is a light sensitive rod. I like a 7 foot length for many things, but think the handles are sometimes too long for a lot of comfort in certain techniques like snap-jigging or other techniques that require a lot of rod movement. I think a shorter handle is more balanced and less tiring for a lot of wrist movement. I'll report later in the year on how this rod works out.
AST782S-TN: I've always liked the Tennessee handle for light spinning rods and I make my own hair jigs for bass fishing which work real well on a light spinning rod, but it's hard to find a slender spinning rod for good rod speed to cast light lures that still has good backbone for handling tough smallies and bruiser largemouth.
I enjoy the fight as much as anyone, but in a tournament I want to get the bass to the boat as quick as possible and besides, realistically, it's a lot better for the bass to not fight it to complete exhaustion anyway. This rod feels really, really good and still has enough backbone to put good pressure on a large bass. I've only caught smaller smallies and some big perch on it, but I can tell it's an improvement over the past few rods I've tried. At 6' 6" it is longer for more leverage without giving up any backbone.
Forgot to mention, I received a nice letter from All Star about their recent sale to K2. They are assuring anglers they will not change the way they make rods - they will continue to be American-made in Houston Texas. Good news!
The rods I'm using are all the Titanium models except 1 Team All Star glass crankbait rod. I've been using fiberglass rods for crankbaiting for a long time. I've gone through a number of different ones trying to find the right action and feel so I really wanted to see what All Star came up with.
-TAS 846GCB is their 7 foot glass model. It's stiffer than other glass crankbait rods I've used but seems to have a decent amount of give in the tip. It is also more sensitive than other glass rods I've used. That's always a concern when using glass verses graphite - the trade-off in sensitivity. I haven't caught a ton of fish on it yet, but it feels like it will work out.
The blank is a little wider at the base, but tapers down to a slender tip and still feels light - it's lighter than some other glass crankbait rods I've tried. I haven't noticed any more fatigue when wielding it for a long time due to weight or wind-drag, and I expect it will be less tiring with the bigger cranks due to it's slightly stiffer action and powerful backbone. It handle ripping through weeds much easier also.
-AST844CB: I also wanted to experiment again with some graphite crankbait rods to see how manufacturers are doing with them and to see if I could find one I was comfortable with that might help with fishing in weeds and other more 'sensitive' cranking situations.
This model is a graphite 7 foot crankbait rod and you would have to think that an American company that specializes in graphite rods would know how to make a good graphite crankbait rod. They apparently do. I've already caught bass up to 4 pounds (St. Clair smallie) on the rod and I really like it. It's a light rod (good rod speed when casting) with great sensitivity.
Despite being graphite the tip gives enough when a 4-pound St. Clair smallie surges under the boat to not lose the bass. I haven't lost any bass on the rod yet using a number of different crankbaits and can feel what it happening with the crankbait really, really well. Easy to rip the weeds and feel the water change when a good bass comes up hard on the crankbait. It may take me a while to convert from glass to all crankbait - it's been a long time - but I'm using this rod a lot!
AST815CWW: This 6' 9" casting rod was designed with Terry Backsay for whacky rigging. I actually bought it to use for blade-baiting - something I'm doing a lot more of the past few years. The tip action is just about perfect for snapping blade baits while the sensitivity and butt section are pretty good for hooking and landing with these tricky baits. I've already caught big perch and some smallies on the rod. I've also found it makes a pretty good topwater rod too. Haven't tried it for whacky rigging yet, but it would probably do a good job on that.
-AST905MS is the 7 1/2 foot mag spinning rod I got for Great Lakes tubing and any other spinning application requiring a rod with some butt to it. It's stiffer and a little heavier than I expected, but it's a quality rod with great sensitivity. What I liked about it is it actually has done what I wanted - hook and manhandle tough Great Lakes smallies on tubes. I've used 10 pound Vanish on my spinning reel and it doesn't take much to put the point into a hard-charging smallie.
I haven't caught any giants with it, but a number of 2 to 3 1/4 pounders that I was able to hit hard with just a good wrist snap and then power to the boat a little quicker than normal. I think it will improve my deep channel fishing success as the year progresses also. I think it will double as a finess-lure pitching rod also when searching out shallow-cover largemouths.
AST845C-SH: Speaking of channel bass, I got this 7 foot casting rod for 5" tubes and especially the deep channel current bass. I haven't had much of a chance to use this one yet, but the action feels great and it is a light sensitive rod. I like a 7 foot length for many things, but think the handles are sometimes too long for a lot of comfort in certain techniques like snap-jigging or other techniques that require a lot of rod movement. I think a shorter handle is more balanced and less tiring for a lot of wrist movement. I'll report later in the year on how this rod works out.
AST782S-TN: I've always liked the Tennessee handle for light spinning rods and I make my own hair jigs for bass fishing which work real well on a light spinning rod, but it's hard to find a slender spinning rod for good rod speed to cast light lures that still has good backbone for handling tough smallies and bruiser largemouth.
I enjoy the fight as much as anyone, but in a tournament I want to get the bass to the boat as quick as possible and besides, realistically, it's a lot better for the bass to not fight it to complete exhaustion anyway. This rod feels really, really good and still has enough backbone to put good pressure on a large bass. I've only caught smaller smallies and some big perch on it, but I can tell it's an improvement over the past few rods I've tried. At 6' 6" it is longer for more leverage without giving up any backbone.
Forgot to mention, I received a nice letter from All Star about their recent sale to K2. They are assuring anglers they will not change the way they make rods - they will continue to be American-made in Houston Texas. Good news!
