“The market is definitely going in the direction of species-specific rods,” said Lorne Green, G. Loomis Canada president. The company began designing species- and technique-specific rods in the late 1990s with the introduction of its muskie and crankbait rods. Anglers have readily embraced this trend. The latest G. Loomis lineup includes four new GLX Centre Pin Steelhead rods and numerous additions to the MossyBack series.
Shimano has jumped on the species-specific bandwagon in 2008 with the introduction of 15 Cumara casting and spinning bass rods and 14 Cennan salmon and steelhead models. Bob Mahoney, marketing specialist for Shimano Canada, says Cumara rods are designed for bottom-contact fishing, such as drop-shotting, dragging tubes, and shaking jigs. “The Cennan rods provide anglers with the best actions and are the lightest, most sensitive salmon/steelhead rods Shimano has ever developed,” he said.
Dave Neill, operations manager for Normark Canada, says his company is taking aim at the Great Lakes trolling angler. “There’s a resurgence in DipsyDivers, so we’ve developed a new series of rods specifically for this style of fishing,” he said. The Magnum Series and RSC Series DipsyDiver Rods are designed for trolling these divers and are approved by Luhr Jensen, the maker of the DipsyDiver. Rods feature stiff, slow actions and come in different lengths so anglers can stack multiple set-ups on the port and starboard sides.
Major players also expanding their species- and technique-specific lines this season include St. Croix, Fenwick, and Daiwa.
Building lighter, stronger rods is another directive for manufacturers in 2008. “Lighter and stronger” were the first words Peter Savoia, fishing sales manager for Element 21 Golf Company of Toronto, shared when asked about rod trends. Savoia’s company produces the new e21 rod line. Savoia says constructing a light but powerful rod is a key issue facing all manufacturers. The e21 solves this dilemma, he says, using his company’s nano-technology. The aptly named bright-orange Carrot Stix rods use bio-fibres extracted from carrots, which are applied via an epoxy matrix to a graphite skeleton. The result is a strong but light rod blank.
The Stix created a buzz in the industry in July 2007, winning “Overall Best of Show” and “Freshwater Rods” categories at iCAST in Las Vegas, the industry’s prominent tackle trade show. In addition to the Carrot Stix, e21 makes the Boyd Duckett Edge Series and Classic Gold Series rods.
Sticking with graphite, but using lighter components or reducing handle weight, are ways other companies are solving the light-but-strong quandary.
Split-Grip Handles
Split-grip handles are another rod trend. Split grips reduce a rod’s weight, says Mahoney, noting the new Cumara rods feature this design.
Jeff Schluter, St. Croix’s vice-president of sales and marketing, says beyond looking cool, split grips are functional. With a full-length handle, anglers can hold a rod in several places with their lower hand. Schluter says split grips force anglers to grab the handle’s lowest end. “The split-grip hand positioning creates an improved fulcrum point, so the maximum amount of leverage is utilized with each cast,” he said. For 2008, St. Croix’s Legend Tournament Bass Rods all feature split grips.
It’s a Foam World
The comfort of foam rod handles continues in 2008. Shimano’s Cumara, e21’s line, and Daiwa’s latest Steez Bass Rods all feature foam handles. Foam does have the reputation of not being as sensitive as cork, but manufacturers are working around this weakness, designing reel seats to transmit vibrations to your hand, ensuring foam is not responsible for a rod’s insensitivity.
Split grips are also available in cork, such as G. Loomis’ Frontier X-Series spin and casting rods, St. Croix’s Legend Tournament Bass rods, and Fenwick’s Elite Tech Drop-Shot Spinning rod.
The Weight is Over
More manufacturers are also offering a handle weighting system. Two examples are e21 rods and some of Fenwick’s new Elite Tech rods. Weighting systems let anglers balance rods, customizing them to match their particular reel, says Savoia.
