ESPN Freshwater

This is the first in a series of articles looking at 2007 new fishing gear.

Check out the 2007 reels
Check out the 2007 lures
Check out the 2007 accessories

For most anglers, the innovations in new fresh and saltwater rods showcased each year at the national ICAST tackle show are difficult if not impossible to see.

Rods have become so light that decreases in weight from one year to the next can hardly be felt anymore, and the different advantages offered by various guide styles is really lost on all but the most discriminating fishermen.

This year, however, one feature periodically seen over the years was definitely more obvious than in the past, a design basically known as the "split handle." In essence, the traditional cork or EVA foam ends a few inches below the reel seat, then re-appears at the tip of the butt. In between is pure uncovered rod blank.

This style has not been overly popular because it hasn't been promoted well and also because it breaks the long-accepted tradition of the full rod handle, but distinct advantages include decreased weight and yes, more sensitivity, and it won't change your fishing style at all. This is a feature you can expect to see more of in the future.

Other innovations are more difficult to see. Because of a shortage of graphite in China (which ships graphite to Japan or other locations where rods are actually made) some companies have reverted back to U.S. graphite, which is a better quality even though it's more expensive.

Titanium has become more popular as rod makers learn how to better integrate it into graphite, and other rod builders have turned to different types of glass to enhance their graphite.

Technique-specific rods continue to appear for bass fishermen, as they have for more than a decade, but this year's ICAST offered more such sticks designed by top BASS pros, particularly for jigs and swimbaits.

Many of these new offerings are more like works of art than hard-use tools, but there can be no doubt about one thing: whether you can see the innovations or not, this year's crop of bass rods will definitely help you catch more fish.

In saltwater, particularly for the growing inshore redfish and trout market, stick-makers are quickly learning what serious anglers need and they're using experience gained from the bass wars — as well as from redfish tournament pros— to produce some truly beautiful and functional casting and spinning rods.

The decades-long evolution of rods in the bass market has been skipped; today's redfish rods are already at the top of the bass scale, and the redfish evolution has really just started.

Here's a quick look at what you'll soon be seeing in your favorite tackle store:

AIRRUS

After Shimano broke the Airrus three-year run of Best of Show in the rod category last year, Ken Whiting re-gained the title this year with his Pulsar GL S2 Series of rods.

There are 4 casting and 4 spinning models, all featuring a new glass fiber, S2, which is lighter, stiffer, and has a higher tensile strength than either E or S glass that has been used for years.

Most notable in these rods is the fast, extra-sensitive tip, while the split reel seat (now gaining favor among freshwater anglers) provides better sensitivity.

The single-foot titanium guides are not only lighter but practically indestructible, and they'll handle braid as well as fluorocarbon. (702/395-2173; www.rodsbyairrus.com).

ALL STAR

Seven new rods have been added to All Star's Inshore Series, two casting and five spinning models. Redfish anglers should look closely at both the 6-foot, 6-inch and 6-9 baitcasters, both of which have fast, light actions to handle lures up to about 3/8-oz.

For spinning fans, both the 7-0 Redfish Special (fast action) and the 7-0 Trout/Redfish Special (moderate action) should have plenty of interest. (803/754-7000; www.allstarrods.com).

AMERICAN RODSMITHS
The H3 Titanium Series of bass rods are the first rods with titanium fibers actually integrated into the rod blank, blending with graphite and carbon fiber.

It is 87-million modulus graphite, so the titanium is used to offset the brittleness of such high modulus. The result is a lighter and stronger rod that's so sensitive bass pro David Fritts has even designed a crankbait rod for the series.

There are four different Fritts crankers, ranging from 6-0 to 7-6; other rods in the H3 Titanium Series include 7 technique-specific casting sticks and 3 spinning rods.

Salt pros will like the new the H3T-RFS, a 7-0 medium action spinning stick designed just for redfish. Special features include AR's Maximum Contact handle for extra sensitivity.

The rod can be used with lines up to 17-lbs. and lures to 5/8-oz. There are also nine new IM10 graphite Team Series In Shore rods, all designed for trout and redfish.

The six casting and three spinning models range from 6-5 to 8-0, and all have either medium light or medium actions. (713/466-7849; www.americanrodsmiths.com).

BERKLEY

The seemingly ageless Lightning Rod has been re-engineered to make it both lighter and more sensitive than any of its predecessors during the past two decades.

Featuring IM6 graphite construction, the rod also comes with titanium-footed guides with SS rings that provide improved castability and sensitivity, and a graphite reel seat.

It's available in 6 actions ranging from ultra light to heavy, and in lengths from 5-0 to 8-6.

Also new is the Tactix Series of technique-specific IM7 graphites, designed by Berkley's pros for jigging/worming, wacky worming, drop shotting, spinnerbaiting, cranking, and flipping.

Both spinning and casting models are offered, in lengths ranging from 5-6 to 8-6. (877/777-3850; www.berkley-fishing.com).

DAIWA

New here is the Steez system of rods, which also includes reels and even fluorocarbon line.

The key word in the rods is light; these are among the lightest rods Daiwa has ever engineered and they do it with absolutely precise graphite and resin control. Excess weight is shaved everywhere but without sacrificing anything in quality; these are technique-specific bass sticks with extreme sensitivity and strength. (562/802/9589; www.daiwa.com).

FALCON RODS

Bass Pro Mike McClelland's success on the 2006 Elite tour has not all been due to his jig; at least part of it can also be attributed to his rod.

That rod is now available here as the Heavy Cover Finesse Jig rod, a 7-4 stick designed for fishing heavier jigs in the 25- 30-foot-range, a depth where lure sensitivity usually disappears.

This rod, part of Falcon's popular Cara Reaction Series, features U.S.-made graphite, a cork handle, and a Fuji exposed blank reel seat.

Other rods in this series have been designed for reaction-bait type fishing with spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and topwaters.

Also new is a 7-2 graphite Pro Grass Rod, designed for fishing heavy jigs in grass with braided line. It's stout enough for Brazilians peacocks, too.

Falcon also introduces its new Shakey Head Jig rod, a 6-10 spinning rod designed for lures in the 3/16 to ½-oz. range and lines up to about 12-lb. test.

Falcon's Coastal XG Series includes one model designed specifically for redfish, the SC76M-XG, a 7-6 medium action graphite casting stick with a cork handle and Fuji guides.

Spinning models are also offered in the series. (918/251-0020; (918/251-0020; www.falconrods.com.

FENWICK

In an effort to restore the famous Fenwick rod name, Pure Fishing this year introduces a new Fenwick Inshore Series of casting and spinning rods designed for redfish and other species.

Standard features include graphite composite blanks, Fuji Silicon Carbide guides, and graphite reel seats. Lengths range from 6-6 to 9-0 in a variety of actions. (877/777-3850; www.fenwickfishing.com).

G. LOOMIS

It's been a busy year of development at this Washington-based company for both fresh and saltwater.

Included is the MossyBack Series of 19 blended graphite rods designed for specific bass techniques, such as jig and worm fishing, Carolina rigging, and flipping.

There are 15 casting and 4 spinning rods available, all with fast or extra fast tapers to improve casting accuracy and distance, as well as Fuji Alconite guides and Portuguese cork handles.

Loomis has also addressed lighter tackle worm fishing with its two new 6-10 ShakyHead spinning rods for lines in the 6 to12-lb. range.

The light tips on these rods allow improved worm action at any depth.

Bass pro David Walker helped develop the CBR906 Crankbait Rod, a 7-6 medium/heavy power rod that Walker uses to rip lipless crankbaits over and through grass. It has a light tip so you can throw the smaller lures, but plenty of butt section to rip the lure free.

The new Gulf Coast Series includes three casting and one spinning model; of particular interest is the GCR783C, a 6-6 fast-action casting rod designed for fishing soft plastics.

The extra-fast action 6-6 GCR782C, designed for topwater fishing with braided lines, is also sure to get a lot of attention. (360/225-6516; www.gloomis.com).

KISTLER RODS

This year Kistler adds a 6-10 beauty to its Magnesium TS line, a technique-specific rod designed for swimming jigs like the ChatterBait and others like it.

A fast tip lets you throw baits as light as ¼-oz. but there's enough backbone to handle any big fish that hits it. Also new from Kistler are two rods in the Helium 2 LTX Series, both telescopic 7'0" flipping sticks modeled after last year's one-piece rods.

Both feature the company's popular split handle design that eliminates cork or foam on the handle and allows for increased sensitivity.

There's no foam or cork fore grip, either, so the rod is lighter than most flipping sticks to let you fish comfortably all day. They're able to handle lures as heavy as 2-oz. and lines up to 40-lbs., too.

The Texas rod maker's Graphite Plus Inshore Series for saltwater includes 11 casting and eight spinning rods, all for trout and redfish in different applications; indeed, some of these are technique-specific rods designed for wading, soft plastics, popping corks, and topwaters.

Lengths range from 6-6 to 8-0, and all have fast or moderately fast tips. Stainless steel guides with ceramic inserts, Kistler's Smart Touch reel seat, and a limited lifetime warranty are standard. (281/259-8033; www.kistlerrods.com).

LAMIGLASS

Tournament pro Skeet Reese has been working with Lamiglas for years in developing their bass rods, and this year the Elite Series angler has put his name on three new models that he's been testing in competition this season across the country.

They include a 7-6 fiberglass crankbait rod, 6 inches longer than his famous yellow cranking stick that's been so popular. Not only does the longer length add casting distance, it also increases overall depth control.

Reese has also designed a graphite "Punchin" rod, the term used to describe flipping through heavy, matted cover and then bringing a fish back through it.

The Lamiglas rod is a 7-10 fast action but heavy power rod that will handle 65-lb. braid and 2-oz. lures.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Lamiglas offers a 7-4 Super Drop Shot rod, designed for fishing lures 1/8 to 3/8-oz. in heavier cover.

The Certified Pro Poppin' Series (three casting, 6 spinning) has been favored by trout and redfishermen for a number of years, especially the XPC 683 casting rod designed by tournament angler Jack Conway.

This 6-8 fast action stick handles lures in the ¼ to ½-oz. range, and lines from 6 to 15 lbs. (360/225-9436; www.lamiglas.com).

OKUMA

There's no question swimbaits are finally gaining in popularity outside of California as fishermen realize the true potential of these oversized lures.

They're also gaining in popularity because firms like Okuma are making rods designed specifically for swimbaits.

New this season is the Guide Select Swimbait Series, three IM8 graphite rods engineered for different sized lures between ¾ and 10-oz. All are 7'11" and include Fuji Hardloy Concept guides and specially-designed Leverage Grip handles to make casting the heavier lures easier. (909/923-2828; www.okumafishing.com).

POWELL PRODUCTS

Two new 7-11 Swimbait rods have been added to the Max Series of bass rods, one a medium heavy action with a moderately fast tip and the other a heavy action with an extra-fast tip.

The medium heavy model could easily be used in saltwater, too. Both models incorporate Fuji Alconite guides and high grade cork handles with Fuji reel seats.

Powell, by the way, has been in the rod making business 94 years, starting with bamboo fly rods in 1910. (415/382-9745; www.powellco.com).

ROGUE RODS

Among the products bass fishermen will enjoy from this Oregon-based firm is a particular rod, the 711 CB3C, a medium/heavy power casting stick with a fast tip action that could become your all-around, general purpose rod.

Designed for lines in the 8-17-lb. class and for lures between ¼ and 5/8-oz., it'll handle Senkos, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and even jigs.

It's part of Rogue's 7-11 Bass Series, which includes five casting and two spinning models.

Many rods here are now available with the optional Rogrip graphite handle that replaces cork. The advantages are that the woven graphite design is not slippery and doesn't wear out with hard use.

If you like spinning rods when you're chasing trout or reds, the SJ 7025 spinning rod may be the stick you've been looking for.

This 7-0 rod had redfish written all over it when it was designed; it's a light power/fast action rod that can handle lines up to 10 lbs. but lures as heavy as a full ounce, which means you can throw anything in your tackle box. (877/352-7624; www.roguerods.com).

SHIMANO

Shimano's top of the line Crucial Series of spinning, casting, and flipping rods has been popular ever since they were introduced a number of years ago, and new models have been introduced annually as more technique-specific rods have been perfected.

New this year are four Crucial spinning sticks, including two designed for crankbaits. These include a 7-0 medium/light power model as well as a 7-4 medium cranker; the 7-footer has an extra fast tip so you ought to be able to fling light lures a long way with it and get them to the bottom quicker, or work jerkbaits more effectively.

If you like brown bass, the new 7-2 and 7-4 medium power spinning rods will put grubs and tubes right in their mouths. They're IM-9 graphite, too, so you know how sensitive they'll be. (949/951-5003; www.shimano.com).

ST.CROIX

Two models have been added to the Legend Tournament Bass Series here, the Magnum Cranker and the Big Gulp, and both deserve a long, serious look by bass hunters.

If you ever go to Lake Fork in late May and early June, you'll generally throw a Norman DD-22 or one of the other deep running bottom- crawlers; the 7-10 Magnum Cranker was designed with those very lures in mind.

It has a fairly light tip so you can actually cast  and feel  a deep running crankbait, but it also has enough butt strength to control and bring up a big fish from 20 feet.

The Big Gulp is a 7-11 heavy power rod designed not only for flipping but also for casting and working small swimbaits and even frogs; if you like thick cover, this rod will take care of you.

Features for both include Fuji Alconite Concept guides, cork handles, Fuji reel seats, and the St. Croix lifetime limited warranty.

This year the famous Wisconsin-based rod maker also introduces the Legend Inshore Series to its lineup, a family of eight casting and four spinning rods, each constructed of high modulus graphite and featuring Recoil guides, Fuji reel seats, and high grade cork handles.

St. Croix knows how to make saltwater rods; all but one are fast action and designed to handle lighter lures. (800/826-7042; www.stcroixrods.com).

TICA USA

Among many new rods offered this year is the TC2 Graphite Casting Series of five models, all with Fuji Hardloy guides and Portuguese cork handles.

There are three 6-6 models and two 7-0, with either moderately fast or fast actions and with power ranges from medium to heavy.

The new TC3 WHSA Graphite Series includes 15 models (including three 2-piece rods) with generally fast actions that will also handle a wide variety of lures and techniques. (800/390-5268; www.ticaglobal.com).

QUANTUM

Quantum's motto, "If it has gills, we make a rod for it," wasn't born out of this year's new rod selection, but it could have been.

Bass anglers should be prepared to spend a lot of time looking over the selection this Tulsa-based company is offering.

For starters, there are four new rods in the famous Tour Edition PT Signature Series by Tommy Biffle, Greg Hackney, and Gerald Swindle.

Biffle's rods are designed for pitching and flipping, naturally, and include a 7-6 extra heavy stick for flipping heavy cover, and a 6-10 model for using jigs and plastics in deeper water.

Hackney offers an all-purpose 7-11 jig rod; its unusual parabolic action (bends evenly from tip to butt) not only allows you to use braided line, but also to fish jigs ranging from ¼ to as heavy as ¾-oz.

The Swindle stick is a 6-6 soft-tipped topwater special. Also new is the Alliance Series of graphite rods.

Although the 28 different models (17 casting, 11 spinning) cover numerous fish species, many are suitable for technique-specific bass applications.

Each rod has Fuji Aluminum Oxide Concept guides, Fuji reel seats, and cork or EVA foam handles, (918/836-5581; www.quantumfishing.com).

ZEBCO

Among the many rod/reel combos offered by Zebco, the new 606 LE deserves special mention.

This set features a two-piece medium/heavy 7-foot fiberglass rod; what's unusual is that the butt section of the rod actually telescopes into the handle resulting in a much easier-to-transport package.

The heavy duty 606 LE spincast reel comes spooled with 20-lb. line to match the rod. Also new are three ProStaff Combos featuring the PS3030 baitcasting reel or the PS1020 and PS1030 open face spinning reels.

All three are two-piece reinforced graphite rods in 6-0 or 6-6 lengths and light and medium actions. (918/836-5581; www.zebco.com).