New Fishing Pole

[VillainousHero]

Well I did got around to do some backyard casting practice for a short 10-20 minutes but who's timing it.  The practice plug is 1/4 oz.

First up was the Poison Adrena BFS rod and it did a wonderful job of just casting.  Did a few rounds with that rod, then switched to the Expride BFS rod.  Both rods being only two inches different still required a slight adjustment to my casting release.

In effect I would say that these rods do not cast like as if they're light power rods at all.  They felt more akin to their standard medium powered rods.  In comparison they are just like some older Light powered bass casting rods.  I'm comparing it too the Phenix 6'6" Light casting rod, Phenix 7' Light casting rod, and even the Posion Adrena 6'10" Medium casting rod.

If compared to the St. Croix LT 6'10" Medium XF casting rod, the rod tip from the St. Croix has a lighter tip load on the cast and overall rod blank too.  It was just a very brief casting practice just for initial feel, so later on will do some more side to side casting comparison.

[VillainousHero]

Well since I couldn't even find a good day for the backyard practicing.  I somehow stopped by Joe's after work one day and poof.  I spent some mulah on a semi cheaper rod.  Well on sale as usual.  Just price for performance specs, it's an incredibly great deal.

It is the cheaper CDC68LBFSA Curada rod.  6'8" Light casting rod.  In essence it is about the same specs as the more expensive Expride 6'8" Light casting rod.  Only the rough abrasive rod blank and the cheaper line guides and all about it. 

Rod weight at 3.78 oz. so a tad bit more weight compared to the other rods.

Just how it will cast for performance in the backyard...wel l until some nice better days.

[VillainousHero]

Well, got some nice weather and some backyard casting practice with the Curado 6'8" Light casting rod.  As expected for a lower price tier rod, it's not exactly finesse but not exactly dull either.  It has the feel of a utility workhorse tool.  Overall, it does cast with good distance.  However, the line flow isn't spectacular when compared to the more expensive Expride 6'8" casting rod.  Switching between the two rods, I did have to adjust my casting release point ever so slightly.  The EVA foam handle of the Curado rods totally reminds me of Ugly Stick rods EVA foam feel.  That directly affects the casting feel overall on the rod too.  This brings back memories of the older Zodias rods, that I attributed to like a high-end Ugly Stick in its best refinement form.

In price point comparison to the equivalent Phenix Feather light casting rod, the Curado has a better feel overall.  Although I would say that the Phenix may look better overall with its assembly and components.  The Curado rod has better form and function from its design overall.  Akin to these Curado rods is that rough feel of the blank from it's cross wraps.  They really should just smooth sand it, even if it is a bad sanding job, better than none at all.  Or just flex coat it, even if it's a cheap job, still better than none either.

[VillainousHero]

Ark Gravity Bass Finesse Series Casting Rods
retails $199.99

They listed that the entire weight of the rod is no more than 2.6 oz. of weight.  Heck that's less than most ice fishing rods with a full reel seat.

It sort of sounds impressive but the old brown St. Croix LE 6' light spinning rod is a solid 3.1 oz.  The cheap ugly Phenix Feather 7'1" casting rod is 3 oz.  The expensive casting Shimano Posion Adren 6'10" BFS is a solid 3 oz. likewise spinning model 6'10" UL/M rod is also 3 oz.  So lighter weight components mostly in the reel seat and handles.  They did say a mimimalist build concept. 

6'4" is listed with line guides of 7+tip
6'8" is listed with line guides of 8+tip

Shimano BFS PA has 10+tip.  Expride 6'8"  BFS has 10+tip.  Curado BFS 6'8" has 9+tip.

Might have to deal with some line rub on blank.  Again they did list mimimalist build.

[VillainousHero]

Shimano Curado Light casting rod $179.99
CDC68LBFSA
Rod weight 3.78 oz.

6'8" Light power Fast tip action.  9 line guides plus tip.

Comparing to the older Curado 6'10" Medium Light power weighing in at 3.88 oz. and with only 8 line guides plus tip.  The light casting rod has an overall smaller physical blank.  It really does follow suit with the more expensive Expride BFS rod.  Heck even the guide train is almost identical, well comparative to the upper portion of the rod.  That kind of makes the Expride BFS rod sort of a lousy extra line guide on the lower section of the rod with no benefit.  Anyway the Light Curado rod sort of address many things that the Medium Light Curado rod sort of felt and fell short and dull on.  That ever slight drop in power is just what's needed in the finesse portion.  Again the whole BFS term is not equivalent to what one expects from an actual Light power rod.  They are all sort of on a Light+ power getting closer to that Medium Light power.  That brings it right back to the old St. Croix ML XF Legend Tournament rod that comparitively has a lighter tip section action that was dubbed the drop shot rod.

Back to the line guide train on casting rods is that they are horrible as far as line rubbing goes while the rod is flexed on load.  It's strange that even when St. Croix gets it done right on one of their rods, they don't do it on every one of them.  The line rub on these BFS type of casting rod is just something the industry standard just has.  Not that it matters so much while one has a fish on, becuase one is dealing with the fish fight.  However it's there and if using braid lines, well it more noticeable and very noticeable inhouse flex and torsion checking.  The Shimano Poison Adrena BFS does the best job at preventing line rub, but it's physically still happens ever so slightly.  This Curado Light casting rod BFS type has quite the line rub while flex torsion checking.  Well to be fair, since the industry has also chosen to use line guides without stems to them.  Meaning the rings are even closer to the rod blank or basically next to the rod blank.

Well back to the Curado rod, since it uses the X-shape carbon tape wrapping, it addresses the torsoin roll of the line guides while under load.  Does a great job in preventing that effect even on this BFS light model.  In my opinion, it justifies the price hike of recent years on this particular model with the performance merits that this model provides.  Even moreso while paying for a discounted sales price rather then the full retail price.

After the 2025 ICast new product release.  Wow the industry is dropping so many more BFS light power rods.  Then again, it's the In-style of the industry now.

[Prude]

A light, good rod is great. I wouldn't want to hold a heavy rod for too long,
especially when the bites are slow; then again when the bites are fast and
furious. The arms have a lot to do. It's no longer a joy but a struggle
to just get the fish out.

All this slipping on the guides issue, I think they just need to make
better lines that won't fray to the slips.

I don't look for the guides to reduce friction. I look to the line quality.

[VillainousHero]

Cashion ICON Series BF Casting Rods
retails $234.95

6'8" Light power Fast tip action.  11 line guides plus tip.

I've also been eyeing this rod too.  It stated with micro guides and I sort of don't want to deal with that if the line guides gets too small.  The one thing that holds me back is that the appearance of the components and build quality is kind of lower tier stuff.  Aside from that, the physical specs all sounds great.  Then again, that's how the sales pitch goes.

[Prude]

5'6" to 6'0"  is my favorite rod length. Whatever the kind.

But, of course, there are only certain quality rods like the G. Loomis
or St. Croix types that are most cherished but high prices.

That length gives me the feel of control but also allows longer reach in casting.
In spots where there's tiny room for the cast, I could cast right through. Feels
like my arm's length at all times.

[VillainousHero]

Ark Gravity Bass Finesse Series Casting Rods
retails $199.99

They listed that the entire weight of the rod is no more than 2.6 oz. of weight.  Heck that's less than most ice fishing rods with a full reel seat.

It sort of sounds impressive but the old brown St. Croix LE 6' light spinning rod is a solid 3.1 oz.  The cheap ugly Phenix Feather 7'1" casting rod is 3 oz.  The expensive casting Shimano Posion Adren 6'10" BFS is a solid 3 oz. likewise spinning model 6'10" UL/M rod is also 3 oz.  So lighter weight components mostly in the reel seat and handles.  They did say a mimimalist build concept. 

6'4" is listed with line guides of 7+tip
6'8" is listed with line guides of 8+tip

Shimano BFS PA has 10+tip.  Expride 6'8"  BFS has 10+tip.  Curado BFS 6'8" has 9+tip.

Might have to deal with some line rub on blank.  Again they did list mimimalist build.

Saw these rods at Joe's.  After the big summer clearance event sales.  It seems not a lot of people must've shopped at Joe's this time, still a lot of selection available.  Or perhaps like usual, they hide the good stuff and bring if back out after the sales event.  As sometimes Joe's does extend the sales past the announced sales event, but not this year.  The clearance sections, are still there.

Looking over the build quality of these rods and it's like, meh...definite ly not a $200 retail build.  The feel reminds me alot off Phenix Feather rods build quality.  Only one thing got going better for these is the rod blanks slim size and slim reel seat.  It's actually pretty good and would pass very well if that was built for ice fishing handles.  Bare blanks, sanded and smooth.  Lightweight EVA foam handles.  Ugly Stick Carbon Rod replica sort of.

Also saw the Shiman Zodias BFS 7' Light casting rod.  Priced hiked to $259.99 retail now.  Seems like retail world wide price hike just went into effect.  Already owning a few of the Zodias rods - build quality is top notch, but fishing quality is just above mediocre.  This particular model is really in the Light power category with lure weight range of 3/32 - 5/16 oz.  It's not like the other BFS rods that seems to be more in the ML power category.  The rod was formerly just over $200 and was really the best offering in that price.  Not anymore with the price hike.

The price hike also pushed all the Shimano Curado rods to $200 and over.  This used to be a best in category of price and performance at the $150 retail.  Yikes. 

Expride price of $279 jacked up to $339 and over. 

Poison Adrena price of $379 jacked up to $429 and over.

- Okay blame Trump for that import tariffs.

[VillainousHero]

With the August 2025 price hike. 

I normally say that St. Croix rods are just over priced.  Well now the import tariffs puts those lower priced imports on almost the same price point comparison. But that just means that American made rods have opportunity to offer competitive value or are they just gonna price hike up their stuff?  Well St. Croix price hiked their rods...compone nts are still imported like Fuji reel seats and line guides.

[VillainousHero]

I've never been a Megabass bougie bass affeciando blah blah...
Retails $699 - 749

Megabass Destroyer Evoluzion Rods

EVOLUZION MX40 SUPER TITANIUM HYBRID SHAFT[/b]

Within its sleek blank hides groundbreaking technology, an emerging legend in its own right. Combining ultra-low-resin, high-elasticity MX40 carbon graphite fibers with high-density, shape-memory Super Titanium microfibers, this composite achieves extraordinary tensile strength and unparalleled resilience under load. For powerful casting, lure control, and tough fights, it offers unmatched flexibility and strength.

Meanwhile, in delicate applications—when subtle line tension is key to sensing underwater nuances—its heightened vibration transmission provides exceptional sensitivity and clarity. This new standard in fishing performance broadens your offensive strategies, comfortably enabling a diverse range of tactics.

Titanium rods sounds interesting. 

[VillainousHero]

There has been no new innovation in the ice fishing rods industry.  Even if we recycle the same concepts that has gone aside and tucked and hidden away. 

BFS is here for open water.  It's become the latest fad and rage.  When will it cross over to ice fishing.  I mean, it's been like twenty or so years now.  Since I've mentioned it to some industry pioneers in the field.  Yeah, they tried the fly reel and crossed it over to 13 Fishing's inline reels.  Which is really just old world 3rd country raft reels and yet not even up to par with those raft reels.

We have the BFS reels and many cheap ones coming out even on Temu and Ali.  They have short 4' rods, like as if they couldn't make 3' rods.  I suppose everything needs to get passed the gimmick phase.  Or get some Pro staffs...um Product staffs in the industry leaders to lead the rage on that.  Then again, they'll just be stealing my crazy off the wall ideas that I mentioned to them.  Did I mentioned that St. Croix Rods stolen my idea and never got back to me.  They really do make some of the best rods but then again not all of their rods are even close to being good.  I mean it's for fishing on the St. Croix River.  Need to catch everything from Mooneyes to Sturgeons.

[VillainousHero]

Not an engineer but what's up with the fishing industry with the Fuji K-frame line guides and guide trains on spinning rods nowadays?

It doesn't make much sense to go with heavier line guide frames and then create a line choke between the stripper guide and the next one up.  Now your rod not only feels like it's heavier, well it is heavier if one just weighs the rod, but now that line choke feeling on those long cast, well you lose out on some distance.  It doesn't take an engineer to visually see that if the line flow isn't straight in the arrangement of the line guides, it's rubbing and extra friction is just reducing your casting distance.

And with the recent price hike...did they just fired all the engineers and went it the newly hired CEO who don't even fish and followed his vision.  Definitely put off on buying any spinning rods in the next few years and better look at them at the retail store much much more closely and quietly put it back on the retail shelf.

[Prude]

Good engineering makes good rod quality.

I like that.

[Prude]

So, I just bought a St. Croix Eyecon rod to fit my Shimano Stradic reel.

But now I have to decide what line type or poundage
to use for it and if I should use this set-up for lunkers or just panfish like
crappies.

Tough decision.