What's the best Flippin/Pitchin stick?

[Superduty]

I'm currently using the Daiwa light and tough model. Love the action, but not the sensitivity. I spend more time pitching than actually flipping. Prefer a softer tip than most flippin sticks on the market. Loomis, St. Croix, Kistler, Shimano(for Dietz) Who makes the best 7'6" pitching rod?

[RossT]

I love the Fenwick HMG for pitching! It has a softer tip, but lots of meat the drive the hook home. You can find them at Joe's and Cabela's for a little over $100. Lifetime warranty. Put one in your hands!

Ross

[Deitz Dittrich]

Thanks for throwing in shimano..

I'm not sure there is a best.. i would just get out there and feel each one. I myself, have grown to like a 7' non-teliscopeing, I think the teliscoping rods weigh too much at times and can make me tired... I am looking forward to trying the new Crucial flipping stick..

Then again, knowing the number of times you have kicked my butt, if it aint broke dont fix it.. use whatever you have been using!!~

[delmuts]

i guess that i'm out dated ! i use an older diawa tele. 7-6 ( that has 4 in broken off) with power pro line, for my very serious work. much of the time i use my 6'6" bionic blade .

[Superduty]

Deitz, (sorry about the mis-spelling on earlier post) Do you know of any local dealers with the cruicial's in stock? Would like to check them out. Recently ran into the new St. Croix legend tournament series rods at Gander mountain and the flipping rod was slightly stiffer than what I'm looking for and surprisingly heavier than what I would expect out of St. Croix. (maybe the extra weight from all the tags had something to do with this) Anybody own any Kistler heliums? Can't find them anywhere locally. I found a Kistler pro-staffer willing to ship me one of his rods on good faith that I would ship it back to him. Seems a little overzealous to me. Some people claim these rods are as good or better than loomis glx. Others complain about reel seats and guides. Kistler also has a one piece 7'6" rod, I would think a one piece should be lighter and more sensitive than the telescoping models.

[Wayne Ek]

You may want to take a hard look at the Quantum PT rods. I use only one piece rods now days. Also, if you are suffering from wrist fatigue, try the rod Balancer.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Super-I dont for sure.. I would expect Cabela's to be one of the first to get them in.. I think some of the Ganders will be getting them in also, if not already have them in stock... Capras might be another place to check.. I would make some phone calls before I did a bunch of driving! I Would expect the Shimano booth at the MIDWEST SPORTSHOW to have a bunch to hold and play. Not sure if you can wait till then. I think the midwest sportshow is the end of Feb-begin of march this year.

[FlipR70]

Here's another opinion ....

I really like my Fenwich HMX. I like the softer feel for soft plastics & lighter baits. I used it quite a bit until it exploded into 4 pieces while I set the hook on a fish in the weeds. I was able to get a new one from Pure Fishing & they were really good about gettig it back in a reasonable time frame but now I'm a little hesitant to use it for really heavy stuff.

For lighter flippin' sticks (at < $100), I really like the feel of the Shimano Clarus. I haven't had a chance to see any of the new Shimano stuff since last year (Deitz, I'm sure I'll see you at the Sportsman's Show again this year) but the Clarus was light & had a nice balanced feel to it.

For heavier flippin' / pitchin', I absolutely love my St. Croix Premier flippin' stick. It's perfect for 1/2 & 3/4 oz. jigs in the heavy stuff. I've pulled some nice fish out of some pretty sloppy spots with it.

I'm curious why you're interested in 7'6" if you mainly pitch? Last year, I got a 6'8" St. Croix Avid pitchin' stick and I really like it a lot better for pitchin'. If you don't flip, I wouldn't rule out a shorter rod.

My $0.02

FlipR70

[kt]

I will second flip's idea about going with a shorter rod if you do more pitching than flipping. Ive found it a lot easier to pitch with a rod that is under 7'.

Some rods that work really well but don't break the bank are shimano clarus, and some of bass pro shops rods. They usually have pretty good deals on either the bionic blade or extreme rod during winter and early spring.

[priorbass]

Superduty give us a call...one of things we can do as a rod builder is design a rod the way you want it...some times you can not find just what you are looking for...we can pick from different rod blanks and component and come up with a rod just like you want...you can find all the contact info on the midwest web-site...we are all so going to be at the ST.Paul sport show next week...stop in and see us...would be glad to help you out

[DougSpringBay]

I like my Fenwick Techna AV 6'6" MH.

This rod has great feel and sensitivity, with plenty of back bone. I like a pitch'n rod to have a soft tip which this one does. Helps to get those tubes waaaaaaayyyyyy under the dock.

Doug

[turn_in_poachers]

Superduty, if youre lookin for the new Crucial's, Thorne Bros. in Fridley has some in stock. I was there a couple of weeks ago and they had a couple. Super nice rods. I checked out a 6'6 casting rod and a medium action drop shot rod. I usually prefer a 7' for flippin and pitchin too. Im really considering a Kistler Helium LTA for my needs. A Kistler rep emailed me and said their rods are on par with the GLX's, but the action might be a little bit "moderate" as compared to others. I guess meaning their "fast" action is like a "moderate" action for all other rods. Did that make sense? But like you said, I dont think anybody around here carries one. Im 90% sure Im gettin one. But yeah, thats Thorne Bros. in Fridley. They should be in the phone book. Last time I checked, they had a killer sale. It was like 30% off all Loomis and Fenwick rods or something like that, and a free Daiwa Capricorn reel with a Loomis spinning rod purchase. Those Capricorn's are super nice, nicer than the Stradic's I think. Check them out.

[andy j]

St. Croix Avid 7' mediem heavy action casting rod. One great bass rod.

[Dan Wood]

superduty,

I've got a Kistler Helium. They make nice rods and I do like it quite a bit. I consider it at about the same level as my Avids, not quite up to the level of my IMX. I don't have a GLX, but I don't see anyway that Kistler would be in the same ball park. The Legend Elites and GLX's are in another league IMO. I'm looking at the Elites this year - probably get back into building rods to save a little $ and customize.. The one thing I LOVE on the Kistler is the hook keeper. You can keep your T-rigged baits "rigged and ready" and your jig trailers on with this style hook keeper...

[turn_in_poachers]

So Dan, you say its not up to par with the IMX? Really? I was thinking of buying one. I already have an IMX, just wanted to try a different brand of rods. I heard they were on par with the GLX's. For about the same price as an IMX, it has to be pretty close to the feel of one. Maybe I should reconsider then.

[Superduty]

Thanks to everyone on their input. Ended up getting one of the new st croix legend tournament rods. Found one that is very close to the action I was looking for. Gander has all makes and models fishing rods/reel 10% off. Really wanted to buy loomis but the standard 904 flippin blank was just too stiff for my taste.

Dan, I've heard the kistlers are lighter in action than the rating on the rod states. Do you agree? This might make them exactly what I'm looking for.

[Dan Wood]

That is just my opinion. It seems to me that they save the weight on the grip - other than that it seems to be a bit heavier blank... I'm not comparing apples to apples either, my helium is just a bit heavier action than my others. I do like it, but I really would be surprised if it was lighter and more senstive than a GLX or Legend Elite when comparing the same action/weight.

[bassin]

I'm on Kistler's pro staff and can answer any further questions you guys might have regarding their products. The Kistler Helium Rods that Dan speaks of are 25% lighter than your typical graphite rod. They are one sweet rod! Very light and super sensitive. The rest of the Kistler line is fantastic as well. I'm not sure if this site allows me to give out product info not relating to this site but let me know if you would like ant further information.

[Dan Wood]

I would be interested in knowing the specifications on the rods. Specifically rod weight and blank weight of a few of your popular casting models.. Butt diameter and tip size would be nice to know too. I did weigh my Kistler Helium and compared to my Avids and IMX. They are not identical in action though..

[Dan Wood]

I was pulling up some blank weights to try to compare a few of the models.. Keep in mind that rod weight will depend on quality of guides, reel seat, etc... This is just a guide to see where they are all starting from. I picked similar models (you can see the St. Croix is rated as a slightly heavier action, which would account for some of the weight difference). I couldn't find anything on a GLX blank, even on the G-loomis HSOforum.

G-Loomis IMX Blank

Model: MB783 IMX

Length: 6'6"

Line weight: 10-17

Lure weight: 1/4-3/4

Action: FAST MED/HVY

Tip: 5.0

Butt size: .540

Weight: 1.65 oz.

Price: $135.00

St. Croix Legend Elite (SCV)

Model: 5C66MHF

Length: 6'6"

Line weight: 10-20

Lure weight: 3/8-1

Action: FAST MED/HVY

Tip: 6.5

Butt size: .505

Weight: 2.1 oz.

Price: $158.00

St. Croix Legend Tournament (SCIV)

Model: 4C66MHF

Length: 6'6"

Line weight: 10-20

Lure weight: 3/8-1

Action: FAST MED/HVY

Tip: 6

Butt size: .425

Weight: 2.5 oz.

Price: $125.00

St. Croix Avid (SCIII)

Model: 3C66MHF

Length: 6'6"

Line weight: 10-20

Lure weight: 3/8-1

Action: FAST MED/HVY

Tip: 6.5

Butt size: .605

Weight: 2.6 oz.

Price: $84.00

To be fair to St. Croix, I'll list their Medium action rod (rated the same as the M/H from loomis as far as line/lure weight).

St. Croix Legend Elite (SCV)

Model: 5C66MF

Length: 6'6"

Line weight: 10-17

Lure weight: 1/4-3/4

Action: FAST MEDIUM

Tip: 4.5

Butt size: .45

Weight: 1.45 oz.

Price: $147.00

[bassin]

This is what info I have on some of the Kistler rods. I don't have the exact specifications you are looking for. I can however direct you to someone directly at Kistler for more specifics. Or if you wish I can mail you a Catalog.

"Helium LTA 7' med/hvy"

Kistler "smart touch" blank exposed trigger reel seat

Blue zirconium, stainless steel, low profile, braid proof guides ( 9 plus the tip)

Action: Fast

Power: Medium-Heavy

Lure Wt: 1/4 - 3/4 oz

Line Wt: 12 - 20 lb

Handle: 9 inch with soft foam butt cap

Length: 7 ft

"Graphite plus series"

Kistler's Smart Touch, blank exposed reel seat

Black plated, low profile, stainless steel guides with braid proof inserts

Action: Fast

Power: Medium-Heavy

Lure Weight: 1/4 to 1 oz.

Line Weight: 12 to 20 lb. test

Line Guides: 8 plus the tip

Handle: 10"

Length: 7'

IM7 Graphite

[Dan Wood]

Bassin,

Are the actual rod weights and specs. in the catalog (oz.)? I couldn't find this info. on the Kistler HSOforum...

[bassin]

No their not. Not much different than the web. I sent your question from before to Trey Kistler directlty. It was too broad of a Question for him to Answer. He wanted me to point you to the Forum on the Kistler web site. Their he and his more "technical" staff can answer any specific question from the guys that are actually making them.

[Dan Wood]

too general?

Just would like to know the weight of rod and blank alone for a comparable rod from Kistler... Butt diameter and tip size would be nice too. Here is one that is comparable to the others listed above...

HELIUM LTA 6'6" Medium Heavy Casting

[bassin]

Hey Dan-

Sorry for the confusion here. What your comparing above is blank specs. Kistler doesnt sell Blanks, only completed rods. Thus the reason why those specs are not readily available. Again, if you would like to talk to somebody directly at the Factory you can check out their web site and post a question in their forum. Somebody there may be able to come up with those specs your looking for.

thanks.