What's On Your Front Deck Right Now?

[City17Banner]

*Cross-posted from the TT Enthusiast Forum*

And before any TT net-citizens doubt my mental state any further, just like in the heady days of dial-up BBS's, here are pictures of what casting rods are on the front deck of my 2021 Vexus AVX 1980 aluminum bass boat all set to go for a hot afternoon of smallmouth bass fishing on a local flowage about 45-minutes from my lake cabin in NW Wisconsin. I'm just waiting for my fishing buddy to get back from going to church and then we're off to try and catch a smallmouth bass over 20".

Please have a great day!

Starboard side front deck rods from nearest to furthest: Sedition Cristobal ML, 20 Vigore 71H, EG Grand Stallion GTX, & EG Rapid Gunner RSR



Port side front deck rods from nearest to furthest: RD Hustler Technical Tune, RD Shallow Cover Finesse, RD Jigga Stick, & Sedition Hooligan

[mrpao]

Sweet combos.

[City17Banner]

Sweet combos.

Thank you!

[Big-Bass1]

*Cross-posted from the TT Enthusiast Forum*

And before any TT net-citizens doubt my mental state any further, just like in the heady days of dial-up BBS's, here are pictures of what casting rods are on the front deck of my 2021 Vexus AVX 1980 aluminum bass boat all set to go for a hot afternoon of smallmouth bass fishing on a local flowage about 45-minutes from my lake cabin in NW Wisconsin. I'm just waiting for my fishing buddy to get back from going to church and then we're off to try and catch a smallmouth bass over 20".

Please have a great day!

Starboard side front deck rods from nearest to furthest: Sedition Cristobal ML, 20 Vigore 71H, EG Grand Stallion GTX, & EG Rapid Gunner RSR



Port side front deck rods from nearest to furthest: RD Hustler Technical Tune, RD Shallow Cover Finesse, RD Jigga Stick, & Sedition Hooligan

These look great! Best wishes on the water!

[City17Banner]

Thank you sir! I hope the smallmouth bass are treating you well this season! How is your new Zenon reel treating you?

[Turtleiron]

Holy mackerel, those are some awesome setups!

We need info on reels and line next good sir.

[City17Banner]

Hmm, my apologies for being less verbose and precise than usual sir!

Please allow me to address this lapse in judgement on my part as well as share my thoughts on overall rod sensitivity, handiness of casting, and overall ease of use as well as providing rod, reel, and line specifications as requested.

JDM Bottom Contact Rod Experience, Thoughts, & Specifications

Rod #1: The Sedition SDC-702ML-FTW Cristobal Limited is a true 7'2" ML rod that is best used for lures between 1/8-3/8oz and is simply a study in how an obsessive-compulsive perfectionist custom rod builder (Mr. Akira Sendo) designs and creates a true ML casting rod that is capable of presenting a 1/8oz Okashira Screwhead Jig with a 3" Megabass Hazedong Shad swimbait and skirts the line of a BFS presentation while maintaining the power necessary to set the hook on a trophy smallmouth bass and fight that fish to the net! In addition, the cork split handle is true AAA-champagne grade cork and comes from the custom shop with three protective layers of heat shrink plastic wrap and a beautiful full 180-degree left hand spiral rod guide wrap! I'm not a BFS angler in the traditional sense, as while I tend to present finesse soft plastics lures with casting gear, I use "full size" fishing tackle and gear, the reel is a Shimano 16 Antares DC set to PE mode and the mainline (for now due to lack of availability of the YGK SS 112 braid/super ester line) is #20 Power Pro Maxcuatro braid with a 4x Seaguar Grand Max FC shock leader connected with an FG knot tied using the Daiichi Knot Assist 2.0 tool.

Rod #2: The Olympic Vigore 20 GVIGC 71H is rated for 1/4-1oz lures but really excels at presenting 1/4-3/8oz Texas Rigs and the rod has an understated look and flies under-the-radar as a bottom contact casting rod from Olympic Graphiteleader who is the pre-eminent JDM rod blank maker within the industry and they supply rod blanks for companies such as Evergreen International. The Vigore series of bass rods is simply the same quality of rod blanks as those found on many more expensive JDM rod brands without the bling and bells and whistles so common to those premium JDM brands. It exhibits a fantastic mix of rod blank lightness (total rod weight is 133g or 4.6oz) while providing the power necessary to set the hook through the plastic on a 1/4-3/8oz Texas Rig set up. The reel mounted on the Vigore is a Shimano 16 Antares DC with #30 Power Pro Maxcuatro braid and #16 Sunline FC shock leader with an FG connection knot.

Rod #3: The Evergreen International Kaleido Inspirare GTX-C710XHX Grand Stallion GT-X is my most versatile big bait rod, it easily presents a Rapala DT20 (pictured) all the way up to a Megabass I-Slide 262T without any challenges or drama. The GTX is rated from 1/2-6oz and it’s the only casting rod I own that can legitimately present lures from both extremes of that lure rating and do it with comfort for the angler. When I am using lighter lures such as the DT20, I like to use the Shimano 20 Calcutta Conquest 200 DC reel spooled with #30 Power Pro Maxcuatro braid and #30 Sunline FC100 shock leader with an FG connection knot. When I am using this rod in “beast mode” I mount a Shimano 14 Calcutta Conquest 400 reel with #80 Power Pro Maxcuatro braid and #50 Sunline FC100 shock leader with an FG connection knot. I am seeking to supplement the Grand Stallion GTX and my Megabass BJ SRD with the new EG Giant Dire Wolf for my larger glide baits for fall muskie fishing but as always, it’s a matter of having the fishing time, budget justification, and rod availability.

Rod #4: The Evergreen International Kaleido Inspirare RSR-C70XHX Rapid Gunner RSR is without any doubt the most sensitive and powerful heavy football jig rod I have ever owned and used! Prior to this I was using the Daiwa Steez Racing Design RD 7011HRB Jigga Stick for presenting my 3/4oz OSP Hunts hybrid football jigs + trailer for deep-water smallmouth bass and I was very pleased with this rod. After acquiring and using the Rapid Gunner RSR though, it was clear to me that the Rapid Gunner was not only more powerful, but it was also more sensitive and is the only bottom contact rod where I can be anywhere in the rod movement cycle of presenting the football jig (I prefer to stroke and drag my jigs) and still be able to set the hook on trophy smallmouth bass without having to reel down on the fish first! The reel mounted on the RSR is a Shimano 20 Calcutta Conquest 100 DC reel with #30 Power Pro Maxcuatro braid mainline and a #30 Sunline FC100 shock leader with an FG connection knot.

Rod #5: The Daiwa Steez Racing Design RD 701MH/HFB Hustler Technical Tune is a 7’0” that is also known as the “Texas Rig Special” and as you can see, it performs that function perfectly for my smallmouth bass fishing needs! As with all Steez Racing Design rods, there’s a great deal of bling and cosmetic “loudness” that can be a bit overwhelming and overstated. What is typically not well stated about these rods is simply how light they are in use and in your hand, they literally float and truly help ease the burden on angler stamina over the course of a long hot day of fishing. For example, the Hustler Technical Tune is a true MH casting rod rated from 1/4-1 1/2oz but only weighs 102g or 3.59oz! The reel mounted on this rod is the Shimano 16 Antares DC with #20 YGK SS112 braid/super ester mainline with a #16 Sunline FC100 shock leader with an FG connection knot.

Rod #6: The Daiwa Steez Racing Design RD 610ML+FB Shallow Cover Finesse is a 6'10" casting rod that allows me to present light drop shot and wacky rig set ups and is the second most sensitive bottom contact casting rod I own (second only to the not pictured EG TG40X Black Raven Extreme RS which is hiding in the center rod locker) and allows me to move away from having to use spinning gear for my light finesse soft plastic presentations. The rod is rated for 1/8-5/8oz lures and weighs an incredible 86g or 3.03oz! Superlatives regarding sensitivity, light weight, and ease of casting side arm and roll casts fail me when describing this rod, it truly needs to be experienced to understand the accomplishment that the Daiwa Steez Racing Design Rod Team preformed when they created this rod. The reel mounted on this rod is the Shimano 16 Antares DC with #20 YGK SS112 braid/super ester mainline with a #16 Sunline FC100 shock leader with an FG connection knot.

Rod #7: The Daiwa Steez Racing Design 7011HRB Jigga Stick is in a category of its own simply because if I could only have one bottom contact rod that can present every lure from 3/8-1oz whether it is a 3/8oz Texas Rigged 10" Power Worm, a 3/4oz OSP Hunts football jig with trailer, or a 1/2oz Megabass Dark Sleeper (pictured), it would be the Jigga Stick. Day in and day out it simply puts smallmouth bass in the boat for me. The reel mounted on this rod is the Shimano 16 Antares DC with #30 Power Pro Maxcuatro braid mainline and a #30 Sunline FC100 shock leader with an FG connection knot.

Rod #8: The Sedition SDC-609H-R Hooligan is a custom rod built by Akira Sendo on his take and interpretation of the "perfect rubber jig game rod" and is similar in taper to the Jigga Stick but more powerful and much handier than either the RSR or Jigga Stick due to its short 6’9” rod length, when you are target casting and running the bank in heavy cover situations. Be warned though, Seditions in general, being custom built rods, are extremely hard to come by and you have to know somebody who knows somebody to even have a chance at getting one let alone two or four or eight or even nine Sedition rods! The reel mounted on this rod is the Shimano 16 Antares DC with #30 Power Pro Maxcuatro braid mainline and a #30 Sunline FC100 shock leader with an FG connection knot.

Lastly, I believe that the true determination of which bottom contact JDM casting rod is sensitive, handy to cast, and easy to use is all dependent on your body kinesiology and your style of fishing. Please feel free to PM me if you want an even more verbose diatribe about these unique and special bottom contact casting rods and I will be glad to share my personal on the water experiences with you.

Please have a great day!

[kickerfish1]

A barbecue grill a few chairs and a few potted plants

[City17Banner]

A barbecue grill a few chairs and a few potted plants

That's better than me sir! I just have a front step made out of concrete!

[Turtleiron]

I asked and you not only delivered but knocked it out of the park! I’ve read about many of those rods but your’s is the first to give detailed info and comparisons.

Bravo!

[City17Banner]

I asked and you not only delivered but knocked it out of the park! I’ve read about many of those rods but your’s is the first to give detailed info and comparisons.

Bravo!

You are most welcome sir! I am happy to share my personal on the water experience with these special JDM bottom contact rods as there appears to be a great deal of mystique, innuendo, and perhaps a bit of FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) about these rods primarily due to their expense and rarity, but also because of the marketing hype that surrounds many of these rods being key halo rods for each JDM rod manufacturer. In addition, I believe there is quite a bit of cachet (earned or unearned) for some of these rods since for most North American anglers, beyond the fact that the rods can only be acquired online via trusted JDM fishing tackle retailers or now primarily on Yahoo.jp auctions, these rods represent an entirely different viewpoint of how tried and true presentations are fished and that skews how these rods are designed, built, and marketed.

A last thought on this entire topic, I'm fond of telling people that I have 1st world fishing problem syndrome, primarily because I worry about having to stock two bass boats with my preferred JDM fishing tackle.

But beyond this simple (or not so simple challenge) many of us who live in North America, unless we are fortunate enough to have visited Japan and actually interact with Japanese anglers, seldom realize that upwards of 80% of anglers in Japan fish from shore or as the term goes use an "Okappari style" of shoreline bass fishing which tends to result in shorter rods being used due to obstructions such as trees, shrubs, and other shoreline cover. In addition, this style of fishing tends to favor long casting reels and has other downstream impacts on JDM fishing tackle that I as primarily a bass boat angler has never contemplated or understood previously.

Lastly, there is tremendous fishing pressure in Japan compared to the flowages and natural lakes I am fortunate enough to fish in NW Wisconsin and it is this fishing pressure that drives the necessity of constantly trying and innovating new finesse presentations on the light tackle side of the equation and monstrous glide baits such as the Balam 300 from Madness Japan which is a full-size 12" glide bait on the other end of the spectrum.

Certainly, there are some interesting overtones, thoughts, and ideas, to contemplate about how, why, and what, these fantastic JDM bottom contact rods are designed to be used for and how we in North America adapt them to use them in our waters we fish for all the different species of bass!

Please have a great day!

[Birdman2136]

Thanks for sharing CityBanner!
Such an impressive line up! I may have to spend a few extra moments admiring the Sedition Hooligan Can’t wait to have one in hand with my favorite compact jig tied on.

[City17Banner]

Thanks for sharing CityBanner!
Such an impressive line up! I may have to spend a few extra moments admiring the Sedition Hooligan Can’t wait to have one in hand with my favorite compact jig tied on.

Don't worry too much sir! Eventually you will wear me down from sheer attrition and I'll be forced to showcase the soon to be nine Sedition Custom Rods I own and as Turtleiron noted in this thread, I'll have to spend some time contemplating what my personal experiences have been with these spectacular "Unobtanium" JDM rods since Mr. Akira Sendo prefers to take his own path on what constitutes a certain type or style of casting rod and its associated techniques!