Quantum Tour KVD 7'10" Cranking Rod.

[OleCoosaRiver]

Well, seeing that my tax refund finally hit the checking account, I migrated my way down to the Bass Pro Shops in Lawrenceville, Georgia to purchase the 7'10" Tour KVD cranking rod and a Quantum Energy PT reel to couple with the rod.

After the 90 minute drive from my home, through 3 different interstates and crazy ATL traffic, I finally managed to make my way to BPS. 

It has been a long, long time since I have been there.........since I worked there........so the changes they have made weren't very noticeable, but once you walked around, you could tell that some things had been changed.  The vasy majority of the store, though, it still in tow.

The first thing I did was to stop at the reel counter and check out the reel.  I wanted to see if I actually liked it before, I put the money down on it.  I picked up the display model and tinkered around with everything on it.  The next stop was to come to the rod displays, which are on top of the rows of lures.  Needless to say, I walked down 5 aisles before I finally found the KVD rods..................and this is where the adventure began.

I looked up and noticed that the longest rod, which was the one I wanted, was damaged.  Working at BPS, I knew that it was something that wasn't noticed when it was put on the shelf...........so I took the only 7'10" rod they had, and went to the reel counter.  I showed them the damage to the rod itself, which was not enough to cause me to turn the rod down, but I refused to pay full price for something that was not 100%.  After a brief discussion with the "rod" man that works in the store, it was discovered that they would not sell the rod and that they had only been sent 2 of each size in the series.

This meant that I would either have to wait for the store to get more in, which could take a month or longer, I could order the rod online and wait 2 weeks for them to get it in, or settle for a smaller rod, which was not what I wanted.  I have been waiting for a long, long time to get this size rod and I wasn't going to walk away without it.  It was also stated that the ATL BPS store was an "experimental" store and that it was only sent a certain number of various products until it was determined they would sell.  I felt that this was a very poorly thought out excuse for their happening over a product that was damaged and it did not sit very well with me.

So, I called my Dad, who stayed at home, and told him to get a # for customer service of BPS.  After a lengthy discussion about getting some kind of compensation, which the associate on the phone felt I was due since they put a damaged rod on the shelves, and that they only had two of them, and since I would have to wait to get the rod................it was determined that I should talk to the store manager and see if something else could be worked out.

I asked the sales associate to page the store manager.  After telling him what the customer service rep said and stating that I would purchase the rod, but not at full price, he took the rod guy back and looked at the rod.  He brought it back out from the stock room in the back and handed it to be.  He said he would take 10% off and that he did not realize that the staff had put a damaged product on the shelf.  I told him that 10% wasn't necessary, that $5 would be more than sufficient.  He insisted on putting the 10% mark down on it.  So, with the discount written down, I told them to get my reel out.  I told him which one I wanted.............but I made a mistake.  The one they pulled out for me, that I put on the rod, was a 5.1:1 gear ratio........the slowest in the Energy PT series.  I did not notice until I got home that it was the wrong reel.

I left the rod and the reel in the reel counter, which is something they do as a service to the customers, so we can continue to shop and went and found the Red Eye Shad section.

They had all three sizes of the lures on the shelves and I started to pull the ones I wanted off the shelf, in pairs of two.  I ended up getting 8 more...............2 more 1/2 oz. "woops"y Shads, 2 1/2 oz. Chrome "woops"y Shads, 2 1/2 oz. Black Back Gold, and 2 1/4 oz. "woops"y Shads.  After thinking about it, I decided that since I already had 2 other "woops"y Shads at home and 2 Red Craws at home, that I might as well get a tackle box only for the Red Eye's. 

Now, the only missing link was the line that I was going to use on this combination.  Knowing that I am a huge KVD freak.............he IS the man in bass angling after all..............everyone thought that I would purchase XPS Fluorocarbon...........and I actually picked it up............but I put it back down and picked up my P-Line 12 lbs. test Fluoroclear.  I love this line.............it's a copolymer base with a fluorocarbon coating.  It's great line.

So, at the end of the day, I walked out of BPS willing to spend up to $500 and ended up spending $406 total.   
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now, for the review of the rod:

I took the rod out today, the day after I purchased it.  Before that, let me tell you that this is the lightest cranking rod you will ever hold.  The base of it, right at the reel seat, is a good inch in diameter!  It looks like it would be tough to use, more or less to actually hold...........but it's light as a feather.  And the tip........it's as described by KVS, Quantum, etc...............it's a true parabolic action rod.

I initially tied on a 1/4 oz. "woops"y Shad Red Eye lipless crank and tested it out in my yard.  The length of the cast I get with this combination is unreal!  My CastAway/Shimano combinations were put to shame!  I am getting, honestly, 120 ft. out of the cast......maybe 125 ft. even.  It's a long, long cast!

So, to take it out to the lake today was the real test.  I took the hook free from the hook clip and let her rip..........and the cast was unreal.  The rod loads up just like KVD says it does, it launches the lure way out yonder, and when you "rip" the crank, the tip gives just enough. 

I didn't manage to catch anything today, I did have one fish slap at the lure, but I think it was more of a "scared" reaction of fleeing than a pure reaction strike.

I would highly recommend this rod to anyone that is looking for a serious lipless crankbait rod.  It fishes like a smaller size rod, and the butt section is not in the way as with some rods. 

[bassinbrad]

Good review of the rod. I do like them, I went to BPS and held one a few weeks ago. I DO however, have an issue with the quantum reels. I attempted to buy one from BPS a while back and ended up going through three reels trying to find one that would work correctly. Never found one, ended up going back with another revo.

Brad

[OleCoosaRiver]

All I can say is so far, so good with this reel.  I haven't had any problems, but I have also only used it once, which was this past Sunday.  This weekend will find it being used quite a bit more.

[Mike Cork]

thanks for the story, leason in dealing with BPS and the review

[OCBassman]

Great review Thanx.