I was so very fortunate to be introduced to the ESOX brand rod series by Mike and Laurie Cork owners of Ultimatebass.com the premier of Bass Fishing information on the web.
Mike and Laurie asked me to provide a product review of this 7 ’ 10 ’’ heavy hitter, and I was in awe from the moment I picked it up. The comfort and handling of this rod is unbelievable. Now remember it is 7 foot 10 inches long but for its size is surprisingly light , however you can just feel the power and potential of future hook sets.
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My fist struggle was to pair it with a reel to match the quality of this rod and for me the clear choice was a Shimano Citica 200D with a brisk 6.2:1 ratio . Next I visited Bass Pro Shops for a extra long Rod Wrap both to help provide additional grip and a comfortable way to protect the cork and handle. With this combination I was more then excited to hit the water and get in my first cast.
With the 7 ’ 10 rod you must remember that it will not fit in some rod lockers and you may for the first 30 min or so find that the tip of the rod hits the water mid pitch. However my Nitro 929 was able to handle the size and I ’ m not so old that I can ’ t learn a new trick. After a few embarrassing backlashes while pitching and failing to keep the rod tip out of the lake I was able to calm down and put a Black Blue KaRu Poison Tail jig at the base of one of the thousands of Cypress trees on lake Bistineau. No sooner did it hit the water I started to feel it bump and thump over the root system . Each pause, tick and bump was telegraphed up the line directly to my pitching hand. I also set the hook on the first vibration. Pitch after pitch it was the same, just an unbelievable experience being able to know I could feel every little thing my jig was doing.
I t wasn ’ t long before the tick and bump of the root systems gave way to the unmistakable thump of a large bass smacking the lure on the fall. As a reeled in the slack and set the hook I could tell it was a good fish. The length of the rod and forgiving tip action securely sank that jig hook right in the roof of a 5. 4 lbs bass. Not only was I able to direct the movements at will of this fish when it surged the boat for deeper water I was able to retrieve the line, swim it around to the other side of the boat and swung it right on to the deck. Only then did I realize just how big of a fish I had.
Now I certainly don ’ t recommend swinging a 5 plus pound fish in the boat however it was very comforting knowing my new rod had the back bone to handle it with ease.
For the remainder of the day my partner and I flipped and pitched jig into and around a few 100 cypress trees and time after time he was getting hung and I was hanging fish. I ’ ll never claim to be a jig expert by any means and truly believe that the only difference between us was my ESOX. Being able to tell what your lure is doing even when you can ’ t see it is imperative to being able to put fish in the boat. It also saved countless lures and fishing spots as I was able to know without a doubt when to set the hook. My partner on the other hand wasn ’ t near as lucky and we spent almost as much time fishing as we did retrieving hung jigs.
2 years ago if someone had told me I would want to change out my Bass Pro extreme rods for a $200 plus rod I would never have believed it. However now that I ’ ve held the two, fished them side by side day after day I miss it. Last week after I returned home from a family vacation in FL I discovered thieves had taken 4 of my rod and reels and countless lures. It may take me a bit of time but you can bet your bottom dollar the next two items I ’ ll purchase is a rod locker bar and a new ESOX rod.
I would like to thank ESOX and Mike and Laurie Cork both for the opportunity to field test this rod but more importantly an introduction to a fantastic company. It was by far the best rod I ’ ve ever used , simple amazing.
ESOX Edge: http://www.esoxfishingrods.com/products/esox_rod_series
7108BM 7 ’ 10 ’’ 3/8 – 1-1/2 lure size 12-20 test Med/ Heavy stick Fast tip $260.00
The above information was taken directly off the ESOX website.
The rod is listed by model number length , lure size, line strength and action.
Perfect rod for flipping fanatics seeking extra length to muscle out big fish from heavy cover.
Delivers a little extra in long c a st ing and handling those deep divers.
TSgt Ronald S. Fogelson,
Fogy fogy@ultimatebass.com
