Nick I totally agree. I did go back in Lukes earlier videos also and should clarify that the Rippin Lips Rod was a Medium Heavy, not the medium I thought it was. But hi-sticking two rods that causes them to both break does not mean that they are only good for channel cats in calm current.
I have not real disagreement with Lukes test except that to many, he gave two good rods a black eye. If you want to do that test, fine but do it with all the rods. All some will remember is that these two rods broke, even though they were doing something a rod is not designed to do. How many remember Luke's earlier video where he selects this very same Rippin Lips MH rod as the overall best rod in the group of comparable rods. For the price ($38 to your house) I consider it the best rod on the market.
Just watched the Catch the Fever rod video. Since I get limited data on satellite , I wanted to wait till after midnight.
As has already been mentioned, the rod test kept the rod so it only had to bend to a maximum of 90 degrees. That is more in line with what rods are supposed to do. Hi-sticking so the rod is bent into a "U" shape is much harder on a rod. Also this rod is made using S-glass. That is the same material that the Rippin Lips is made with which makes me think the main difference was the test itself.
There can be some differences between one medium Heavy rod compared to another since there are no standards that a company has to comply with. A company can call a flimsy rod or a heavy rod a medium heavy if they want to.
My thoughts as well, notice how after lifting it in the air the angle of the handle, so as he is continuing to lift it is causing the bucket with water to move even closer towards him than it began on the ground in effect Doubling the rod towards itself where all the pressure ends up at the very top of the bow right where it finally broke.
Fate, you are exactly right on your comment about the angle. On the forklift video, the extreme pressure is in the rod at the thickest part, right where it comes off the forklift tine. and at no time is the rod doubling back toward the handle. Where Luke's test with the tip turning back toward the handle is focusing the extreme pressure right where the major bend is taking place.
Note on Luke's test you can see the rod flexing even into the handle. The TWC rods don't seem to flex in the handle area because of the aluminum. I don't know if one is better than the other but it is a difference.
I like the Rippin Lips rods I have also. They have never let me down yet. For me this was a better test than either of the others.
Why does the quality of a fishing rod depend on how much freaking water it can pick up anyway? I think I heard somewhere where a fish can only pull about 30% of its weight.
This may be true, I really have no idea... but it doesn't take current into consideration. I've been on anchor at my local dam and fought a small bluecat harder than 50plus lb catfish in slacker water.
Not everyone fishes heavy current and not every body of water holds 100plus lb fish.
Match your gear with the fish you could potentially catch on your home water and everything will be just fine.
With you there, Tony. I'll prolly never be in Wade's class on cats, but I've never had any fish tough enough to break my rod~ and I spent 35 years fishing the Gulf Coast{inshore & offshore} off Matagorda, Mustang & Padre Islands before I moved 600mi. north.
Setting drag properly and using rods within their specs should prevent any breaks while actually fishing, save extreme situations like when I had a large ray run underneath me while fishing off a pier.
I had to keep the drag tight and thumb the spool to keep it from wrapping me up, but regardless the angle was so extreme that the rod did fail. Still landed the ray though.
I actually agree that the forklift test was not high sticking the rod. I would love to see more bucket rod tests to see how long rods can go without breaking. It did last a few seconds. I still feel it should of lasted longer.
Yeah these are the kinds of tests the manufacturers DO NOT do...they should though.
it's good to see.
You have to take it in stride and realize that chances are you will not be subjecting a rod to that kind of strain...but it is good to see how they do so you know and maybe don't find out the hard way.
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