24, 30, 36 Ton, IM7-12, High Modulus-What Does it All Mean!???
24, 30, 36 Ton, IM7-12, High Modulus...What Does it All Mean!?
June 2018, Carl Garrard
Back in the 80s' I remember being impressed by the tech that Berkley were putting into their bass rods. Berkley were the fishing science lab of the day. The Series One Rod was pretty much the leading edge tech rod at the time that I recall. It was way ahead of most other designs, and took a forward thinking approach to bass fishing. It was the first rod that I recall having a blank thru-the-handle design and included a unique fighting butt that are now so prevalent on most rods today. It had much smaller "micro guides" along with its patented extremely sensitive 100% "linear graphite" blank. I remember the Series One as being the most sensitive and stiff rods of the time, probably very similar to today's 30ton modulus custom high end rods in stiffness and weight. I still have one in great condition, and I have to say, it can still go toe to toe with some of the best rods out there. I've probably caught a couple hundred fish on it easily, if not more, and its still a super sensitive rod that I like to use for jerkbaits (in fact I landed my largest fish this year so far on it!). They used to retail from $70-$85.00 or so, which was very expensive for a rod back then. Fast forward to 2018, and that's budget rod prices these days. Blank tech has sure marched forward since the Series One, but I think I have to give credit to Berkley for spearheading that charge.
These days blank tech has really been pushed to its limits, and there are tons of options for the angler. Not only are there a lot of different types of blanks and quality levels (judged by a Ton and IM rating), but most of the bigger manufactures put their own spin or tech into the blanks as well. And to make matters more confusing, rod quality isn't judged by a consistent standard amongst all manufacturers. So yes, it can be a confusing process buying a rod these days if you haven't done your research yet. If you plan to spend a lot of money on a rod, you really need to know some history about the manufacturer and what their sales pitch really means if you want to make a safe purchase. I found this nice article on the net that I wanted to share with you that simplifies some information on rod types, and can help you choose a rod as well:
Most of my rods are 24ton graphite blanks, and trust me when I say not all 24ton rods are alike, just as 30-40Ton rods aren't either. If at all possible, I prefer reliability and "bang for the buck" over any premium products so long as they get the job done for me. With that said, this year I decided to outfit myself with an entirely new lineup of rods and reels to replace my 20+ year old equipment. My current arsenal of rods (about 17 of them now) range from $39.99 Berkley Lightning Rods up to my more expensive Daiwa and Dobyn's sticks. So far though, I haven't spent over $140.00 for a single bass rod yet this year. And of those, only a couple of my rods are specified as 30ton or 24/30ton graphite blends.
24ton are inherently more durable than 30 or 36 ton blanks practically speaking, but overall are still really lightweight and sensitive, especially when used with braid line. As you my have read in the linked article above, the higher ton rating on a rod equates to more sensitive and lighter rods, but they are more brittle unless they get some special help from proprietary style reinforcement tech (such as Kevlar or even thin fiberglass).
So if you are in the market for a new rod, and want to place a safe bet, I'd start by buying a moderately priced rod with a 24ton blank first. Then later if you get an itch for a premium rod or two, you have time to relax and do some research on those manufacturers that make the more expensive rods. I'd definitely suggest you do this before you plunk down loads of cash on those super high priced sticks.
Any personal recommendations? Sure!
Currently, the best bang for the buck in a budget rod that I've been able to find seems to be Berkley's new style of their coveted Lightning Rod series which I believe (don't quote me) came out in 2017. This has been a rod which has always been a great seller for Berkley for as long as I can remember. I'm not referring to the shock version either, I'm talking about the standard $39.99 version shown below.
It comes equipped with a very handsome and lightweight 24ton high "multi-modulus" graphite blank, stainless steel guides with aluminum oxide inserts, double locking reel seat, and a eva/cork blended handle. And yes it has a hook keeper too. The blank is also exposed in two places under the reel, and is ultra comfortable to hold (Fenwicks HMG has a similar reel seat). I have about 12 of them in various lengths and actions in casting and spinning, and so far I honestly have no complaints about a single one of them. They are all well balanced, reasonably light, comfortable, sensitive, and have moderate to fast actions which I prefer to a fast action. Here is a good video I found on the net highlighting this rod compared to much more expensive rods:
Unlike the first impressions of the reviewer above, I have fished this rod this year. I've caught over 65 bass this season already, and most were on my new Lightning rods. All of my biggest (except the very largest 4 1/2 pounder) was caught on my 6' 6" and 7' MH lightning rods. They handle all types of lures great and also muscle in bass well (up to 4lbs for me so far this year). No problems.
Berkley Lightning Rod (Casting) Best Current Price
I'd also recommend Daiwa's Procyon, which is almost double the price of the Lightning rod. I did a preview here on it recently, and was very impressed compared next to my $100-140.00 rods.
Daiwa 7' 3" MH PCY731MHFB Procyon BEST CURRENT PRICE
Kastking also make excellent budget equipment, but so far I can only vouch for their reels because I haven't tried any of their rods just yet. They do have a great reputation on Amazon though, so you are probably safe checking out their Perigee II rods which sit in the middle price wise over the two rods mentioned above.
KastKing Perigee II Fishing Rods - Fuji O-ring Line Guides, 24 Ton Carbon Fiber Casting and Spinning Rods - Two Piece Twin-Tip Rods and One Piece Rods
For higher end rods, I also like what 13 Fishing, Dobyn's (especially the Champion Series), Phenix, and St. Croix have to offer.
Good luck and stay hooked!
-Carl Garrard
June 2018, Carl Garrard
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| An old KMart add in the 80's. All too familiar looking to me! |
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| Berkley were proud of their 100% graphite blanks in the 80's and early 90's, and touted them has having a 100 G.C.R (graphite content rating). I used mostly Berkley rods growing up, and most of the pro's used them too. |
These days blank tech has really been pushed to its limits, and there are tons of options for the angler. Not only are there a lot of different types of blanks and quality levels (judged by a Ton and IM rating), but most of the bigger manufactures put their own spin or tech into the blanks as well. And to make matters more confusing, rod quality isn't judged by a consistent standard amongst all manufacturers. So yes, it can be a confusing process buying a rod these days if you haven't done your research yet. If you plan to spend a lot of money on a rod, you really need to know some history about the manufacturer and what their sales pitch really means if you want to make a safe purchase. I found this nice article on the net that I wanted to share with you that simplifies some information on rod types, and can help you choose a rod as well:
Most of my rods are 24ton graphite blanks, and trust me when I say not all 24ton rods are alike, just as 30-40Ton rods aren't either. If at all possible, I prefer reliability and "bang for the buck" over any premium products so long as they get the job done for me. With that said, this year I decided to outfit myself with an entirely new lineup of rods and reels to replace my 20+ year old equipment. My current arsenal of rods (about 17 of them now) range from $39.99 Berkley Lightning Rods up to my more expensive Daiwa and Dobyn's sticks. So far though, I haven't spent over $140.00 for a single bass rod yet this year. And of those, only a couple of my rods are specified as 30ton or 24/30ton graphite blends.
24ton are inherently more durable than 30 or 36 ton blanks practically speaking, but overall are still really lightweight and sensitive, especially when used with braid line. As you my have read in the linked article above, the higher ton rating on a rod equates to more sensitive and lighter rods, but they are more brittle unless they get some special help from proprietary style reinforcement tech (such as Kevlar or even thin fiberglass).
So if you are in the market for a new rod, and want to place a safe bet, I'd start by buying a moderately priced rod with a 24ton blank first. Then later if you get an itch for a premium rod or two, you have time to relax and do some research on those manufacturers that make the more expensive rods. I'd definitely suggest you do this before you plunk down loads of cash on those super high priced sticks.
Any personal recommendations? Sure!
Currently, the best bang for the buck in a budget rod that I've been able to find seems to be Berkley's new style of their coveted Lightning Rod series which I believe (don't quote me) came out in 2017. This has been a rod which has always been a great seller for Berkley for as long as I can remember. I'm not referring to the shock version either, I'm talking about the standard $39.99 version shown below.
It comes equipped with a very handsome and lightweight 24ton high "multi-modulus" graphite blank, stainless steel guides with aluminum oxide inserts, double locking reel seat, and a eva/cork blended handle. And yes it has a hook keeper too. The blank is also exposed in two places under the reel, and is ultra comfortable to hold (Fenwicks HMG has a similar reel seat). I have about 12 of them in various lengths and actions in casting and spinning, and so far I honestly have no complaints about a single one of them. They are all well balanced, reasonably light, comfortable, sensitive, and have moderate to fast actions which I prefer to a fast action. Here is a good video I found on the net highlighting this rod compared to much more expensive rods:
Unlike the first impressions of the reviewer above, I have fished this rod this year. I've caught over 65 bass this season already, and most were on my new Lightning rods. All of my biggest (except the very largest 4 1/2 pounder) was caught on my 6' 6" and 7' MH lightning rods. They handle all types of lures great and also muscle in bass well (up to 4lbs for me so far this year). No problems.
Berkley Lightning Rod (Casting) Best Current Price
I'd also recommend Daiwa's Procyon, which is almost double the price of the Lightning rod. I did a preview here on it recently, and was very impressed compared next to my $100-140.00 rods.
Daiwa 7' 3" MH PCY731MHFB Procyon BEST CURRENT PRICE
Kastking also make excellent budget equipment, but so far I can only vouch for their reels because I haven't tried any of their rods just yet. They do have a great reputation on Amazon though, so you are probably safe checking out their Perigee II rods which sit in the middle price wise over the two rods mentioned above.
KastKing Perigee II Fishing Rods - Fuji O-ring Line Guides, 24 Ton Carbon Fiber Casting and Spinning Rods - Two Piece Twin-Tip Rods and One Piece Rods
For higher end rods, I also like what 13 Fishing, Dobyn's (especially the Champion Series), Phenix, and St. Croix have to offer.
Good luck and stay hooked!
-Carl Garrard
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