Hi Gene - well, sort of. I picked up the 6'8" Charter Special spinner at Ward-Melville, and was planning to get the Challenger Bank UL at Edison. So much for that plan. This Corona B/S fixed that up, right proper. So I had Kil ship me the UL.
The rod showed up this afternoon while I was out scrounging up some SS cap screws and lock washers for my boat's new exhaust system. You certainly are right, Jig'nPop did a super-duper job of packaging. Take a lookie:
Those "U-Line" boxes, corner bolsters and high-quality packing tape aren't cheap. I know, because we use them in my company's shipping room. The rod itself was completely mummified in taped-tight bubble wrap, and came inside its own rod bag, with yet another piece of corner bolster inside the box, protecting the rod's vulnerable tip. Nice!
As to the rod itself, hmmm, MUCH lighter in action than the Harrier slow pitch I used last season. A very lively tip, with most of its power in the blank's mid and rear. I don't think I'll be throwing any 4oz bucktails with this rod. Two ounce appears to be its sweet spot - but that 's the exact weight lure I intend to fish with this stick, so no harm, no foul there.
Someone remind me to ask Kil what the heck is up with the reversed reel seats on his spinning rods? Why does Black Hole do that? It puts the seat's threaded nut, plus the exposed front threaded area of the seat itself directly under the front of one's hand. And that goes double if one likes to fish as I do, with most of my fingers forward of the reel stem. Kinda uncomfortabe. Not a deal breaker, just not the way I prefer a rod to be constructed.
Meh, I'll fish it this season and see if it bothers me. If so, I'll perform handle surgery and rebuild it "my" way from the butt of the rod. No biggie, done it more than a few times.
Even with the "backwards" reel seat, the balance of the rod, carrying my Evict2000, is just about perfecto! She "finger balances" right at the reel seat's (forward-facing) lock ring. Excellence achieved there.
We'll see what's what with this (potential) fluke killer soon enough. But first I have to continue bustin' A$$, bull-working my engine's exhaust components, and a goodly collection of lesser but still nasty jobs. Baby girl ain't gettin' younger and so it takes serious effort, seriously barked knuckles and a seriously sore back to keep it in the shape it deserves. Man, do I feel my age tonight! ?
