Event Article:
2006 ICAST Rod Coverage |
ICAST Coverage Day 2 (Rods) - Perfectly matching reels in application,
balance, and style (continued)

Kistler:
We met up with Trey, President and owner of Kistler rods to talk about what was
new with the fast growing rod manufacturer. The new Magnesium and Helium series
rods were both doing very well, and for this year they wanted to improve on the
series and further refine their offering as well as add rods to both lineups.
For the Helium II series the most exciting new rods were a pair of telescopic
flipping rods that are 7'6" and 7'11" in length.

Zander and Cal talk shop with
Anthony, FLW's angler of the year
These rods showcase the
Helium II's ultralight feel, but offer a lot more power in the butt section. A
new refinement in upcoming Helium II rods is a special alloy balancing counter
weight added to the base of the rod. This helps balance out the rods and is
designed to reduce friction against the surface of your shirt while fishing.
Ever notice with foam corked rod butts how they sometimes hang up on your shirt
when you are working them fast? Not an issue with these new rods.

The Helium II lineup expands
In addition to the alloy
balancing weight aluminum checks are now being implemented on top of the reel
seat, the result is a cleaner more sophisticated looking rod. These new Helium
II's will start shipping in September.

New winding check on top of the
reel seat on the new flipping stick

A polished Alloy counter balancing
weight
Next up is Kistler's big
volume mover...the Magnesium series. This year they are releasing a number of
new rods most exciting of which is a rod specifically designed for chatterbait
fishing. The chatterbait rod has a special tip that helps differentiate the
trademark chatterbait wobble from strikes, and can deliver instant hooksets.

Anthony Gagliardi with a Helium II
Other rods coming out in the
Magnesium series include a Heavy cover Fish Snatcher which is 6'8" in length,
and a rod specifically designed for topwater jerkbait fishing which is also 6'8"
in length. Like the Helium II rods these will also start popping up in stores in
early September.

The Magnesium rods are Kistler's
top sellers

The new Magnesium Chatterbait
special
Kistler rods have grown in popularity over the
last year and have been picked up by nationwide dealers along with local shops
from coast to coast. The improvements that Trey has made to his already popular
rods are sure to have a impact as the Kistler offering further differentiates
itself and becomes more appealing to custom rod fanatics.

Trey shows Cal the new
enhancements to the series
Next
Section: Powell serious about bass rods
