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Power, Value, and a Great Hook Keeper are all
attributes of Harmonix rods (continued)
  Retrieving:
While working diving and contact baits the Harmonix rod felt right at home and when it
came time to hookset the rod responds well. While towing baits the fast tip
feels confident and even the top few inches of the tip are not very light on
this rod. These attributes make this a good choice for fishing everything from
hardbaits and wirebaits to heavy plastics and jigs, but if you’re looking to do
ultra finesse fishing like working a light drop shot you will want to look at a
lighter rod in the lineup.
Plenty of guides keep the
rod evenly distributed under
load
Let’s turn our attention
back to the drop shot weight keeper hanger fore a few moments. Perhaps the best
feature on this rod is this original design that has been copied many a time
over by other rod manufacturers. Designed to accommodate a wide range of baits
the hook hanger arcs upwards then comes back down to make contact with the
blank. Unlike other “U” shaped open hook hangers this one holds onto baits so
that they do not easily come unhinged when the line is not completely taut.
The hook hanger is great for
weedless rigged plastics and
drop shot weights
We really liked the design
and found it easy to use for everything from crankbaits to weedless rigged
plastics. While all Harmonix rods come with the keeper system
(patent 7216454)
the hanger is sold separately as well as a kit complete with self bonding tape
to be used on other rods.
A metal butt cap finishes
the rod
Power:
Loading up on the rod and the stick responds with plenty of backbone all the way
to the reel itself. The company actually tapers the blank in these rods fully
through the cork handle to improve power and sensitivity. There wasn’t a moment
fishing this rod when I felt outrodded or became worried that the rod would
break under the strain of a fish or snag. In fact the two to three pound
largemouth we caught during the field tests were easily controlled by this stout
rod.
the hook hanger actually
holds crankbaits more
securely than other open
design hangers
Sensitivity:
The Harmonix rod while
powerful did not feel as
sensitive as some of the
other test rods in our
test arsenal. While the IM6
graphite used in the rod was
just fine for fishing
crankbaits and jerkbaits we
were not as easily
able to distinguish the slight bumps
with structure when fishing
with plastics. The rod
offers decent sensitivity
and detecting bites from
fish is not a problem, but
the rod doesn’t feel as
crisp as some competing rods.
Under bright sunlight the
IM6 graphite blank fibers
are very visible
Price & Applications:
One of the key things that Harmonix wanted to do with the introduction of their
rods was offer a balanced product that offered American design at a reasonable
price. That price is 69.00 for the actual rod we tested and other rods in the
company’s lineup range from 46.00-88.50 depending on rod model and length. There
are rods in the lineup that can be used for freshwater and inshore fishing
applications.
A metal winding check graces
the top of the foregrip
To sweeten the total
package each rod carries a limited lifetime warranty where the Reel Time Designs
will
repair or replace any Harmonix rod within 3 days of receipt that proves to be
defective in workmanship or materials for the life of the rod. The warranty does
not cover rods subjected to abnormal use, misuse, or unauthorized modifications.
Currently distribution of the Harmonix rods is rather limited, and the best way
to get the rods is direct from the manufacturer. Reel Time offers free shipping
on any order of three rods or more, and at the price point three of these rods
are about equivalent to one G.Loomis stick.
This rod may not be the most
sensitive but it does offer
a lot of power at a very
reasonable price, not to
mention the peace of mind of
a lifetime warranty
Ratings: (We've re-calibrated our ratings standard for 2008 and have included a key at the bottom of the following matrix as a guide):
|
Harmonix
6'6"
Spinning
Rod
Ratings
(?/10)
|
| Construction/Quality |
Overall
construction
is good
on this
rod when
you
consider
the
aggressive
price
point.
The
materials
are
decent
and the
build
quality
is clean |
7 |
| Performance |
We
ranked
the
Harmonix
rod as
good in
overall
performance,
it does
most
things
well but
doesn't
feel
ultra
refined
in the
finesse
work. If
it was
lighter
it would
feel
more
crisp,
but with
a fish
on the
line the
rod is
all
business
and can
muscle
them in |
7 |
| Price |
An
aggressive
price
for a
custom
designed
rod that
carries
a
lifetime
warranty,
here we
ranked
the rod
"great" |
8.5 |
| Features |
Number
on
feature
on the
Harmonix
rod...
the very
well
designed
hook
keeper.
the rod
itself
manages
to feel
very
powerful
with a
tapered
blank.
The
alconite
guides
look and
perform
well but
add
extra
weight
to the
rod over
higher
end
inserts |
8 |
| Design (Ergonomics) |
Hope you
like
blue,
the
Harmonix
rod is
all
about
blue
from the
blank to
the
guides
to the
threading.
In terms
of
ergonomics
the rod
is
conservative
in
design,
no split
grip
here,
and the
rod
would
feel
more
balanced
if it
was
lighter.
It is in
this
category
the
Harmonix
could be
most
improved
and we
rated it
"fair" |
6 |
| Application |
This
particular
rod can
handle
bass and
stripers
and
actually
feels a
bit much
for
smaller
bass, it
can
muscle
them in,
but the
extra
backbone
is
welcome
when
fishing
for
stripers.
The rod
can
easily
handle
lures
heavier
than its
rating
and this
rod can
even be
used for
light
inshore
applications |
8 |
|
Total Score
|
7.41 |
Ratings Key:
1 = terrible : 2 = poor : 3 = lacking : 4 = sub par : 5 = mediocre : 6 = fair : 7 = good : 8 = great : 9 = excellent : 10 = unbelievable!
For More
Details
of the
updated
rating
system
visit
our
explanation
here |
Pluses and Minuses:
|
Plus Minus
|
| J
Great
hook
hanger,
a
patented
original |
L
Heavier
than
competing
rods |
| J
Powerful
rod,
handles
big
baits
and big
fish |
L
Could be
more
sensitive |
| J
Not a
me-too
rod |
|
|
J
Aggressive
price
and
lifetime
warranty |
|
Conclusion:
There are a lot of
rod manufacturers
out there and all
too often anglers,
us included, forget
that there are a lot
of boutique rod
manufacturers that
may offer interesting and
unique products. For
those anglers that
are looking for
something that you
wouldn’t normally
find on the rod rack
of your local tackle
shop, Reel Time
Designs offers the
Harmonix series
which makes use of
the company’s very
well designed hook
keeper with a custom
rod blank that unifies
traditional elements
with modern
materials. For the
price the Harmonix
rods are a solid
submission into a
crowded category
and comes backed
with a lifetime
warranty for
ultimate peace of
mind. Those anglers
looking for an ultra
refined lightweight
rod will want to
spend a little more
money but if power
and value are high
up on the list of
requirements then
the Harmonix rods
are worthy
of consideration.
This rod can be
found at
Reel Time
Design's Website
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