ICAST Coverage Day 3 (Rods) - Let the Rod Wars Begin! (continued)
 

E21 - Carrot Stik Rods: Before ICAST we got word from Ken Whiting of a new rod but what he said next really got our attention. He said the new rods will be actually be made with materials found in carrots and will be called Carrot Stik, and on top of all that the new rod would be "carrot orange" in color. It sounded like science fiction, but at ICAST what seemed like fiction became reality as E21 officially unleashed the Carrot Stiks onto the angling world. As you already know the rest is already history as the rod won the Freshwater Rod award and overall Best of Show!

E21's Carrot Stik fishing rods

These rods are made of Advanced Bio-Fiber Technology

The Carrot Stix is 30% graphite and 70% carrot material. By adding Nano level cellulose bio-fibers extracted from carrots into a super high strength epoxy matrix and then molding this matrix around a thin walled ultra-high modulus graphite skeleton an extraordinary symbiotic relationship occurs between the two materials creating a rod blank that's truly "unique" in every sense of the word.

30% graphite and 70% carrot material make up this one of a kind stick

Another first for the new Carrot Stik is a Finite Element Analysis (FEA) program which was used to design the blank. By using FEA while constructing the rod it removes "hot spots" or areas in the blanks that show a high propensity for breakage through color analysis and allows for the creation of a blank that is evenly stressed when loaded thereby reducing its potential for failure. The blank is then bonded to a fully exposed grip, no cork or Thermalon, to interfere with the rods sensitivity.

The hook hanger on the Stik

With the Stik completed the rod is dressed with an anodized aluminum butt cap which provides easy access to the rod's weight balance port. Other components on the rod are TiCH inserts and frame and E21's "Maximum Exposure" split reel seat. The Carrot Stik rods will be available in late December and will retail for around $350.

A red anodized butt cap is a nice way to finish off the rod

E21 - Classic Gold Boyd Duckett Signature Series Rods: Put the 37th Bassmaster Classic World Champion together with the "Wizard of Rods" you know something will be brewing under closed doors. The outcome is a new rod named the Classic Gold Boyd Duckett Signature series. This rod makes use of what Ken Whiting mastered in his previous company, the high-tech multi-modulus and filament wound carbon fiber nano tube blank.

Here's the stunning Classic Gold Boyd Duckett Signature series rod

To finalize this rod, it is then crafted using lightweight double swaged caxin guides with TiCH frame and inserts, lock wraps on all single foot guides, state of the art "Velvet Touch" split grip, a non-obtrusive TiCH hook keeper, screw on anodized aluminum butt for easy access to the blank's weight port, and E21's Maximum Exposure II split reel seat on both casting and spinning models. This split reel seat will be similar to the ones we've seen on the Airrus Ultra XL rods but these new ones are actually engineered in partnership with Fenwick using their proprietary reel seats.

Nano tubes and filament wound technologies are used on the Boyd Duckett rod

After fishing the prototypes here's what Boyd Duckett has to say about these new rods, "If this wasn't the sweetest rod I've ever fished with, it wouldn't have my name on it." The Classic Gold rods will be available in late December and will retail for around $259.

Split grip with winding checks

Like the Carrot Stik the Boyd Duckett rod uses a gold anodized butt cap

E21 - Edge Rods: If you like the Airrus Ultra XL rods you will like the E21 Edge rods as well. These rods incorporate the latest advances in filament winding and pairs it up with the highly responsive multi-modulus tip that provides for a superior combination of hookset, lure presentation, and sensitivity.

Introducing the E21 Edge

The Edge rod will feature a Maximum Exposure II split reel seat

The Edge rods will feature many of the features on the Classic Gold rods including the split grip, balance port, TiCH hook keeper, and more. Aside from that the new E21 Edge rods are more detailed that the Ultra XL rods and have a cleaner overall appearance. The Edge rods will be available in late December and will retail for around $159.

A clean winding check compliments the Edge rod

Caxin guides with Double Swaged TiCH Inserts and black stainless frames

Ben Dziwulski and Travis Foster of E21 shows us the new innovative rods