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Versatility in a one-piece package, the Kistler Helium LTA He76HC
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Date: |
12/20/04 |
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Tackle type: |
Rod |
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Manufacturer: |
Kistler |
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Reviewer: |
Cal |
Total Score: 9.33
Introduction:
Early in 2003, TT
introduced you to Kistler Custom Rod’s 6’9” Helium LTA All Purpose Casting Rod
speaking the virtues of Kistler’s secret graphite blend to deliver a rod with
unmatched sensitivity and strength to weight ratio. This year, we looked at
another of the innovative rods in this lineup to see how the Helium blanks might
benefit more technique specific applications. The He76HC is Kistler’s one piece
finesse flipping pole – a non-telescopic blank promising, to the flipping and
pitching bass anglers, a rod that is unmatched in weight, sensitivity and power.
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Kistler
Helium LTA He76HC Special Specifications |
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Material |
Proprietary Graphite
Composite |
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Pieces |
1 |
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Length |
7'6" |
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Line Weight |
14-25lb |
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Lure Weight |
1/2-1oz |
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Guides |
Stainless Steel Guides
with Blue Titanium Zirconia Rings. 9
plus the tip |
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Rating |
Heavy |
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Color |
Graphite |
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Action |
Fast |
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MSRP |
$250.00 |
Impressions:
Though it is now, a common trend to offer flipping rods in
non-telescopic configurations, at the time we acquired our He76HC for testing,
we had not seen nor held a one piece flipping stick. When we pulled this rod out
of it’s packaging tube, we were immediately taken aback by its light-weight,
balance, and lithe tip. Our immediate thoughts were why hasn’t someone done this
before? The logical answer to that question would lie in the reasoning that bass
boat rod lockers are limited in length, therefore, flipping rods were originally
designed as telescopic blanks so that they’d easily fit into those lockers.
Despite that reasoning, given the advantages of a one-piece blank, we’re amazed
it’s taken this long for the industry to respond with an offering such as
Kistler’s He76HC. But how would this rod that impresses so well on the showroom
floor, really perform out on the water? Would the lithe tip be too soft? Could
this super-light flipping stick really power fish out of heavy cover? We set out
to answer these questions and to find out if this rod might be suitable for
other applications as well.
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Aside from its length, the proportions of the He76HC are that of
a standard seven or even six foot six inch length rod. Meaning the thickness
of the actual blank and reel seat are not overwhelming. This translates to a
rod that is wonderfully sensitive and light letting you cast and pitch all
day without becoming fatigued. |
Real World Test:
Pitching and flipping presentations are a mainstay of bass fishing on the
California Delta where fish holding structure is seemingly everywhere. From
rocky levee walls to tulle islands to large, thick, and dense weed beds, bass
are poised, ready to strike seemingly at every turn. For our real world test on
the Delta, we matched our He76HC up with a variety of reels and put it through
various flipping, pitching and casting routines.
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Complete Test Rig for Kistler Helium LTA He76HC |
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Rod |
Kistler He76HC |
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Reel(s) |
Shimano Conquest 51
Daiwa TD-S 103HL
Daiwa TD-X
103HSDL |
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Line |
Yozuri Hybrid 12lb
Berkley Fireline
20lb
Tuf-Line Braid 20lb
P-Line
Florouclear 15lb |
Casting & Pitching:
The first question that came to mind when holding the rod and running it through
our series of showroom floor like tests was whether or not the soft tip on the
He76HC would really benefit us during flipping and pitching. Afterall, the
majority of rods in this ilk and available on the market today are rather stout
rods with equally stout tips. Lure presentation is dependent upon how well you
can pendulum your bait while flipping. With the He76HC, flipping becomes almost
a moot point, because the soft tip of this rod combined with its length allows
deadly accurate pitching presentations. It’s not difficult to place a bait, like
a 6” Yamamoto Senko, softly and right up next to your target structure almost
forty or even fifty feet away with this rod. Should quarters become tight and
pitching grow impractical, the easy loading tip of the He76HC is equally
beneficial during flipping presentations as well. What’s more, given the
relative light weight of this rod, it feels more like you’re fishing with a
seven foot rod rather than a seven foot six inch stick. Fatigue is never a
factor flipping and pitching with the He76HC.
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The He76HC, like all their rods, features Kistler’s classic
“Smart Touch” reel seat – a true benefit for a rod of this size and power
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During our tests, we
decided to go outside the tackle box slightly by tying on both a Zoom Horny Toad
and Buzzbait to see how well this rod would cast. Needless to say, with a tip
that loads so easily for pitching and flipping, casting was a breeze as well and
we were able to launch both baits distances where an effective hookset would be
out of the question. We couldn’t have been more pleased with this rod’s casting
and pitching performance.
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Pitching is by far the best method of softly placing your lure
accurately and quietly right through that two-inch wide hole in the cover
beneath where you think a bass is hiding. This technique benefits greatly
from a rod with a soft, supple tip. The He76HC possesses such a tip and
allows deadly accurate pitching presentations. |
Sensitivity:
The question of sensitivity with this rod is almost unfair. Not only does it
benefit from the classic “Smart Touch” reel seat, but the fact the rod is
one-piece and the same gauge as many seven foot fishing rods, makes it seem
foolish to think the rod is anything but sensitive – especially when compared to
the classic, telescopic flipping rod. True to our expectations, we were able to
detect even the softest pickups while fishing jigs, senkos, or
Texas
rig lizards during our fishing experience with this rod. One technique we did
not get to experiment with prior to press but that we’ve heard from Kistler is
very popular with this pole is fishing a
Carolina rig. You can bet, should that situation arise, one of the
first poles we’ll be reaching for to execute this technique is our He76HC.
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Though more of a finesse flipping rod than a true power stick,
the He76HC possessed plenty of backbone to both hook and land fish during
our trials on the California Delta.
Power:
Most anglers prefer to flip with a rod that is rated as extra-heavy or in
the range of a five to seven power rod. The He76HC is rated as a four power
rod and holds true to this form. As such, it is definitely more of a finesse
flipping pole than a power flipping rod. Because it facilitates soft, quiet
presentations so well, it’s difficult to resist the temptation of flicking
your baits into the nastiest of cover with this rod. We gave into this
temptation on several occasions but were never able to put the rod through a
true test by hooking into any largemouth over four pounds. However, we can
report we were able to land several bass in the middle of thick, dense
weedbeds after they’d have taken our Zoom Horny Toads buzzed through and
across small openings in these weedbeds. Never once did we question the
power of our He76HC during these battles.
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The He76HC possesses all the same characteristics and innovations
found on all the Kistler Helium LTA rods including the “Smart Touch” reel
seat (top right), innovative hook hanger (bottom right), foam rubber butt
cap (upper left), and stainless steel guides with titanium coated zirconia
inserts (bottom left) |
Features:
All Kistler Helium LTA rods come with a host of innovative features that have
helped propel them into one of the fastest growing rod companies in the US
today. Their innovative hook hanger that allows one to stow a rigged weedless
worm in ready position has long been a favorite of ours. But perhaps the
greatest innovation this company has shown is their commitment to customer
service. This alone is enough to set them apart from many of the larger
companies that are their primary competition. Whether the news is good or bad,
Kistler Custom Rods, is interested in hearing feedback from their customer base
to help guide them through necessary changes in current models as well as drive
future products. This combination of customer service AND the provision of
quality fishing tools is an invaluable feature of any company, let alone that of
a fishing rod.
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Close up shot of a two pound bass (left) that fell victim to a
frog lure buzzed across the surface with braided line in the midst of a
thick weedbed thanks to our He76HC (right) |
Applications:
The He76HC is just about as versatile a 7’6” rod can be. We began our tests with
this rod flipping and pitching jigs and
Texas
rigged plastics. Surprised as to the ease by which the tip loads during each
pitch, we scaled back our offerings by moving to weightless senkos five inches
and above. From there, we experimented with top water offerings fishing lures
from floating frogs to plastic frogs to buzzbaits. Then, perhaps the most
telling presentation we attempted with this rod is a growing trend introduced to
us by Andy “Cooch” Cuccia, a local guide in
Northern California
and pro staffer for Yamamoto Custom Bait Company. This technique, known as the
“bubba-shot”, is a shallow water, upsized version of the drop-shot using up to
12 to 15 pound test fluorocarbon line with the standard drop-shot set up pitched
and flipped into and around shallow weedlines and other structure. Because this
technique is used in medium to heavy cover, stouter tackle than the typical
drop-shot setups is required – hence the term “bubba”. The He76HC suits this
technique perfectly and is so powerful when employing this technique, on more
than one occasion, we’ve flipped bass up to one pound in size completely out of
the water and over to the other side of the boat on a hookset! This rod
certainly has some very unique capabilities.
Ratings:
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Kistler
Helium LTA He76HC Ratings (?/10) |
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Construction/Quality |
Kistler Custom Rods goes
to great pains to ensure each rod that leaves the factory is straight and
true. Our He76HC arrived in fine condition and ready to fish out of the tube |
9 |
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Performance |
Not an overpowering rod by
any means, the He76HC makes a great finesse flipping and pitching pole and
because of its one-piece construction, sensitivity is extraordinary. |
9.5 |
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Price |
Priced slightly higher
than other rods in the Helium lineup probably due to its length, yet inline
with the competition. |
8 |
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Features |
Most of us are quite
familiar by now of the features offered with every Kistler fishing rod.
Throw into the equation, intangibles such as exceptional customer service
and we have ourselves a real winner. |
10 |
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Design (Ergonomics) |
The weight, balance, and
comfort for a rod of this length are truly exceptional. |
10 |
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Application |
As versatile as a 7’6” rod
can be, we were truly amazed by the range of applications we were able to
fish with this rod. |
9.5 |
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Total Score |
9.33 |
Pluses and Minuses:
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Plus
Minus |
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J
One piece construction for
supreme sensitivity |
L
The rod is priced at a bit
of a premium |
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J
Super light for a rod of
this length |
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J
Ultra sensitive
“Smart Touch” reel seat |
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J
Surprisingly versatile for
a 7’6” rod |
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Conclusion:
Looking for a rod that is both technique specific yet versatile? Does this sound
like a contradiction in terms? The He76HC is just that – a contradiction to
tradition. For years, bass fisherman have been conditioned to expect a 7’6” pole
is configured in one specific way – a telescopic blank. These telescopic rods
were meant for heavy duty, heavy cover action and were built thick and bulky to
support these techniques. Not anymore. There is a growing trend in the industry
to provide one-piece 7’6” and greater length poles to support techniques ranging
from crankbaits to senkos to jigs to Carolina rigs. The He76HC is on the
forefront of this trend and while many, like us, will acquire the rod
conditioned into thinking it’s just a flipping stick, they will soon come to
realize the true versatility a rod this length built with a lithe tip, strong
backbone, and minimal weight can offer. The Kistler Helium LTA He76HC is truly
worthy of consideration for anyone looking into a rod that helps you think
outside of the tackle box.
Until next time....Tight Lines!
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