Quantum Tour KVD Review

Rod Review

CB Rod Wars Part 14: Launch a Crankbait With Quantum’s Tour KVD (continued)

Casting: Casting a composite e-glass built rod is predictable. It does not feel as parabolic as a 100% fiberglass rod since it’s blended with graphite, but both models have the right action to launch crankbaits both near and far. The short handle on the 664M casting rod is great for short and accurate casts, something I prefer when tossing shallow running baits in close quarters. The 7’4” rod arcs nicely for distant casts with medium diving baits. This model seems to have the right handle length as well which is good for double-handed, hard casts.

The Tour KVD rod casts like a dream. The short 664M model is great for short close up casts while the longer 7'4" version launches a crankbait far

Sensitivity: While the Tour KVD rod is a good caster I found this rod a bit lacking in the sensitivity department and I expected more sensitivity from a fiberglass-graphite blended rod. The rod’s sensitivity is more comparable to a straight glass rod. While I was able to detect the lure hitting denser structure such as rocks and trees, it was harder to feel ticks on vegetation when running lures just above the soft cover. Is sensitivity all that important for a moving rod? While you will feel impacts with structure and definitely detect strikes this does not feel like a precision tool when navigating structure.

Not the best in sensitivity but powerful

Power: While somewhat lacking sensitivity, the Tour KVD casting rods shine in the power category. They’re designed with a hefty backbone for enthusaiastic hooksetting. These rods have good power when fighting fish too as the tip section bends nicely to take the load of a running fish while the lower half of the rod keeps the fish in control.

TKVD664M is good for shallow crankbaits while the TKVD745M is good for medium divers

Ergonomics: The weights of these two models aren’t all that bad even though we have heard reports from readers complaining about the weight. The 6’6” model weighs 4.3 ounces and while the 7’4” model comes in at 5.3 ounces. Compared against our Crankbait Rod Wars lineup, you will see that the KVD rods actually aren’t all that heavy. Check out the table from our overview article. It displays the weights and you can decide from there, but for the shallow cranking sticks the range for the rods we measured is 4.2 to 5.8 ounces (TKVD664M weighs 4.3). For medium cranking sticks the range is 3.4 to 6.6 ounces (TKVD745M weighs 5.3).

One of many El Novillo Mexico bass that was hauled in with the Tour KVD

Now with the overall weights ironed out, the rods do feel a bit tip heavy without a reel mounted. When a reel like the Energy PT or Revo SX is mounted on the rod, the balance point is right at the EVA foregrip.

Though not the best guides the entire rod has great durability

Durability: The rods have held up well, especially through the beating they took traveling in a rod tube on the way to Mexico with several connecting flights. No issues with the rod and it’s components except for the EVA grip material. With this EVA material there is some potential of the material being damaged if not well cared for, and this is not uncommon among many rods that make use of this material versus cork. Most of the damage I’ve seen thus far are from other objects being pressed against the EVA which create an impression that persists. On the plus side the EVA doesn't look dirty like cork after just a few uses.

The new 2010 Revo SX has nice matching colors for the Tour KVD

Application: Kevin VanDam designed these rods for one purpose, to fish crankbaits, and they do that quite well though there is some room for improvement in the sensitivity department. Unlike some crankbait rods I’ve used which are only good for one thing, these rods can also double for lures such as spinnerbaits. The 6’6” Tour KVD casting rod is good for shallow running baits while the 7’4” is good for medium diving cranks.

This e-glass rod is for crankbaits only

Ratings:

Quantum Tour KVD TKVD664M (TKVD745M) Ratings (?/10)
Construction/Quality	Good overall construction with decent components, nothing too flashy here but an overall good construction	7.0
Performance	Though we found it to be a fast taper in our lab tests, the rod loads up nicely to launch crankbaits near or far. The rod is somewhat lacking in sensitivity but is a powerful rod overall. We rated the rod FAIR in overall performance.	6.5
Price	$149.95 is the MSRP but can be found even cheaper on the internet. Overall the rod is ranked good in price but does have a few areas that could improve overall value	7.0
Features	The rod features a composite e-glass blank material, Fuji’s new ACS reel seat, split grip design, and EVA grip material. Very standard fare overall	7.0
Design (Ergonomics)	Weighs about right for a rod of this type though it does seem tip heavy. The EVA grip is comfortable to grasp onto when the rod is loaded during cranking but we did have some balance issues	7.0
Application	Specifically designed by KVD himself for launching crankbaits but can also double to be used for lures such as spinnerbaits. The 6’6” casting rod is great for close counter shallow running cranks while the longer rod is good for medium diving crankbaits	7.0
Total Score		6.91
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 Casts well	L Could improve in sensitivity
J Good power and control
J Inexpensive

Conclusion: These Quantum Tour KVD crankbait rods will suit some anglers especially if they are on the budget. The rods get the job done and are good for tossing crankbaits and handling fish with their powerful attributes. However the rods do fall short in some areas such as sensitivity and balance. Aside from using the Tour KVD casting rods for crankbaits they can also pull double duty as decent spinnerbait rods as well. The bottom line is that these rods are at a good value and if sensitivity is not a major concern this is a decent rod for a reasonable price.

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