Zombies from the Amazon to Alabama
| Date: |
5/6/12 |
| Tackle type: |
Rod |
| Manufacturer: |
Zombie |
| Reviewer: |
Zander |
Introduction:
It has been nearly two
years since we originally reviewed the Zombie 7’3” X-Heavy pitching rod and
since that initial review we have spent much more time with the entire series,
including bringing the rods to the Amazon. We take another look at this rod
series in a long term update that explores just how well the sticks have held up
to everything from fishing the latest techniques to standing up to Peacock
Bass.
Two years
later we take another look at the Zombie casting rods to see how well they have
held up
Zombie rods continue to be
among the more obscure custom rod brands but have a growing following here on
the West Coast. This is no surprise as the rod company was spawned in the local
waters of the California Delta and the series has always focused on heavier
applications like pitching and flipping.
The painted
reel seats that Zombie uses have held up very well
The rods feature exotic
styling that seems to channel JDM rods and the Toray blanks are adorned with
everything from metal accents to painted Fuji reel seats and sculpted EVA grips.
It is important to note that while these rods make use of Toray material they
are not off the shelf blanks and are instead built to the company's specific
requirements. We also speculate that is why there are only 5 Zombie rod models
as it is expensive and resource intensive to not only design these rods but get
the custom blanks built up. All of the rods feature Fuji SiC guides with stainless-steel frames making them
excellent for all line types including braided superline which is popular for
fishing heavy vegetation.
A look at the
Fuji SiC guides after plenty of use with braided line
In our original review of
the Zombie X-Heavy pitching rod we observed that the rod exhibited plenty of
power but was not the most sensitive when compared with some competing rods. All
of the Zombie rods also weigh in a bit on the heavier side but what we observed
was that they actually did not feel very heavy in hand thanks to excellent
balance metrics.
Each Zombie
rod is fitted with a butt cap depicting the rod model
Since our initial round of
tests which focused on bass fishing at the California Delta, Clear Lake and Lake
Falcon we have expanded testing in an effort to test the upper limits of these
enigmatic rods. The powerful attributes of these flipping sticks made them
attractive for so much more than just pitching plastics.
