Denali Kovert Rods
This is my first season using Denali rods and I am more than impressed. Not only are these rods affordable but they are the lightest and most sensitive rods I have ever used. I have been using the Jadewood, Kovert, and Noirwood series but I want to take some time to explain how awesome the Kovert line of rods are.
This season I have used the mult-purpose spinning rod 6'10" medium action. This has been my soft plastic rod of choice. It is great for weightless baits like the Samatis Baits Samastick, tubes, soft plastic jerkabaits, and shakeyheads. This rod is light and the semi-micro guides really enable long casts. Its perfectly balanced and can handle big fish. While on Santee Cooper Resevoir in South Carolina; I landed a 10lb Striper on 8 lb Berkely 100% Fluorocarbon line on this rod. Not only was the fight incredible on this rod and light line but it really proved that this rod can handle the stress of a big fish especially when they make late charges next to the boat. This really gave me confidence in this rod !
I have also used the Spinnerbait 6'9" Med Heavy, Worm & Jig 7'2" Med Heavy, and the Crankbait 6'10" Medium Kovert Rods. I like throwing big spinnerbaits up to 7/8 oz for Smallmouth up here in the Northeast and the Kovert Spinnerbait rod has answered the bell for me. I paired this rod with a 7.1:1 Abu Garcia Revo STX with 14lb Berkely 100% Fluorocarbon Line. Again I think the semi-micro guides play a huge role in this rod. It enables me to make long casts which is crucial in the gin-clear water of the glacial lakes that I fish. This rod is light so my arm doesn't tire quickly from throwing heavy baits but has enough power to get a strong hookset even on long casts. The handle design also enables me to make short accurate casts around docks and timber with spinnerbaits as well; so it really has enabled me to do just about anything with a spinnerbait.
I have been using the Kovert Crankbait rod as my jerkbait setup this season, I paired this rod with a 5.4:1 Abu Garcia Revo Winch reel. I have experimented with both 10lb and 12lb Berkley 100% Fluorocarbon line. My preference has been the 10lb; I find it easier to throw in the wind and enables me to really move the bait as erratic as I need to to get the bass to bite. Although this is a crankbait rod by design; I feel like it is more than suitable for jerkbaits because a lot of the same principals are needed. You need a rod that will allow the fish to take the bait and to not pull the bait away and you need the rod to have enough backbone to get a solid hook set even if there is slack in the line. This Kovert Crankbait rod does this. Most of my jerkbait bites; especially pre-spawn have come on slack line. This rod has enough "give" to it to allow the charging smallmouth to really take the jerkbait. I can make a long cast with this rod and it has a fast tip which really allows me to impart an erratic action to my jerkbait presentation. The smallmouth have been absolutely crushing them this spring!
Do yourself a favor and check out the Kovert Line of Denali Rods at www.denalirods.com. You will be impressed by the price at first but once you hold one in your hand and realize the light weight and balance that these rods have, you will then truly know "Denali Greatness."
