shimano exage travel rods

[castgame]

i just went in to le baron to pick up a new ultralight rod for portaging trips (recently broke my nice little fenwick hmx 5'6", d'oh!). ended up picking up a shimano voltaeus ultralight which seems like a sound choice (and for $30 not a bad bet) but the salesman got me looking at the shimano exage telescopic series. it felt nice in the hand and the carrying case is a major bonus, but i'm hesitant to buy one as i've no experience with the design. any OFC'ers using one? or other similar travel rods?

any feedback would be appreciated!

[GreenCanada]

Haha what a coincidence! I just got a package for my birthday from my brother in Calgary. In it was a Shimano Exage 4 piece 7' spinning rod. I haven't had a chance to use it yet, but it feels and looks great and the case is definitely a bonus. I have a few (ultralight, med-light, med) St. Croix which I love, but all my reels are Shimano. My brother told me after I opened it that he had been trying to get a Beastmaster for me, but was told they stopped making them and the Exage basically replaced it. He had taken the Beastmaster everywhere during his research trips searching for bees across the mountains and plains of Canada and South East Asia and the Palmirs.

 

He is an insane fisherman as am I and I feel that this rod will continue to collect stories just as his did.

[GreenCanada]

One tip he gave me and I will pass along as well. If you are travelling with it, leave an extra tip somewhere in the case with a small piece of glue stick. Better to have it and never use it, then to not have it and need it.

[kickingfrog]

I have a 6 and a half foot telescoping version (medium spinning). No issues for me, although I haven't used it a lot. I bought it specifically for a trip to Cuba but I have used it a few other times. I picked up mine for about $80-$90 three years ago.

[castgame]

I have a 6 and a half foot telescoping version (medium spinning). No issues for me, although I haven't used it a lot. I bought it specifically for a trip to Cuba but I have used it a few other times. I picked up mine for about $80-$90 three years ago.

 

 

no issues but have you liked how it's worked? sensitivity, casting, ease of use...

i'm mostly going to be trolling, casting spinners, and bouncing bottom with a jig with it, and plan on targeting mostly brookies, though probably lakers as well and the occasional smallmouth too.

[kickingfrog]

I haven't trolled with it.

 

By its very design it's a compromise, but it fits in a backpack or a suitcase and is much better then most of the rods that where available 20 years ago. It's not as sensitive, or strong, as a similar priced one piece but I'll let it role around in the trunk of my car and always have it with me.

[largemouthtrout]

i just went in to le baron to pick up a new ultralight rod for portaging trips (recently broke my nice little fenwick hmx 5'6", d'oh!). ended up picking up a shimano voltaeus ultralight which seems like a sound choice (and for $30 not a bad bet) but the salesman got me looking at the shimano exage telescopic series. it felt nice in the hand and the carrying case is a major bonus, but i'm hesitant to buy one as i've no experience with the design. any OFC'ers using one? or other similar travel rods?

any feedback would be appreciated!

Can't say i've had any experience with that particular rod . But if i could only take one rod with me ... you couldn,t pay me to take a telescopic . I would go with a 4 pc travel rod . My buddy bought one of those travel kits from cdntire , its a 4 or 5 pc rod comes with a cheap spinning reel and a cheap fly reel ( tried a few casts with it .. and it was actually a pretty decent rod ) , and he seems pretty happy with it .

My personal preference is one pc fast action ultralight . The thing i don't like about telescopic rods most is the simple fact that i don.t trust them to not break . Ive seen too many broken telescopic rods left behind just sitting there on the ground .

 

I can not tell you from personal experience ( because i would just never buy one ) but if you go with a telescopic . I would keep the tip a little lower than a regular rod when reeling in a fish .

[The Urban Fisherman]

The Exage multi piece rod is wicked... I didn't know they had a telescopic version? I filmed a show in the bahamas a few years back and was able to use a 4 piece Exage for bonefish and jack's and it performed flawlessly. If I ever do any personal traveling and am planning to fish I'll be buying one for sure.

[castgame]

the salesman at le baron claimed that a telescopic rod is not as good as a one-piece (clearly) but better than a two-piece, because it is essentially a one-piece construction with no single point of stiffness to dampen sensitivity. this is a pretty interesting thought. anybody have anything to add to that?

 

i was really surprised at the feel of the rod in my hand. it was a little stiff at the butt for an ultralight, but it did feel light and whippy throughout and quite nicely balanced. i also like that i can simply collapse the rod with the reel on, tuck it into its case, and be ready to cast in less than a minute if the situation arises.

[lickmyarmpit]

I've got one of the five piece exages it's been great for me it has 2 second sections so it can be 7' or 6'. No complaints whatsoever it's my travel rod fits great in a suitcase. Landed this jack with it in dominican last fall.

[GreenCanada]

the salesman at le baron claimed that a telescopic rod is not as good as a one-piece (clearly) but better than a two-piece, because it is essentially a one-piece construction with no single point of stiffness to dampen sensitivity. this is a pretty interesting thought. anybody have anything to add to that?

 

i was really surprised at the feel of the rod in my hand. it was a little stiff at the butt for an ultralight, but it did feel light and whippy throughout and quite nicely balanced. i also like that i can simply collapse the rod with the reel on, tuck it into its case, and be ready to cast in less than a minute if the situation arises.

 

I would disagree with the salesman that a telescopic rod is better than a two piece. First of all, if that were the case, why aren't there more telescopic rods than two-piece? But his argument that there is no single point of stiffness to dampen the sensitivity is flawed in my opinion. I would say there are points of stiffness at the beginning and end of each segment, that is why a single piece rod is better than a two piece, which is better than a four piece, which is better than a 5 piece, which is better than a telescopic. Now don't get me wrong, blank quality and craftsmanship plays a huge role here.

[quickme]

i bought a Telescopic rod for my trip to Cuba. I ended up leaving the pieces of that rod in Cuba. The rod tip would not go back down no matter how hard I tried. I was like it was glued together with superglue after I extended the rod out. After fussing with it for about 30 minutes and breaking 2 eyelids I tossed it into the trash ( after snapping it) Even the locals didn't want it. One of the guys I was travelling with had a 4 piece medium spinning rod and reel combo and that worked like a dream. Personally i would never go with a telescopic rod again.

 

nick