kistler helium rods

[bfitch]

whats the verdict on these? that Ebay store that Eli put up has these for 115 and im thinking of pairing one up with a quantum tour edition reel for a kick ass rattle trap rig. i usually like to feel the rod (get that out of your head  :rolleyes: ) before i buy one, but i mean, thats a hell of a deal

[Basscat7]

If you want a " kick ass " rattle trap rig........get yourself a medium light graphite rod,  any brand, Kistlers are good.  6'6" or 7 footer.

Spool up with your favorite Braid.  Change and upgrade hooks on the traps.
Gamakatsus, Owners, any of the " Sharp " hooks, upsize to # 4 on the front and a # 5 on the back.

Hookup/land rates on traps for a lot of guys are not consistent because the trap is an easy bait for a bass to throw on a jump/slack line, most of this is because of line stretch when using mono and substandard hooks, plus the weight/mass of the trap. You set the hook, the mono stretches, poor hooks barley penetrate the bony mouth, first jump fish throws the trap.

Braid will give a solid hook set, combined with the upsized/sharper hooks the pentration on the bony jaw is usually past the barbs, making it difficult for the bass to throw.
Added to that is the ability of the braid to cut thru grass and allow you to pop the bait free of the top of the grass, which will a lot of times trigger a strike.
The medium light rod comes into play when getting the fish near the boat/net...lot of bass are lost on traps near the boat, fish gets spooked and jumps.  The parabolic action of the first 2 feet of the ML rod absorbs the shock of the fish surging, without pulling the hooks free.

The base of the rod has enough backbone to get a solid hookset.  The ML action replaces the stretch of the mono for absorbing shock.
With the buried hooks and the rod give, having a bass throw the trap declines tremendously.

Have caught bass to 7 pounds using this setup with traps in our area, hookup rate went up to close to 100 %.

[bassboogieman]

I have a dozen of the Heliums, both spinning and casting and absolutely LOVE them.  I also have several of the Graphite Plus specialty rods and they're pretty nice also.  The price from Simmons is very good w/free shipping on many of the Heliums.  They are close outs of 2007 and 2008 lines, and the selection is getting smaller every day.  Simmons ships same day if you order before close of business and I got mine in 3 days - I think that's pretty darn good.  I have been using them about 3 years now and have had NO problems with them at all.  If you're ever around  my neighborhood give me a call, you can get a hands on. :evil:

[Wishing2BFishing]

"If you're ever around  my neighborhood give me a call, you can get a hands on. "

So you want Brian to stop by your house to put his hands on your rod?  Are you registered with the local police?

[bassboogieman]

He's 21.  :rolleyes:  And why not you did................ :shocked:, wait now I remember I did have to bring it to you................................................. :grin: :grin: :grin:

The bad thing is, and I'll say it up front:  Once Brian handles a rod like mine - it's the only one he'll ever want.  All jokes aside, Kistler's - especially the Helium LTA's - in my mind are that darn good.  To be able to get one to try at HALF PRICE is a rare opportunity.  I say go for it Brian, I am certain you will not be disappointed, and should you be - it should be easy to sell it on the secondary market for what you will pay. 

I do not want to deter you from a purchase of a Helium LTA, but it would not be my preference for throwing traps or other treble hook baits - not that you can't use one for that purpose, but my preferences lead me in another direction.  I think the LTA's are much better suited for single hook baits (because of the fast - extra fast actions).  Again, my preferences will not align with everyone else - BIG surprise. :rolleyes:

I am not looking to argue the merits of a particular preference, but I tend to disagree with Stan on the treble baits.  I prefer (and use) a Kistler Graphite Plus COMPOSITE (Ryan's turning green) Crankbait Special in 7'-0".  This rod is a medium/moderate action and does very well with treble baits down to about 8 feet.  It will throw a trap a long way, and get it out of all but the heaviest grass.  Unfortunately the G/P has been discontinued and the COMPOSITE blanks are getting hard to find.  But there is an alternative:  look at the Kistler Magnesium line, as it continues to offer a COMPOSITE crankbait special rod.

The Heliums and all Kistler pure graphite rods are a fast to extra-fast action and I do not prefer to lighten up on the rod to compensate for the treble hooks.  I do prefer the Heliums for fishing slow presentation plastics, jigs and spinnerbaits due to their much higher degree of sensitivity.  Everyone has there own preference.  Match yours to one of ours and you will get an idea as to which Kistler rod would best suit your style.  If you have any questions about Kistler rods, PM me or give me a call.

[Basscat7]

How did I know you would disagree LOL.  :grin:

You need to catch  multiple fish in different situations to actually asses how a certain rod setup will work.
Without using a setup like this, it is impossible for anyone to say how it works or does not work.
I know it works cause I have used it for 10 years and have caught literally hundreds of bass on it.
Prior to that I used all the " glass, Composite, specialty " cranking rods..they work  OK, but I ( and many others that don't follow the crowd ) have found out the secret of braid/Graphite/and traps/cranks  LOL.

Sometime you have to think outside the box. :laugh:

[bfitch]

well, i pulled the trigger :grin: its a 6'3", little short, but it should do the trick. and if i dont like it for throwing traps, i can probably use it for wormin.

And stan, im with you on using the braid for cranks and traps. started using it this year for that, caught more fish and got snagged less

$235 for a kistler helium and a quantum tour edition reel, that feels like steeling  :grin:

[Basscat7]

well, i pulled the trigger :grin: its a 6'3", little short, but it should do the trick. and if i dont like it for throwing traps, i can probably use it for wormin.

And stan, im with you on using the braid for cranks and traps. started using it this year for that, caught more fish and got snagged less

$235 for a kistler helium and a quantum tour edition reel, that feels like steeling  :grin:

Braid is great for traps and for cranks it lets you feel what that bait is doing, especially on a graphite rod......you have much more control over a crank this way, way less hangups because you can feel when the crank is getting over stickups, etc.  You lose no sensitivity like you do with glass and composites.
And don't let a ML fool you..there is enough backbone to bring in anything you can hook up with LOL.......
I use a 3 power Medium Light Falcon Lowrider LFC-3-166 LR Finesse Special ML that is a medium power on the flex.....graphite for sensitivity and hookset and medium tip for flex on the  surge.
Until you actually try a setup like this you won't know what you are missing on trap /crank fishing.
Like I said above...I have 10 years of tournament fishing with the mono/glass/composites and now 10 years on the ML/Graphite /Braid
and there is a very noticeable difference in hookset/land ratio between the two.
Tournament situations are a little different then just a day out on a lake so I'll base my judgements on my 20 years experience TX fishing with the 2 systems and my own catch rates.
If it didn't work I wouldn't still be using it.
If you want to try a setup I always have 3- 4 in the boat, left hand reels though, try one out in spring.

[Wishing2BFishing]

I love Kistlers.  They are my favorite rod.  I am skeptical of Stan's ML/Braid rig, however, I haven't tried it.   Nevertheless, I like the feel of something with a little more backbone so I don't think Stan's set-up is for me.

[Basscat7]

I love Kistlers.  They are my favorite rod.  I am skeptical of Stan's ML/Braid rig, however, I haven't tried it.   Nevertheless, I like the feel of something with a little more backbone so I don't think Stan's set-up is for me.

Bwhahaha....don't go to the edge, you might fall off   LOL :grin:

[Pillager]

$235 for a kistler helium and a quantum tour edition reel, that feels like steeling  :grin:

Make sure you tie it down on the boat deck

[bfitch]

$235 for a kistler helium and a quantum tour edition reel, that feels like steeling  :grin:

Make sure you tie it down on the boat deck

i just need to make sure my rider can catch  :grin:

[Pillager]

If I had those reaction times, I'd still be playing ball!   :grin:
Even with my bad shoulder, I could throw from second to first.

[bfitch]

If I had those reaction times, I'd still be playing ball!   :grin:
Even with my bad shoulder, I could throw from second to first.

:grin:


well i got the rod and reel yesterday, they are sweet. but ive realized a mistake i made. i bought a brand new set up and cant use it till the weather warms up, thus adding to my jonesin to go out :rolleyes:

[bassboogieman]

they are sweet

They definitely are sweet and I bet that blue reel really looks nice with the blue ring inserts on the rod - BLING! :cool: