If you’ve read any of my ramblings for the past decade, you’re well aware that I’m an old-school guy when it comes to both fishing gear and fishing techniques. Cork grips never really failed me so I normally prefer to stick with them whenever possible.
But man, I’m telling you right now that thes Winn Dri-Tac grips are super cool and make a big difference during a day on the water. They’re super sticky but don’t leave any residue whatsoever on your hands. This allows you to flip, pitch and skip in rainy conditions with the utmost confidence and it also helps during the culling process if you’re a tournament angler. You can cull your fish and get fish slime all over your hands and not have to clean your hands at all. I’m not quite sure what these grips are made of but they sure are convenient and comfortable in a wide array of situations.
I’ve been primarily testing the 7-foot, 2-inch medium-action Lew’s Elite Series Casting Rod and it is an outstanding rod for flat-sided crankbaits and smaller crankbaits. I’ve been able to feel every single vibration of my bait and every change in bottom composition on each and every cast. They say this is due to a new technology called Vibration Transfer Rings (VTR) and I’m sure that’s all well and good. But again, I keep things simple. This is one of the most sensitive rods I’ve tested in my entire career.
You can ask my wife, buddies and colleagues… I’ve been talking about this rod for a long time and I’m absolutely positive others will agree with my assessment.
I’ve never been a huge fan of hook holders located above the foregrip of a bass fishing rods. Most of the time, they’re easy to ignore but if you allow a little slack to get into your line, all kinds of trouble can happen when it comes time to set the hook. These hook holders/bait keepers are important to have on a rod but I want ‘em as far away from the foregrip as possible.
Thankfully, the Lew’s Elite Series Casting Rod kept the bait keeper on the butt-end of the rod which keeps it totally out of the way. Whether you’re cranking, throwing a topwater or pitching a heavy weight around grass, you won’t need to worry about it at all. You won’t even know it’s there until you need it.
If you’re in the market this year for a high-end bass fishing rod, I strongly suggest putting this one on your list. It feels absolutely incredible in your hand, it’s lightweight and somehow, Lew’s was able to maintain a bunch of strength to the blank as well. In my personal opinion and experience, this is, by far, the best rod Lew’s has ever built. I can’t say enough good things about it.