Ike Signature Fishing Rods from Abu Garcia

Mike Iaconelli and Abu Garcia spent nearly three years designing this signature series of rods bearing Mike’s name. I am going to assume that Mike wouldn’t have put his name on these rods if he thought they would not perform to his elite series of fishing and be priced within reach of most anglers.

The particular rod I reviewed was the 7-foot medium action rod. First off, let me say the color of these rods are cool. I know that doesn’t mean it’s a great rod, but it looks cool! The blank is made from 36-ton high modulus graphite with great sensitivity. The higher the rating, the better the performance, but it also means it will also have a greater susceptibility to impact fractures. Some of the cranking rods have a blend of High Strain Glass as well.

This rod sports 12 mid-sized guides made of stainless steel and are accompanied by zirconium inserts. This allows your fishing line to flow through with no resistance and lets your reel perform at its best. At the business end of the rod is Fuji’s reel seat and EVA foam design, giving the angler the utmost comfort when casting and holding the rod.

There are 15 reels total in this series:

• 5 finesse spinning reels
• 5 power casting reels
• 5 delay cranking reels

Rod action is fitted for every fishing purpose and each rod is given a rating to help determine which one to use for what fishing action. The ratings are represented by a ratio. For example, an 80/20 rating means 80% backbone and 20% tip, which is pretty self-explanatory. The particular rod I reviewed had a line rating of 10 to 20 pounds and a lure rating of 1/4 to 5/8’s in weight, making it a great cranking rod. Pair that up with the new ALX casting reel and this combo is deadly.

Overall, this rod complements any casting reel and the featherweight really helps in lengthening your fishing day. The sensitivity is awesome. It feels better than some other rods I have and the price won’t bankrupt you at $129 to $149. Most of all, the colors and visual design of the rod will have your angler buddies asking where you got that cool rod from.

For more information, please visit www.abugarcia.com.

Review written by Gary Elliott, facilitator of www.Facebook.com/GarysOutdoorNewsandReviews and @garys_outdoor_news_and_reviews.