10: PLATINUM SPOD RODS EXPLAINED
Unless you are planning on fishing single hook baits, there isn’t much point being able to cast your rig a very long way, and extremely accurately, if you can’t do the same when baiting up.
It made perfect sense to add some Kaizen Platinum Spod rods to the range, and given that they aren’t designed for playing fish on, it meant that we could make them even more powerful than the rest of the fishing rods, and focus on creating the perfect tool for launching a spod or spomb incredible distances with as little effort as possible.
Spodding is hard work, especially if you are putting out a larger quantity of bait, and being as accurate as possible is essential – unlike with your rig where a mis-cast simply means winding in and having another go, when a spod lands in the wrong place you’ve jump dumped a pile of bait there, and if it happens regularly you can end up with bait all over the place.
So, our goal was to create a rod that not only could cast a long way and do so accurately, but would do so in the hands of the average angler and be as easy as possible to use, and in turn help people put more fish on the bank as a result.
With power being the main goal, we opted for a super-fast taper blank that has a very tippy action and maximises power transfer through the rod during the cast, so as little of the energy as possible that you are putting into the cast is wasted.
These Platinum spod rods also have a very fast recovery, which again means minimal energy and effort is being wasted, and will quickly snap back straight once the spod has been released and is heading out to your spot.
We have chosen the same ZERO90 carbon fibre that is used to make the blanks for the rest of the range, along with as few layers of it and as little resin as is practical, whilst ensuring that the rods are still strong and durable enough to withstand constant use in an every day situation out on the bank – spod rods are cast far more often than a fishing rod will ever be.
This carbon type and the way that the fibres align helps ensure that as much power as possible is transferred through, whilst at the same time being very resilient to lateral twist – this is the degree to which the rod twists and deforms under extreme loading, such as when casting a large heavy spod, and plays a big part in casting accuracy. The less the blank twists the better, especially when casting heavy, larger sized spods full of particles.
Because you are casting repeatedly with a spod rod, and sometimes for long spells at a time, it was essential to make it as lightweight as possible, to help keep your casting performance as consistent as possible and stop you from getting tired and spraying bait everywhere towards the end of your spodding session.
This doesn’t just mean the weight of the rod itself, but also how easily you can move it through the air, as that is where a lot of the effort comes in – the easier it is to move, the more power and tip speed you will generate for the same amount of effort.
So as well as using lightweight carbon and resin, it made sense to do the same with the rod fittings – there is no point making a very light blank and then adding heavy fittings – so the Platinum Spod rods feature lightweight Sea-Guide TDG stainless steel guides, with a 50mm butt ring that is ideal for big pit type reels, and a 16mm tip that will easily allow leader knots to pass through it smoothly, and which has a ceramic lining that is more durable for constant use with the thin braids that are used for spodding.
The handle is just the right length for casting, and features Japanese shrink wrap along with a flared bit at the end, and this allows for a firm grip, even if your hands are covered in bait. A Fuji DPS reel seat holds your spod reel securely in place and won’t come loose.
There are two spod rods in the range, a 12ft and a 12ft 6in. version, which both look exactly the same as the fishing rods cosmetically, and are both capable of achieving very long distances, accurately, even with larger spods and spombs, and if you are fishing at long range a lot then the longer version is the one to go for as it will make your life easier. When it comes to choosing which model is right for you, the same principles apply as are outlined in Choosing rod length and test curve.
Whilst reading about the Platinum Spod rods will help you to make a decision, the best way to choose the right model for you is to handle it in person, and you can do this by using our store locator to find your local Korda stockist.