My son broke a guide off of my wacky rod. So, like any other fisherman, I decided to upgrade a bit. I didn't want to spend a ton of money (below $100) and after playing around with numerous rods at BPS I decided on a KVD signature series 7" MH spinning rod. Seemed light and balanced in the aisle and I liked the fast tip.
Got the rod home, tightened down the reel and then it started. I got a slight chill down the back of my neck. Like a sixth sense that something just wasn't quite right, I picked up the rod and began to lose color in my face.
The rod is a split grip with foam handles. The rod seat does not have foam in front of the seat so my hand,both pointer finger and thumb rest directly on the threads=Strike 1
Then I noticed that the placement of the hook holder is in the very spot where my pointer finger rests causing it to dig into my finger at the second knuckle. Very uncomfortable =Strike 2
I decided to walk up to the pond in my neighborhood to throw a scrounger 1/4 oz to test out the action. Castability was good and the rod had a decent feel except for the above. Caught a fish on the 6th cast and rod felt ok. After about the 25th cast I noticed that my right thumb pad at the base of my hand was getting a cramp. I then realized that the rod was so skinny the handle foam was not thick enough and it was causing me to hold the rod tighter and my thumb to cramp up. Strike 3
I will be returning it on my next trip back to BPS and buying a different rod in that price range.