Winn rod handle wraps

[Old Blue Avenger]

Sorry if this has been covered but I noticed my cork handles on my rods are starting too show some wear and tear and I see Winn is now making wraps for fishing rods. My question to all you knowledgeable fishermen is are the wraps worth the time and the money ?

[alrab23]

I would like to know about them also.  Does it mess them up if you get them wet?  I have Winn Softies on my golf clubs and they didn't last long because of sweat.   Love the feel of the grips but the durability was lacking.   

[Jonathan Evans]

Same here. My bait caster rod is only a year old and the cork has a bad spot that is starting to chip off. I called in and they will replace it but they do not make cork handle ones anymore. I like the handle and Its not worth it to me. If i can get a wrap that would be great.

[dsqui]

4 hours ago, Jonathan Evans said:

Same here. My bait caster rod is only a year old and the cork has a bad spot that is starting to chip off. I called in and they will replace it but they do not make cork handle ones anymore. I like the handle and Its not worth it to me. If i can get a wrap that would be great.

lol so you like the cork handle and dont want anything else but you want to cover it up with something???  ditch the cork go eva then you wont have any worries

[timsford]

You can try filling it with cork filler and sanding it and applying up to seal it to patch it up. As far as the Winn grips I have no idea but I have fixed cork handles like this before

[John Lea]

I have trouble hanging on to a rod so I have taken to wrapping the handles with baseball bat wrap or tennis racquet wrap. It gives me a bit more to grip.  It seems to work well but I have also added a short length of pipe insulation to the rod just in case I throw it.

[Fishes in trees]

I've used Rod Wraps on my gear for years and I suppose that the Winn wraps are similar.  What I like best about them is that I can color code the handles.  Crank rods are teal, soft plastic rods are grey, single purpose rods have other colors.  Makes i a little easier to look down and find the rod I want a little quicker.  

[Jonathan Evans]

2 hours ago, dsqui said:

lol so you like the cork handle and dont want anything else but you want to cover it up with something???  ditch the cork go eva then you wont have any worries

LOl I know its silly, I just never liked the feel of the cheap foam. The cork feels so nice in the hands. I will have to look into Eva and see what its about. I have friends that love it. 

[timsford]

2 hours ago, timsford said:

You can try filling it with cork filler and sanding it and applying up to seal it to patch it up. As far as the Winn grips I have no idea but I have fixed cork handles like this before

It was supposed to say u40 instead of up. Sorry my phone got me again

[WPCfishing]

I haven't applied the Winn wrap but I can tell you it feels great. My Lews HM85 has the Winn grip. I like it.. 

[S Hovanec]

5 hours ago, Jonathan Evans said:

LOl I know its silly, I just never liked the feel of the cheap foam. The cork feels so nice in the hands. I will have to look into Eva and see what its about. I have friends that love it. 

All EVA is not created equal.  This isn't the foam of the past that falls apart after a year or two.

[Old Blue Avenger]

That's what I was hoping for when I seen the wraps on the website. The Lews rod grips get gteat reviews. I'm just trying to prolong the life of  rods

[Grantman83]

Don't be fooled.  I bought the Winn tape and it is nice but it isn't anything like the Winn grip.  Totally different texture we it don't have the grooves cut into it.  

When it comes to wrapping grips I still prefer tennis tape cause it's cheaper and feels more tactile to me then Winn tape.  

[fishnkamp]

Here is what I did recently. I had a G Loomis GL3 rod that broke on the deck of my boat. Totally my fault. I went down to the local dealer to get a replacement. My rod was maybe 4 years old.  The factory changed from he standard reel seat with a metal sleeve and metal lock rings to an uplocking plastic seat. Hated its feel. I paid an extra upgrade  charge to move up to IMX. Got the new IMX rod and fished it. The plastic downlocking reel sleeve and rings loosened up  often. I became afraid that I would break a $300+ rod. So I had a local, extra talented, rod builder strip the complete cork handle and plastic reel seat of and replace them with a set of split Winn Grips and an American Tackle  Comfort reel seat. They are so wonderful I had another Loomis rod redone just to match the feel.  I had him use the "Natural" Winn grips so it still looks kinda like cork. The feel is so much better than cork.  I like the feel and its sorta tackiness.   Then just go find your closest rod builder.  I guarantee you will be glad you did. Notice we also added the section of Winn Grip in front of the reel seat. It is sooo comfy to rest my thumb on the grip and not on the typical threads many rods have there.  Check out my before and after pics. 

 

[MickD]

In my opinion the Winn Wrap is the way to handle the grip with badly worn/damaged cork.  They do feel very good both dry and wet, don't get slippery when wet, and DEET is their only enemy.  But DEET is the enemy of anything that is plastic or rubber based.  They don't cost a fortune, so give them a try and make your own decision.  Mudhole.com has a great selection of them.