Just picked up my new Kistler

[BrianMDTX]

Stopped by their shop and picked up my Helium HE-TCJ-70MH, labeled as “Texas-Carolina Rigs and Jigs”.  It’s a 7.0’ MH/F. Haven’t had much time to look at it closely but at first glance, it looks great. The blank is bare, which may not appeal to some, but it reminds me of the feel of my old Carbon Express CX-300 arrows, so I like it. 
 

Very lightweight for sure. I have a Daiwa Fuego FGCT100XS on the way for it. I have the same reel on my current Texas rig rod (a Falcon Lowrider All ‘Round Fast) and it’s worked great (I like a higher gear ratio for Texas rigs to reel in slack quickly if the bait gets taken as soon as the bait hits the water). At some point I may upgrade to a higher-grade reel, but it will do the trick for now. 
 

Going to spool 15 lb. Sunline Shooter Defier on it and hope to fish with it on Sunday! 

[GReb]

You don’t need a fancy reel for Texas rig. Spend that money elsewhere 

[BrianMDTX]

13 minutes ago, GReb said:

You don’t need a fancy reel for Texas rig. Spend that money elsewhere 

Kinda was my thought. And I really like my current Fuego. Especially after the clean and lube job I just finished. 

[NorthernBasser]

I have a 7'1 MH/XF Helium I bought 3 years ago or so. It has the NFC blank. If the new Helium's are anything like them, you're gonna love it. Extremely sensitive. 

[BrianMDTX]

21 minutes ago, NorthernBasser said:

I have a 7'1 MH/XF Helium I bought 3 years ago or so. It has the NFC blank. If the new Helium's are anything like them, you're gonna love it. Extremely sensitive. 

I won’t be able to compare, of course. But that’s the hope! 

[Catt]

I'm jealous ?

[BrianMDTX]

8 hours ago, Catt said:

I'm jealous ?

Me, too! All those nice rods laying there. Begging for a new home. And all I got was one! ?

[Catt]

@BrianMDTX My new jig rod is a Kistler Helium 

HE7045HMH

7'0" Heavy Medium Heavy X-Fast

 

Only problem is the jig bite sucks the last couple of years so I ain't been able to review it other than it cast great.

[MidwestBassAttack]

Congrats!!!! I have a ZBone 7’3 Heavy out for delivery today! 

[Jrob78]

I've got a 7'6" H Helium arriving probably tomorrow. I have the last version on the NFC blank so I'm curious to see how this new one compares. 

[BrianMDTX]

1 hour ago, Catt said:

@BrianMDTX My new jig rod is a Kistler Helium 

HE7045HMH

7'0" Heavy Medium Heavy X-Fast

 

Only problem is the jig bite sucks the last couple of years so I ain't been able to review it other than it cast great.

I’d say my jig bite always sucks. But I think that’s mostly due to leaves and muck. Even swimming a jig hasn’t produced. But I keep trying! 
 

Their shop is nice. Smelled like new. Shows pride in their product. 

[BrianMDTX]

Ok, so the Fuego won’t be here until this coming week, so I swapped reels off another rod and put on a H2O Xpress Ethos HD spooled with 50 lb Sufix 832 and 12 lb YZH leader. I tied on a 3/0 Gamakatsu EWG with a 3/16 oz tungsten bullet weight and a Mann’s Jelly Worm in blackberry. I casted the worm (hook 100% buried in the bait) on my lawn and reeled it in to see what I could feel. I’ve done this with other rigs as well, but there is no comparison. I could feel the transition from soil to leaves, small twigs, etc. Wow. I was planning on spooling 15 lb. Sunline Shooter Defier mono on the Fuego, but I may go Seguar Smackdown to leader. 
 

Hope to wet a line tomorrow and really give it a true test. 

[Diggy]

Sounds like money well spent. I hope you have as much excitement on the water. 

[BrianMDTX]

48 minutes ago, Diggy said:

Sounds like money well spent. I hope you have as much excitement on the water. 

Time will tell. But I believe your assessment will be correct! 

[new2BC4bass]

  Very nice.  Congratulations.

[BrianMDTX]

I may have made a huge and costly mistake buying this Helium. 
 

I took 4 baitcasting rigs out this morning for about two hours. A Daiwa Aird-X MH/F with a chatterbait, a Dobyns Fury 705CB MH/MF with a Zara Spook, a Falcon Lowrider All ‘Round Fast MH/F with an X-Zone True Center Stick on a 3/0 Gamakatsu EWG with a 3/16 oz tungsten bullet weight, and the Kistler Helium MH/F with the same hook and weight. 
 

I started on top but no action. I switched to the Falcon and got no bites, but was keying in on what I felt. 
 

Then I switched to the Helium. At first with a blackberry Mann’s Jelly Worm, but soon downsized to a 4” #956 Senko. Now, I can’t say it was an accurate comparison as the Daiwa Fuego on the Falcon is spooled with 15 lb. Sunline Shooter Defier mono and the H2O Ethos HD on the Helium is spooled with 50 lb. Seguar Smackdown and a 12 lb. YZH leader (it’s off my frogging rig until my new Fuego shows up this week). But regardless of the sensitivity of braid or not, I felt things unfelt before. So much so that I felt the bait hang on a sunken limb and then felt two small taps. The line did not move one iota, but I felt the bite. Not a giant, but nice to catch a non-dink as my first bass on a new rod.

 

 

So what’s the mistake? I may have to make the Bait Monkey very happy after getting our tax refund! 

[MidwestBassAttack]

54 minutes ago, BrianMDTX said:

I may have made a huge and costly mistake buying this Helium. 
 

I took 4 baitcasting rigs out this morning for about two hours. A Daiwa Aird-X MH/F with a chatterbait, a Dobyns Fury 705CB MH/MF with a Zara Spook, a Falcon Lowrider All ‘Round Fast MH/F with an X-Zone True Center Stick on a 3/0 Gamakatsu EWG with a 3/16 oz tungsten bullet weight, and the Kistler Helium MH/F with the same hook and weight. 
 

I started on top but no action. I switched to the Falcon and got no bites, but was keying in on what I felt. 
 

Then I switched to the Helium. At first with a blackberry Mann’s Jelly Worm, but soon downsized to a 4” #956 Senko. Now, I can’t say it was an accurate comparison as the Daiwa Fuego on the Falcon is spooled with 15 lb. Sunline Shooter Defier mono and the H2O Ethos HD on the Helium is spooled with 50 lb. Seguar Smackdown and a 12 lb. YZH leader (it’s off my frogging rig until my new Fuego shows up this week). But regardless of the sensitivity of braid or not, I felt things unfelt before. So much so that I felt the bait hang on a sunken limb and then felt two small taps. The line did not move one iota, but I felt the bite. Not a giant, but nice to catch a non-dink as my first bass on a new rod.

 

 

So what’s the mistake? I may have to make the Bait Monkey very happy after getting our tax refund! 

You and me both now!!! After seeing your input on the Helium, I am getting even more psyched about my ZBone!!!

[BrianMDTX]

@MidwestBassAttack I’d say my two best rods prior to the Helium is either my Falcon Lowrider or Dobyn Fury. Neither has a reel that has ever been spooled with braid, so it’s not a true comparison. I normally do not use braid on baitcasters for Texas rigs (mono or YZH). But still, I use braid on all my spinning rigs and never felt anything close to what I was able to detect this morning. By a long shot. Your Z-Bone will likely be outstanding! 

[Jrob78]

I got my Helium yesterday and it feels great. Nice and crisp, powerful but with a soft enough tip that it's not a broomstick.  It's Kistler's normal bare bones build but the execution is excellent. I hoping to use it as a c-rig rod primarily but will experiment and maybe add some heavy jigs. Seems like a great buy at the current $247 price.

[BrianMDTX]

1 hour ago, Jrob78 said:

I got my Helium yesterday and it feels great. Nice and crisp, powerful but with a soft enough tip that it's not a broomstick.  It's Kistler's normal bare bones build but the execution is excellent. I hoping to use it as a c-rig rod primarily but will experiment and maybe add some heavy jigs. Seems like a great buy at the current $247 price.

@Jrob78 At that price, it’s a steal. I’m glad I decided to step up to the plate and upgrade. 

[Choporoz]

1 hour ago, Jrob78 said:

I got my Helium yesterday and it feels great. Nice and crisp, powerful but with a soft enough tip that it's not a broomstick.  It's Kistler's normal bare bones build but the execution is excellent. I hoping to use it as a c-rig rod primarily but will experiment and maybe add some heavy jigs. Seems like a great buy at the current $247 price.

I have that rod, and I've grown to love it.  I was afraid it wouldn't get a lot of use at first.  Definitely drag some big jigs with it.  July and August, I frequently throw 1/2-3/4oz swing jigs deep.  Probably similar times and places that might call for c-rig.  Also 5+ in soft swimbaits on heavy jig heads like FinTech TitleShot

[DogBone_384]

8 hours ago, BrianMDTX said:

I may have to make the Bait Monkey very happy after getting our tax refund! 

 

Congratulations on discovering Kistler rods.

 

I bought my first Kistler in 2016.  I now have 20+, including a couple customs.  They've always been high quality rods, made right here in the US.

 

Sign up for Kistler's email promotions.  He has them a few times a year.  I bought a couple Heliums last year at $200 each while they were on sale.  I kept the Bait Monkey happy without spending 'too much' money.

 

[Jrob78]

10 minutes ago, Choporoz said:

I have that rod, and I've grown to love it.  I was afraid it wouldn't get a lot of use at first.  Definitely drag some big jigs with it.  July and August, I frequently throw 1/2-3/4oz swing jigs deep.  Probably similar times and places that might call for c-rig.  Also 5+ in soft swimbaits on heavy jig heads like FinTech TitleShot

Yeah it's definitely going to be a multi-use heavy rod for me. C-rigs and jigs are the first thing I thought of but I also like the idea of larger 5"-7" soft swimbaits on heavier weighted hooks and jigheads. I have the 7'3" HXF Helium 3 NFC blank version and it's been a great multipurpose heavy rod, I expect this one to be no different.

[Derek1]

6 hours ago, BrianMDTX said:

I may have made a huge and costly mistake buying this Helium. 
 

I took 4 baitcasting rigs out this morning for about two hours. A Daiwa Aird-X MH/F with a chatterbait, a Dobyns Fury 705CB MH/MF with a Zara Spook, a Falcon Lowrider All ‘Round Fast MH/F with an X-Zone True Center Stick on a 3/0 Gamakatsu EWG with a 3/16 oz tungsten bullet weight, and the Kistler Helium MH/F with the same hook and weight. 
 

I started on top but no action. I switched to the Falcon and got no bites, but was keying in on what I felt. 
 

Then I switched to the Helium. At first with a blackberry Mann’s Jelly Worm, but soon downsized to a 4” #956 Senko. Now, I can’t say it was an accurate comparison as the Daiwa Fuego on the Falcon is spooled with 15 lb. Sunline Shooter Defier mono and the H2O Ethos HD on the Helium is spooled with 50 lb. Seguar Smackdown and a 12 lb. YZH leader (it’s off my frogging rig until my new Fuego shows up this week). But regardless of the sensitivity of braid or not, I felt things unfelt before. So much so that I felt the bait hang on a sunken limb and then felt two small taps. The line did not move one iota, but I felt the bite. Not a giant, but nice to catch a non-dink as my first bass on a new rod.

 

 

So what’s the mistake? I may have to make the Bait Monkey very happy after getting our tax refund! 

What I’ve found is once you up your regular budget to try something new. That will become your new regular budget. There’s no going back. Trust me 

[new2BC4bass]

42 minutes ago, Derek1 said:

What I’ve found is once you up your regular budget to try something new. That will become your new regular budget. There’s no going back. Trust me 

True.  True. True.  Glad I stayed in the $100 or less range for so long.  Still feel I did good though as I did a lot of research before buying.  I do not regret one bit buying the OG Tatula and Fenwick ET Smallmouth rods.  Only one Tatula cost me $100.  All the other rods in both lines were less.  Some less than $80 new.  Can't beat that with a 10' stick. ?