Mike Ike and his rods

[bmadd]

First of all, I have a lot of respect for Ike. His fishing-attitude and confidence level is what every angler should strive for and he's one of the nicest guys I've ever talked to.

That said...his rods must be crap. In most of the tournament footage I've seen since they've debuted, he hasn't used them. He seems to really like the Light n' Tough series and he also fishes the Steez rods a lot. Don't believe me, go to bassmaster.com and check out the BassCam videos from Jordan. Notice what rod he's using in each clip and then look at what rod he gives credit too  :

[Big Tom]

My big question:

Why is he mostly using cheap sticks when he has a boat full of Steez Rods at his disposal?

I see him with a Light and Tough in his hands about 90% of the time.

[Raul]

My big question:

Why is he mostly using cheap sticks when he has a boat full of Steez Rods at his disposal?

I see him with a Light and Tough in his hands about 90% of the time.

The answer can be very simple: because he likes them.

I 've got a truckload of GLoomis rods and those 20+ years old Berkley Lightnings are still amongst of my favorites.

[Stasher1]

The most expensive rod in your arsenal isn't always the best choice for a given presentation or technique. There's an awful lot of brand snobbery in fishing (even more so on fishing forums) and sometimes it clouds our judgement when it comes time to choose the right rod/reel for our intended use, skill level, and budget.

[flechero]

I see him with a Light and Tough in his hands about 90% of the time.

And do you think those LT rods are off the rack?   :

[Big Tom]

I see him with a Light and Tough in his hands about 90% of the time.

And do you think those LT rods are off the rack? :

I guess I am naive but I thought they were off the rack.  So these rods are not "stock"?  What is different about a LT that Ike uses and one that I can buy at BPS?

It seems like a stretch but you know a whole lot more about rods than me.  

[Redlinerobert]

I took a good look at the Ike rods last year at ICAST when I went with Glenn.  The rods look really nice, but oh man were they heavy.  I'd be willing to bet that if they made the rods with better quality blanks that they would sell alot more of them, considering Ike's popularity.

I'm just saying....

[flechero]

I actually can't verify that his rods are or are not what you can buy off the rack. But there are companies that have completely different rods going to pros and the only similarities are the decals and color schemes. (to make them appear stock)

And some others are customs with only a brand logo on them... that are referred to as "prototypes."

[Big Tom]

I see what you are saying now.  That makes more sense.

I have seen a couple Ike rods strapped onto Mikes front deck.  I have never seen one in his hands though.

[lightsout]

I actually can't verify that his rods are or are not what you can buy off the rack. But there are companies that have completely different rods going to pros and the only similarities are the decals and color schemes. (to make them appear stock)

And some others are customs with only a brand logo on them... that are referred to as "prototypes."

cough cough* quantum

[bmadd]

I'm not trying to open up the can of worms about whether they fish stock or not. Just can't understand why someone would say they used one rod when all the on-the-water coverage shows him using something completely different. I know they've said it for years they used there sponsors hot new so and so but when there's video evidence that they're obviously not using it why still admit it?   Naive I suppose

[KYntucky Warmouth]

I'm not trying to open up the can of worms about whether they fish stock or not. Just can't understand why someone would say they used one rod when all the on-the-water coverage shows him using something completely different. I know they've said it for years they used there sponsors hot new so and so but when there's video evidence that they're obviously not using it why still admit it? Naive I suppose

What was he using?

[bmadd]

He was fishing the jig with a Daiwa Light n' Tough rod but told reporters he was using his signature series rod.

[MarauderYak]

He was fishing the jig with a Daiwa Light n' Tough rod but told reporters he was using his signature series rod.

Sorry, I haven't/can't see any clips right now.  Did you see a clip of him specifically saying what he used?  I read a blog, but that doesn't mean he actually said it.  I've noticed ESPN quite regularly mis-identifies the equipment that was used in a specific tournament.  I know for a fact in past instances where the fault lies because I've tracked the chain of info to the source of the problem.

Unless you specifically heard Ike say he was using "X" rod, I'd say the issue is not with him.

[KYntucky Warmouth]

He was fishing the jig with a Daiwa Light n' Tough rod but told reporters he was using his signature series rod.

Sorry, I haven't/can't see any clips right now. Did you see a clip of him specifically saying what he used? I read a blog, but that doesn't mean he actually said it. I've noticed ESPN quite regularly mis-identifies the equipment that was used in a specific tournament. I know for a fact in past instances where the fault lies because I've tracked the chain of info to the source of the problem.

Unless you specifically heard Ike say he was using "X" rod, I'd say the issue is not with him.

Before the new KVD rods came out, KVD almost always said he was fishing with his old signature rods but was almost always fishing an energy or tour pt rod.

However, editing plays a big part in that, I have heard Ike and KVD, not to mention many others say they were using a certain bait or type of gear for them to set the hook on a fish and clearly not using the same bait or gear.  I remember an episode of bassmasters with KVD fishing a jerkbait on a spinning rig, he sets the hook and swings the fish in on a baitcaster and a crankbait.

[TheHammer84]

He was fishing the jig with a Daiwa Light n' Tough rod but told reporters he was using his signature series rod.

Sorry, I haven't/can't see any clips right now. Did you see a clip of him specifically saying what he used? I read a blog, but that doesn't mean he actually said it. I've noticed ESPN quite regularly mis-identifies the equipment that was used in a specific tournament. I know for a fact in past instances where the fault lies because I've tracked the chain of info to the source of the problem.

Unless you specifically heard Ike say he was using "X" rod, I'd say the issue is not with him.

talks about using his signature rod

picture from the red river using a Light and Tough

Did see him using his signature spinning rod during the three rivers tourny

[ww2farmer]

I don't know what rods he used during the FLW cup, but I do know what bait he used, and it's not what he said LOL. I just got done watching the FLW show of the cup, he "claims" he caught his fish on a 5" Berkley sinking minnow, but they showed a few close ups of the bait and it was a GYCB senko, he even had a bag of senkos on the boat deck.

[The Rooster]

So are you guys saying they're LYING about it??   :-?  Or is there a misunderstanding between what's being said, how it got edited, what actually got published or made public for viewing??

[cart7t]

From what I've seen of Ike on TV shows,  he's pretty darn rough on equipment.  A lot rougher than many others.  I'm not sure a Steez rod would last long laying on the deck beneath his feet.  

[flechero]

All he has to do is use his signature series (or sig series labeled) rod for a few casts during the day and when he says he was using it, he's not lying.  

Guys use a lot of rods and tackle throughout the day...  

[MarauderYak]

To my first point...   I do know for a fact that there have been many errors in the ESPN/BassMaster articles about the gear being used.  The article may sound like they are just repeating what the pro told them, but most of the time they are getting the list of gear from the sponsors or even the pro's manager.

Second, I know most all of the pros use tackle other than what they talk about, but they are getting paid to promote specific product.  In some cases they may use that rod/reel exclusively, and some may only use it occasionally.  A lot of that has to do with how they fish.  Some pros tend to stick to just a couple of fishing methods, and others are extremely diverse.

And of course there are times where a pro just flat out lies about how, where, or with what he caught a fish, but hell, amatures do that all the time for free!  ;D

[bmadd]

flechero--I think you probably hit it right on. That makes the most sense I guess.

[steezy]

From what I've seen of Ike on TV shows, he's pretty darn rough on equipment. A lot rougher than many others. I'm not sure a Steez rod would last long laying on the deck beneath his feet.

Why do you think a steez rod would not be as durable as any other nice rod that Ike might use ? Not trying to start a debate/fight but just curious?

Im pretty hard on mine and they seem to be very durable.

[SPEEDBEAD.]

Thinner walls = more fragile.

Pretty sure a L&T would handle getting "Iked" better than a Steez (or GLX, high end Croix, etc).

[KYntucky Warmouth]

Tough he is on rods, he snapped a steez in half during the forrest wood cup.  There is an episode of city limits that the camera man stepped on a LT rod and broke it, he was pretty upset