J. Higley Custom Fishing Rods

Higley’s Highlights

Ice Season: Well we’re getting pumped up for the upcoming ice fishing season here in Michigan and we hope you are too, wherever you are from. We have 13 selections of ice rods for you our newest one is the ICE11 rod which we call our Shanty Shorty. It’s a 24” med/light action rod that should be great for you Shanty fisherman, or for those who like to be ‘on top’ of the action.

Ever Wonder: Ever wonder where we get our blanks from and what makes them so special. Bill Batson and his team at Batson Enterprises is the supplier of most of our blanks; the Rainshadow and Forecast brand names. The production manager of Batson Enterprises was interviewed by “In-Fisherman” in their August-September 2004 issue the following is part of that interview:

Long-Cast Smallmouths: (taken from article in “In-Fisherman” Aug-Sept 2004) Interview with Mike Thorson by Matt Straw with “In-Fisherman”. Mike Thorson was the designer who helped St. Croix develop blueprints for Avid and Legend Elite series rods. Using computer models, he has always tried to improve casting distance when designing a new blank. “Hey, I’m already working on your little project”, Thorson laughed. “Nick Meyer just called and ordered a blank... a hot-shot rod we handpicked that was dead-nuts-on for transferring power to a lure….” “You’re trying to achieve a smooth blend of power transference from butt to tip. Think about a fly rod that’s too stiff to feel the fly-line, like a 5-weight line on a 10-weight rod. If the amount of give in the rod blank isn’t balanced with the weight of the line the tip can’t progressively load. You won’t achieve a smooth transfer of power. The lure has to load into the central area of the rod progressively, meaning not really fast in the tip. You’re relying on the weight of the lure to load the blank. Distance casters, like Meyer, put fewer guides on to reduce friction, but there’s a reverse reaction. You’ll get more line slap with fewer guides, too - especially with spinning gear.”

Some other observations made my Mike Thorson in the same interview: When buying a rod how do you know what the right action looks like? “Rather than push the rod against the floor or a wall, have somebody hold the tip firmly,” Thorson said. “You want to see it load progressively through the middle of the blank as you gradually lift or add power. If the object (of the fisherman) is greater distance with light lures, the blank has to be light enough to load through the middle section, but it can’t be whippy. The action should be moderate, and the bend should describe a smooth arc without any sharp angles across the top half of the rod.” Additional notes by editor, Mike Straw: A soft whippy rod absorbs energy. Most of the power created with a casting motion is absorbed as the blank bends too far. At the beginning of the cast, the tip tries to stay in place, held back by the weight of the lure. A rod that’s too stiff won’t “load” or bend at all from the weight of the package, and all the energy is delivered directly to the lure. That “smooth transference” Thorson talks about is simply a matter of making the perfect bend in the rod during a cast, creating a catapult effect. If you can feel the weight of the lure hanging there when poised to cast, you’re in the ball pack. But the more the tip is bent down at that point, the farther you get from the playing field. It’s a fine line. In summary the tip should give slightly to the weight, but not buckle. It has to stand up to the weight, but not be overpowered by it. To achieve ultimate distance, a rod has to be designed for casting alone-not for fishing, per se. To reduce friction, it should have fewer guides than a pure fishing rod (but as stated previously you get more line slap with fewer guides). To feel bites and to successfully hook and land Smallmouths requires, compromise.

We hope these informational tid-bits help you on your way to better fishing.

I hope to hear from some of you with ideas, suggestions or ways to improve our rods. Send me your best fish story (along with some pictures hopefully to support it) and we’ll put your on our testimonial page. Make sure you get a picture of the Higley signature rod along with those fish you’re catching. Watch for future Higley Highlights.