Dean over at Tightlines Premium Fishing Tackle had a new rod in the shop he wanted some feedback on and I readily obliged. The iRod Genesis II was the rod. The one he had for me to test was a 7' H Fast Action (IRG704C). With a couple of hours after work and a tournament over the weekend, time on the water with the rod wouldn't be a problem.
Let's get to it, shall we?
The Good
With nine guides, a split grip of EVA foam and more than 14 inches of handle, the allows a good, comfortable grip for casting. The rod has good balance and is lightweight. In fact, this may be the lightest Heavy I've ever fished with. The components are of good quality and the blank has a nice matte finish.
While it was easy to cast, I found the rod sluggish and not as sensitive as I like once the bait was in the water. Instead of felling sharp pings when coming into contact with rocks (I was throwing a 1/2 ounce swimjig) it was more of a dull thud. It was the same when a fish hit if I felt it at all. A few of the fish I was alerted to by watching the line (SeaGuar Invisx 12 pound test).
The sensitivity of this rod needs to be increased. I am not sure what blank is used in this rod but it is going to need an upgrade if they intend to sell them at $149.
After being in the truck and kayak, the eyes were starting to bend a bit. When I attempted to straighten them the epoxy made a cracking noise.
When I attached the reel to the reel seat I also noticed that the grooves on the tightening mechanism on the seat would grind a little bit. This could be problematic with extended use.
The iRod looks like a good finish but it's not a great fish. I've used Falcon and St Croix rods that cost less and were more sensitive. They had just as much strength. When you catch a sale or get a coupon you could also get a Kistler for the same price. The Genesis II feels more like an $89 rod to me. For $149 I expect better.
The Needs Improvement
While it was easy to cast, I found the rod sluggish and not as sensitive as I like once the bait was in the water. Instead of felling sharp pings when coming into contact with rocks (I was throwing a 1/2 ounce swimjig) it was more of a dull thud. It was the same when a fish hit if I felt it at all. A few of the fish I was alerted to by watching the line (SeaGuar Invisx 12 pound test).
The sensitivity of this rod needs to be increased. I am not sure what blank is used in this rod but it is going to need an upgrade if they intend to sell them at $149.
After being in the truck and kayak, the eyes were starting to bend a bit. When I attempted to straighten them the epoxy made a cracking noise.
When I attached the reel to the reel seat I also noticed that the grooves on the tightening mechanism on the seat would grind a little bit. This could be problematic with extended use.
Final Thoughts
The iRod looks like a good finish but it's not a great fish. I've used Falcon and St Croix rods that cost less and were more sensitive. They had just as much strength. When you catch a sale or get a coupon you could also get a Kistler for the same price. The Genesis II feels more like an $89 rod to me. For $149 I expect better.