Hotspotoutdoors

Anybody have one? Comments?

I am thinking of getting the channel cat model.

That is one of my main channel cat rods. Nice circle hook rod....no complaints.

I don't have one but do think they are awesome rods. They definitely have the type of actions that I prefer.

I have heard good things about them, but am a bit weary on pulling the trigger on a rod I can't hold in my hand first. They look nice on the website though.

I have a glowstik for flats that is OK, but my channel cat rod is more for bass or northern. The handle isn't as long as I would like and the foregrip is tiny. It's also impossible to see at night.

Thanks for input so far guys.

They have good action.... But bait casters don't seat in them. After talking with a few people who have experience with rod building.... its suspected that they took spinning rods as blanks to build them.... Mine is benched till I can figure out.

Hmm...a blank is a blank is a blank. The only difference between a spin/cast rod is where you position the spine when you put the eyelets on. Perhaps the reel seats used on the casting rods aren't very baitcaster friendly.

Larry - When you have me up fishin you can show me.

You might be right...... But my 6500 never seated right in the rod to the point of me having to make a foam insert to put between the rod and reel to take the movement/play out. As a result I kept trying tighten it down and now its stripped and I can't keep a reel seated at all.

Yeah sounds like they used some poor reel seats. Which is too bad because there isn't really a way to fix that bedside McGyver'ing it, like you are doin. I would contact the company and maybe they will replace the rod?

Sounds like they should have taken a little more time to build a quality rod.

Interesting...My 6500 black cat seats just fine on mine.



Head on over to Moore's Bait & Tackle in S. Minneapolis if you want to check out that rod first hand. Bob's still got a few in stock.

I would check out the rod made by Pro Angler Tackle . com Awesome channel rod.

Well, I can't imagine that my 6500C3 is any different from your 6500 black cat... maybe I got the friday afternoon rod. I'm not telling people not to buy them. just keep an eye out for issues early on...
Never had this problem with any other rod in my 30+ years of fishing.

Yep, there shouldn't really be any difference with those reels, must of been the friday afternoon rod. The only other time I've heard of the same issue you've got with yours was a Whuppin' Stick rod while most other Whuppin' Sticks had no issues.

Bought 2 of these last year the blue wrap(Lake Model) and the green wrap(Spin Model) through Moores in the springtime. I enjoyed the Lake Model very much and worked fine till I lost a nice flathead(not the fault of the rod), at which time I took a two handed chop on the gunnel of the boat with said rod rendering it garbage fodder. The ease at which it broke was upsetting .

lol

How do your other rods fare?

So you are saying other rods have met the same fate? How'd they fare?

Is there an echo in here?

...I have too much history w/ my Classic Cats to treat them like a red-headed stepchild. Maybe I should switch to Ugly Sticks; that one commercial where that dudes wife tries putting it in the trash is funny.

LOL! Guess I type a little slower than you. That's too funny!

Which Classic Cats do you have again? I'm getting to the point where I'm worried to even bring them in the boat. I was letting a buddy use one on the Rainy River for Sturgeon this spring and as he was fighting a big fish with it, he asked me "What happens if this thing breaks?" I said you aren't riding home with me.

This sentence will most likely get re-quoted and twisted , but...meh. I can be/am I rod-ophile like yourself Hanson.

I own two 7'6" MH casters, that look like they've seen one too many seasons on the river....the cork handles are soo pitted and bleached-out its rediculous. I should get them re-guided w/ new handles. You know anyone that does refurbs that you would trust with yours?

I've thought about talking to Thorne Bros. about it. My Classic Cats are in good shape but I have an originial E-Cat that has the epoxy on the eye wraps that is cracking. Thought it would be nice to have them redo the guides on it to "restore" the rod if you will.

Like I stated in the E-Cat post I am a fan of the Catfish Safari Rods. Another one to look at is the Team Catfish rods. I don't have one but have talked the the designer on the phone about them. If they were longer I would have a couple.