Fenwick's a longstanding, top-notch rod company known for innovation and quality. In recent years, it continued to build a quality product, but somewhat fell from the limelight due to lack of marketing muscle and emphasis under the larger Pure Fishing-brand umbrella. Not anymore.
Pure Fishing, parent company of Fenwick, has put a ton of R&D into rod development and the Elite Tech sticks are Fenwick's new flagship. They're top-shelf, and the innovation goes much further than just how Fenwick builds them. The company listens to anglers, and has a great rod-category manager in Jim Coble who's designing rods by application. In other words, Elite Tech is not just a me-too lineup – it's one that fits the needs of the diehard angler.
Elite Techs are specific to a technique. If you're dialed in to a particular application, these are right up your alley. Built with the best components, they're truly "tools" for the angler.
Our Tests
We had the opportunity to test the new 7'6" Elite Tech Power Construction Flippin' Stick (ECFP76H) and were thoroughly impressed with its lightness, detailing, and quality construction. Many flipping sticks we've used and tested have been unwieldy and heavy. Plus, they could only be used for pitching and flipping. But the Elite Tech Flippin' Stick is light, possesses excellent balance, and we were actually able to cast quite well with it.
Matched with a Revo Premier reel, 15-pound Trilene 100% fluorocarbon, and a 1/2-ounce Jewel football-head jig with a Zoom Super Speed craw trailer, we found this rod had excellent backbone and a quick, yet a forgiving tip. And it was comfortable to fish for the entire day.
The rod-through-blank design, adjustable weighted butt, and perfect guide alignment made it seem like we were fishing a much smaller rod. With ten guides perfectly positioned on the spline, the line flowed evenly off the rod when either casting or flipping.
The backbone's felt at guide No. 5 (counting from the tip), and when we set the hook, we could really crack 'em. The graduated tip allowed us to fight the fish more effectively without putting too much pressure on them. It also allowed the rod to load up on the hookset – key for pulling fish out of tight cover.
We also liked the position of the lure keeper – it's aligned on the spine and parallel to the guides.
Two in One
Lately, a lot of the U.S. has been beat up with high temperatures, which has positioned bass in two very different types of cover. Some are on deep ledges, while others are buried up in heavy cover. With other brands, this typically means two different rods – one for deep and one for shallow. But not with Fenwick Elite Tech.
We found the Elite Tech Flippin' Stick to be very versatile when we moved from deep points and ledges to the bank, where we pitched and flipped large blow-downs.
The sensitivity of the rod allowed us to feel the fish bite in both locations, and the power of the rod allowed for long casts with great hooksets, even in tight cover.
Notable
> Currently, the Elite Tech series covers 12 different techniques with 20 different rods. In the coming months, five to seven new models are expected.
> Elite Tech rods vary in price from $199 to $299. For more about the rods, or to order, click here.
