By Todd Ceisner
BassFan Editor
As a mostly shore-bound angler, I tend to favor rods that can do a little bit of everything simply because I don't have a storage locker at my feet where rods for every possible technique can be stowed. Toting 10 rods to the pond, river or lake on a morning or afternoon outing just isn't feasible.
After fishing with a new CastAway Invicta Series casting rod for the past couple months, it has quickly become one of my favorite workhorse rods. In a market that is chock full of models for virtually every style of fishing at every price point, the 7-foot medium-heavy Invicta has answered the bell for just about anything I want to throw within reason.
In an effort to put this rod to the test, I've fished with the Invicta from boats on the Great Lakes, the Finger Lakes, from a float tube and canoe on small ponds and, of course, from shore. I've flipped and casted soft plastics, thrown spinnerbaits and ChatterBaits, stroked football and swim jigs and dragged tubes and it has proven to be a versatile all-purpose rod. CastAway, based in Huntingdon, Texas, has another winner on its hands with its Invicta line that was introduced at last year's ICAST show.
Fatigue Proof
One thing I'm pretty picky about when it comes to rods is simply how it feels in my hand and how the handle and grip conform to my fingers and palm, with and without a reel attached. Some match up just right while others start to feel awkward after a few casts and retrieves.
Right out of the box, I could tell the Invicta was going to be comfortable, but it's one thing to hold the rod in your driveway, daydreaming about having it on open water and another to be in the midst of a battle with a pre-spawn smallmouth on Lake Erie.
The Invicta is among the most comfortable rods I've ever fished with. This spring, I fished 2 long days on Erie and another on Lake Ontario, all in succession, casting, dragging and popping tubes off the bottom for hungry smallmouths on offshore humps. The constant stroking and twitching this technique requires means your rod better be comfortable to hold and have the right mix of sensitivity to feel the bites and stoutness to bring the fish back to the boat.
On another outing on one of New York's Finger Lakes, I switched among several different baits as I worked shoreline cover out to the first break targeting pre- and post-spawn largemouth.
I was impressed at how little fatigue I felt in my left hand after those days on the big and small lakes, let alone other shorter outings since then.
Power From Every Angle
Whether from a boat, shore or float tube, the Invicta has given me the confidence that when I set the hook, whatever's biting on the other end is going to lose the battle. Obviously, the leverage an angler has when fishing from a boat is much greater than when stationed in a float tube just above the water's surface, but I've been able to hook and control 5-pound largemouth from the tube just as easy as reeling back 5-pound smallmouth.
Plain and simple, the Invicta gives me instant confidence on the water.
CastAway builds the Invicta Series blanks on new proprietary mandrels with 40-ton, 12-toe carbon fibers and new carbon intruded resins that increase strength and power while reducing overall weight. I've fished briefly with CastAway's older models and can say the Invicta is much lighter as a result of the new materials and rod-building techniques.
I've had it paired with a Shimano Chronarch Ci4+ reel spooled with 12-pound Sunline Structure FC fluorocarbon line from the get go and I've yet to have to tighten the double-locking reel hood at all even after a few dozen hook sets and fish catches. I've also been impressed with how this rod casts as well as its overall balance.
Green With Envy
With rods coming in virtually every color nowadays, CastAway kept it simple with the Invicta and still created an eye-catcher. The styling and aesthetics of this rod are top notch and the contrast between the sleek green rod blank (highlighted with flecks of gold) and the sharp-looking and equally comfortable Winn grip has caused more than one of my fishing buddies to do a double-take when I have the Invicta in my hand.
Visually, the Winn grip sets this rod apart from the rest of its competitors and is my favorite characteristic of the Invicta. Winn is well known for its golf club grips and the company is now branching off into the fishing industry. The custom Tour Star/Winn non-slip split grip along with the ALPS double-finger, blank-through soft touch reel seat creates a handle that gives me a comfortable feel and all the sensitivity I need to keep up with what's happening at the end of my line. These features cannot be overstated enough.
I've dunked the handle on purpose and by accident a few times and I was really impressed by how well the Winn grip repelled the water and allowed me to keep a firm grip on the rod and keep fishing. The handle design even provides floatation for the rod if it were dropped overboard, always a plus for shore hounds like myself.
Notable
> The Invicta is available in seven freshwater casting models ranging from 6'6" medium-heavy to 7'6" extra-heavy and one 7' spinning model designed from dropshotting. The rods retail for $249 to $259 and are available at the BassFan Store. To learn more, click here.
