Thread: JDM rods relating to Panfish

Originally Posted by PickwickDam

First fish. (Tried rotating pics, but all ended upside down.)

The one below was 2.3 lbs.

Valiant fighter, one eye, lip hooked, jumped 9 times!



This Evergreen rod is 7 ft, Weight-1.9 oz., Line Range- PE 0.2 ~ 0.5 (MF1 ~ 3lb), Lure Range- 0.4-10 grams, and Power-Light. Retrieving an Easy Shiner on 3 lb. test Varivas nylon spooled on an Exist 2003, I was surprised at how hard this spotted bass fought after I set the hook! The rod gave a lot of feedback instantly, with each headshake transmitted to my hand. Great sensitivity, yet not a lot of bend in the rod compared to the BC III 69. The fish weighed 1.3 lbs. and was 15 inches long. Caught a few more that day, always with great feedback shaking my wrist. The rod did overpower a small bluegill that hit. I could feel fish wrapping my line around rocks and brush piles, with most of them coming loose. Half-pound white bass and spots will be fun, too.
When I saw this unique combination of specs of a rod weighing under 2 oz., 3 lb. test max line rating, and a 10 g max lure weight, I knew I wanted it to throw some of my small to medium sized swimbaits. It is an ajing rod and seemed stiff, or “steely” as some of you have remarked about some other rods. But it came alive when casting or with a fish on it. I did break off a couple of fish before getting the drag set right.
During three or four trips with it, I have thrown jig head /soft plastic combos ranging from 1.0 g. to 8.5 g. It seemed to me that it loaded better with 3g-8.5g lures. If you want a rod which will throw 3,4,6, or 8-gram lures on 3 lb. test line a long way, this rod will do it very well. It was not overloaded at all while throwing the 8.5 g. lure. I still have not broken off any lure while casting with the 3 lb. line.
Since it is difficult to measure casting distance on the water, I decided to make a few casts in the driveway and measure those. The wind varied slightly from cast to cast, but was not a big factor in affecting casting distance. The other two variables were the two trees which slightly over hung each side of my driveway and prevented me from going all-out with my power casts, for fear of getting tangled in the limbs.
Using a 2015 JDM model Exist 1025 with 3 lb. test Varivas Super Trout Advance Sight Edition nylon line, average casting distances for some frequently used lure combos:
1. actual 1/16 oz. jig head and a BGBS combo (just under 3g) sailed over 80 ft. 2. actual 1/16 oz. jig head and a 3” inch Easy Shiner (slightly over 4g) a couple of feet farther (it is not as aerodynamic as the BGBS). 3. Since it is constitutionally mandated, I also threw a 1.5 g. Daiwa Gekkabijin with a TM which had one section cut off. It flew close to 70 ft. Your mileage may vary, depending on age, arm strength, technique and equipment!
The grip around the reel seat is very comfortable in the hand. Weight savings on the rod were partly accomplished by reducing the size of the butt cap and going down in guide size. Very small guides and butt cap. These choices helped the company get under the 2-ounce weight mark for a 7-foot ajing rod. The bottom guide measures about 8mm, compared to about 10mm for the Yamaga BC III 69 rod. While the Scout Master achieves very good casting distances, I believe it would have been better with a size 10 bottom guide. Guide trains on many new rods have been shrinking for several years now. This rod may have been designed for braided lines as a first choice.
I do not see how you could use 1 lb. test line with confidence on this rod. Maybe some of you could. Two lb. test line on this rod for white or spotted bass would require a very loose drag. Three lb. nylon works very well, and I believe the rod would handle soft 4 lb. nylon well too, with some slight loss in distance. The rod performed well with a 2000 size Exist but is better balanced with the 1025 Exist. The smaller spool probably matches better with the bottom guide, too.
Good casting distance, great sensitivity, great fun and a great rod! While other rods may be more versatile, I plan to use The Scout Master a lot in the future as my main choice for 3 lb. test line when fishing for spotted or white bass.

Great write up. Where did you purchase from? I'm trying to decide which model to get. I have enough ajing rods with stronger power. I am looking to stay as close to UL or even SUL as possible....rods in the 6-6' 4" range. I believe you said this is your 3rd JDM rod? You went to the top of the line quickly...good for you!


Regards