anyone use esp rods?

[mkeller]

I was at cabelas yesterday looking at the rods and saw these and was impressed. They seem to have very good sensitivity and light, the only thing that I saw that I didnt like about them was how small the last few eyes and the tip are. Needless to say, it didnt keep me from buying a 5' and a 7'. Cant wait to have open water to test them out.

[The Lip RIPPERS]

Good reviews on them that I've seen. Your going to see a trend of the skinny guides on rods...so get ready. Unless your casting alot of bobber stops, it's not a problem.

[CrappiePappy]

I have 3 ESP rods.

A prototype 5' 6" UL ... that I fieldtested for the designer, Steve Vogts, back in 2007 (when Steve was designing rods for another company)

A 6' 6" PowerLite (pre 2010 production fieldtest rod from the designer, & owner of Norsemen Outdoors, Steve Vogts)

A 9' PowerJig (pre 2010 production fieldtest rod .. etc. )

My 5'6" UL is my primary dock shooter .... the 6'6" PowerLite is my primary jig casting rod ... the 9' PowerJig has been used for various other methods.

All in all I'm very pleased with the action, weight, sensitivity, and function of these rods. I especially like the graphite Tenn Handle setup, and the built-on hook retainer. Like you, I didn't care for the very small guides & tip eye ... and stated so, in my fieldtest reports. They do not function well when using bobberstops ... but, I'm not so much of a slip float user, that it would sway my opinion away from them. Steve's reply to my statement, was that they were small "to conserve on weight".

In any event, when I'm considering using a slip float/bobberstop setup ... I'm more inclined to use my BnM Duckworth FnF 8' rod. (a pre-production rod I fieldtested for BnM :p )

I think you'll enjoy using your ESP rods. Balance them out with a good quality reel, and get out there & put them to use .. and report back to us :D

... cp

[sleepy]

I have 3 ESP rods.

A prototype 5' 6" UL ... that I fieldtested for the designer, Steve Vogts, back in 2007 (when Steve was designing rods for another company)

A 6' 6" PowerLite (pre 2010 production fieldtest rod from the designer, & owner of Norsemen Outdoors, Steve Vogts)

A 9' PowerJig (pre 2010 production fieldtest rod .. etc. )

My 5'6" UL is my primary dock shooter .... the 6'6" PowerLite is my primary jig casting rod ... the 9' PowerJig has been used for various other methods.

All in all I'm very pleased with the action, weight, sensitivity, and function of these rods. I especially like the graphite Tenn Handle setup, and the built-on hook retainer. Like you, I didn't care for the very small guides & tip eye ... and stated so, in my fieldtest reports. They do not function well when using bobberstops ... but, I'm not so much of a slip float user, that it would sway my opinion away from them. Steve's reply to my statement, was that they were small "to conserve on weight".

In any event, when I'm considering using a slip float/bobberstop setup ... I'm more inclined to use my BnM Duckworth FnF 8' rod. (a pre-production rod I fieldtested for BnM :p )

I think you'll enjoy using your ESP rods. Balance them out with a good quality reel, and get out there & put them to use .. and report back to us :D

... cp

thanks for the info.

http://************/crappie-fishing-tips.php

[Alphahawk]

I have 3 ESP rods.

A prototype 5' 6" UL ... that I fieldtested for the designer, Steve Vogts, back in 2007 (when Steve was designing rods for another company)

A 6' 6" PowerLite (pre 2010 production fieldtest rod from the designer, & owner of Norsemen Outdoors, Steve Vogts)

A 9' PowerJig (pre 2010 production fieldtest rod .. etc. )

My 5'6" UL is my primary dock shooter .... the 6'6" PowerLite is my primary jig casting rod ... the 9' PowerJig has been used for various other methods.

All in all I'm very pleased with the action, weight, sensitivity, and function of these rods. I especially like the graphite Tenn Handle setup, and the built-on hook retainer. Like you, I didn't care for the very small guides & tip eye ... and stated so, in my fieldtest reports. They do not function well when using bobberstops ... but, I'm not so much of a slip float user, that it would sway my opinion away from them. Steve's reply to my statement, was that they were small "to conserve on weight".

In any event, when I'm considering using a slip float/bobberstop setup ... I'm more inclined to use my BnM Duckworth FnF 8' rod. (a pre-production rod I fieldtested for BnM :p )

I think you'll enjoy using your ESP rods. Balance them out with a good quality reel, and get out there & put them to use .. and report back to us :D

... cp

I am new to the forum here....great forum by the way. I just ordered 2 of the ESP rods and am just wondering if you have had any problem with the graphite slip rings holding the reel secure on the rod. Thanking you in advance for any info you can share on this.

Regards

[deathb4disco]

... am just wondering if you have had any problem with the graphite slip rings holding the reel secure on the rod.

I don't own any ESP rods, but I do have a couple of others with the graphite rings. They hold the reel just fine. Even if they didn't, you could always fix that with electrician's tape.

I like slip rings on a rod, whether they're graphite or not. They're light, and you can put the reel wherever you want. I wish more rods came with this type of handle.

[CrappiePappy]

Alphahawk ... no, I haven't had any issues with the slip rings --- but, that's because I've wrapped the rings & reel foot with elec. tape .... LOL !! Once I've found the reel that balances well with a rod, and got it placed on the handle, I wrap it with elec tape. I do this especially with Tenn Handle rods, but have done it on rods with reel seats. It makes for a more secure, stationary placement of the reel ... and it makes the handle/reel foot/rings more comfortable to hold (smoother).

... cp

[mkeller]

I love tennessee handles, all my ultralite crappie rods have them. I do the same, tape the rings after finding the balance point of the rod and reel. I dont know if I will like the small guides because when fishing in the cold, the smaller the eyes the easier they ice up, plus I will be curious if it cuts down casting distance.

[jusanothajoe]

A local rodbuilder here in Alabama has started making almost all his rods spinning and casting ( if the customer will let him) with utlra small eyes, he uses flyrod eyes sometimes. says cuts down on friction ?? he also puts more eyes than you normally see.
average 6ft rod with 6 eyes he will put 10 or more. I do not own one of his rods but have seen them in action. and was impressed
my main dock shootin rod is an older out of production shimano aero rod that has very small eyes and I have always loved it, cant say it will shoot/cast farther than one with regular sized eyes but it will do just as good for sure.

[kingkrappie]

Steve gave me a 7ft power light a while back, absolutely love it for casting small stuff, Grizzly sells 'em.