I'll be honest, six months ago I didn't know that Temple Fork Outfitters (lovingly referred to for the rest of this article as TFO because I like to shorten things) existed. I have the Anglr app to thank for introducing me to them. Earlier this year, Anglr started the challenges on their app and if you completed the challenges, your name got put into the mix for a prize. One of the companies that offered up a prize for completing a challenge was, you guessed it, TFO. Thanks to completing that challenge, I got introduced to TFO and was able to get ahold of a couple of their rods. The rod I want to talk to you about today is the Tactical Elite Bass Rod, which sits at the top of their bass fishing lineup.
The Rod:
For this particular blog post, I will be reviewing the rod that I picked out. It is the Tactical Elite Bass Rod: 7' 3" Medium Power Fast Action
First Impressions:
When I first took the rod out of the package it was shipped in, the first thing that struck me was how light the rod was. This particular model weighs in at only 3.8 ounces. The Winn Grips were really nice, and the rod looked really nice too, being a sleek gun metal gray.
Thoughts After Use:
I have been able to use this rod for around 6 months now, and I wanted to use it for a while to really be able to give an honest and accurate review. There are some really great things about this rod. By far my favorite thing about this rod is the Feel-Through Skeletal Reel Seat. The reel seat has these grooves that fit your hand perfectly, and allow you to put your fingers directly on the blank. This means two things. This rod is COMFORTABLE and this rod is SENSITIVE! This is easily the most sensitive rod in my arsenal. I can feel EVERYTHING! The Winn Grips also help make the rod comfortable, and the fact that they become more tacky when wet, means that I don't have to worry about being in a kayak where my hands are seldom dry. The carbon fiber blank means that not only is the rod light and sensitive, but it is also durable and the titanium guides are also sure to last a while.
Every rod has things that are amazing about it and things that are less amazing. I have to say, I have very few complaints about this rod. There is sometimes a popping sound during the cast, which seems to be coming from the reel area. At no point has it seemed like the rod was going to break, but it does catch me off guard sometimes.
There is one other thing that I would like to point out. Not a good thing or bad thing, but something that might help you when making a decision about your rod. When they say fast action, they mean FAST action! This rod does not have a super soft tip. The tip is closer to what you would expect from a graphite rod. There is still plenty of give for a fish to suck in a bait, but if you are used to softer rod tips, it may take some getting used to when setting the hook on a moving bait.
Best Uses:
This is an extremely versatile rod. It is sensitive enough that it works well for throwing Texas rigs when you aren't around heavy cover, either weightless or with smaller weights, shakey heads, and even moving baits. I like throwing a spinnerbait on this rod, as well as a lot of topwater baits. It does take some self control when using this rod with treble hook baits, to not rip the bait from the fish's mouth, but this rod is typically my go-to all around rod when I want to be able to use several techniques but I only want to bring one rod.
Perfect Pairing:
As an all-around rod, I like pairing this rod with my Abu Garcia Revo X reel. With the 7.3:1 gear ratio, it's fast enough to catch up with fish coming at me, and can also be fished slower for those moving baits. I like line with a little bit of stretch with this rod since it is such a fast rod. A good copolymer line should be perfect! If you don't want to lose your rod, it has fit the Savur Outdoors retrieval device the best of all the rods I've installed it on so far!
Final Thoughts:
The Tactical Elite Bass Rod that I got from TFO is a phenomenal rod that I use as an all-around rod. This rod's price point may end up scaring a lot of anglers away, right at that $200 range, but if you are making a living fishing (or trying to) I don't know that you will find a better option for the money. I obviously haven't tried every fishing rod out there, but TFO has made a fishing rod so good that I don't feel the need to keep trying them.
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