Our prostaff member, Ed, recently took a 2.5-day offshore trip out of Southern California, bringing along a full arsenal of Black Hole rods. Here’s his detailed feedback on the performance of these rods:
Charter Special 73MH (Medium Heavy) Rod:
"I ran a 2.5 day offshore trip out of Southern California and brought on the full arsenal of Black Hole rods. First off, theCharter Special 73MH; this rod was used for 30# flyline style fishing, and was outstanding for this. This rod has a ton to offer for being one of the budget options in the Black Hole line up, and I think it excels more as a flyline stick than a light jigging outfit personally; of course, this only markets to those who have access to live bait to run. I only managed a few small bonito and calico bass on this set up; however, I let a friend use the set up and he managed a very nice schoolie bluefin tuna, 25-30 pound grade fish, and stated the rod performed excellently and had an incredible bend."
Challenger Bank 731H (Heavy) Rod:
"I also used theChallenger Bank 731H as a flyline rod but unfortunately did not hook any fish; however, this is another outstanding rod for the West Coast style of fishing, for both small metal jigs and 40-60# flyline live bait."
Challenger Bank III Travel 3pc 763M (Medium) Rod:
"The MVP of my trip was theChallenger Bank 763M travel spinner; I managed a 12-15 pound grade yellowtail on this rod using a light stickbait, and the entire boat was shocked at the ease of the fight. I am extremely confident that (with precaution to high-sticking) this rod will catch small pelagics including tuna, jacks and dorado up to 20 pounds, and possibly more."
Challenger Bank III Travel 3pc 703UL (Ultra Light) Rod:
"TheChallenger Bank 703UL travel spinner also got some work in the past month, being used for squid jigging, bass fishing, and most excitedly, backpacking in the Sierra Nevada mountains for trout. The rod is a bit overpowered for finesse mountain backpacking, but the fact that I was able to comfortable pack it in and pack it out speaks volumes to the versatility of this rod. Cannot wait to share these photos on social media."
Alloy Jigger Nano Slow Pitch Jigging 70-5 (550g) Rod &Cape Cod Special Slow Pitch Jigging B-632H2MF Rod:
"I did leave a lot of my feedback on thenew Alloy Jigger on instagram, but let me re-affirm that these slow pitch banks are second to none, and I am spoiled for choice between this rod and theCape Cod SPJ. That said, jigging with the new Alloy Jigger, despite using 400+g jigs, led to no strain on my arms or back, which is much more than can be said about folks using conventional bottom tackle."
"The newAlloy Jigger 70-5 (550g)in action. This model runs with a recommended maximum lure weight of 550g, coming in at just over 7’ in total length. Got to run this rod in depths of 300-450ft on a recent trip, using jigs from 160-400g. So many places to start. The action of this rod is smooth as butter, and the length is by far my favorite feature when comparing this to other common slow pitch rods. The length of the action allows for really working these jigs up the column they way they are intended, and the sensitivity in the blank allows you to feel the resistance the jig is creating in the water as it flutters up. As well, when fishing these sport boats they ride high on top of the water and if you’re anything like me, fishing the bow can be a challenge with a shorter stick; the length of this rod really helps clear that gunnel and keep your line off of the hull of the boat, no matter how that fish scopes as you bring it up. This rod will fish lighter jigs great but it is just as comfortable, if not more, fishing in that 300-500g jig size range, making it an excellent option when fishing deeper waters. On the drop where I grabbed this big grouper, we were well beyond 400 feet of depth and it was wide open, so it definitely helps when your tackle is suited for the job. Unfortunately I did not get to tug on any pelagics with this rod on this outing, but I have few doubts that it would have any trouble handling some fast, strong fish. I plan to put any doubts to rest in some trips in the Fall."
