Forget everything you thought you knew about fishing rods.
POINT Blank super-modulus blanks are a game changer in a lot of ways but along with the stratospheric leap in sensitivity and response comes a few things that might seem very different than what you’ve come to expect over the years. Bend characteristics are changing; super-mod blanks can offer very small tip diameters that provide flick-of-the-wrist casting and then magically transform to a butt section that is capable of winching a 4X4 out of a mudhole. Extra Fast tip actions reach angles of 68 or 69-degrees – a specification that would have signalled a “noodle” rod a few years ago might well be a brute in a super-mod configuration. The bottom line is that POINT Blank super-mod blanks “feel” different and frankly, take some getting used to.
The hump.
In developing POINT Blank, we immediately solicited the help of a number of fishermen that we considerd overqualified for the job. Pro Bernie Schultz, for example, is considered by many to be one of the top “technicians” on tour. He understands the “little” stuff. We also had Captain Bobby Abruscato, 2 time IFA Redfish Champion and day-to-day guide who can grind up equipment like a Hobart sausage machine. We added a few respected rod builders, some writers and ultimately, a few folks who thought an Ugly Stick® was as good as it gets. Nice cross section. Almost all had the same reaction. A super-mod blank “seemed” stiff! No arguement about the weight or sensitivity being off the charts, they just seemed stiff. That’s because higher modulus carbon fibers ARE stiff. It’s part of the reason they transmit vibration better and keep you in better touch with your lure. It’s also why some changes had to be made in the way they are put together. There is a learning curve. Not a big curve, just a hump.
Locked and “un” loaded.
The mandrels used to produce super-mod POINT Blanks are very new. Fibers this light and sensitive require the flex to be designed into the top section of the rod while the power is reserved in the butt. This isn’t a new idea but it is exagerated in any super-mod blank because you have to get it loaded with all those stiff fibers and still have power when you need it. Hence the flexible tip where most of your casting load takes place. This moves the load more into the top section and that’s what “feels” odd when you first start fishing. In the past, a casting action included a sharp and speedy back cast to start the rod into a bend and begin loading the energy needed for the forward cast. POINT Blank’s super-mod fibers are so light and stiff that they store and release energy at a much, much faster rate. No need for a speedy back cast to load up for the forward cast. It all happens on a snappy forward cast. Good tip speed and a well timed release will launch a lure further than any lower modulus rod, and do it with a nice controlled back cast. It more like a golf swing…club head speed is everything. It’s all in the wrist.