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I've caught a handful 2-3 pound bass, and a decent number of dinks on this set up, and all I have to say is "why is it so expensive?". The Ike rod retails for $150 and the reel retails for $245 (got mine for $205).
And I think neither component is worth their price. The rod feels less sensitive than my Curado rods and about as good as my BassX rod which is $50 cheaper. The backbone of the rod is strong as hell though. I practically winched in every bass I hooked with it, and flipped them on to shore without a second thought. Even with 3 pounds dangling from the end of it lower parts of the black didn't bend at all. The guides are nicer than what St. Croix offers and the eva foam grip in front of the reel seat is comfy especially how there is a groove for your pinky to rest in. I'd say for the rod the price is more in features rather than performance, but I think for $150 it simply isn't refined enough. I think it would be a more attractive rod at $120.
The reel is the size 30 and balances perfectly with the 7' M rod. But even with a $40 I think I paid too much for this reel. The drop shot keeper gimmick on it is stupid, the reel is a little stiff to get the gears going and it feels like it has a lot more resistance to begin reeling than a Shimano or Daiwa, and the grip on the reel handle is awkward. If I could go back in time I would have spent the $205 on either a Tatula LT or Ci4+, and at the full retail price of the $245 you can just buy the upcoming Vanford instead.
If I was blindly testing this reel and was asked how much I thought it would cost I'd tell you $160 at most and even for $160 I still wouldn't tell you to buy it.
>anon, if you don't like it so much why do you still own it
Because it changes color in the light and looks cool, and looking cool is cool.
