Q&A With our Staff
Q: Who is making Gary's rods?
A: ProLine Fishing is making them. Gary left his endorsement of Pure Fishing/Berkley
3 years ago so he could design and produce his own line of rods. ProLine
Fishing is the manufacturing and distribution company that carries this
out, so Gary can spend his time fishing and hunting. Gary designs, tests,
and approves each rod, and uses them exclusively for his tournament and
personal fishing. Gary is not endorsing this line of rods - he is an active
partner in the process and enjoys full control over all of the design,
right down to the fact we don't use hang tags because Gary said "you can't
feel the rod in a store with one". Sometimes we make suggestions, but
most of the time Gary has a better idea. He has so many ideas, we need
to travel with a notepad at all times!
Q: Are your rods made of IM6, IM7 or IM8 graphite?
A: The "IM" classification has been poorly applied in the industry. There
is no exact standard for any IM rated graphite. Different carbon fiber
graphite makers all have one or more variations of graphite that could
fall into a particular classification. Because of this, a rod blank advertised
to be IM7 may or may not match up against another rod claiming to be IM7,
because the graphite cloths are different, and they may have differing
tensile strengths, elongation, resin content, and thickness. For example,
you could have one type of graphite cloth that has 560kgf/mM2 tensile
strength, and 31% resin content, and another that has 460kgf/mM2 tensile
strength and 24% resin content. The graphite with the lower resin content
is the one we would want to use, because it has more graphite content
by volume, despite the other having a greater tensile strength. Any rating
on graphite is based on the raw cloth itself, and not a finished rod,
which is constructed of several pieces cut into triangles and squares,
and rolled several layers thick. Therefore we do not use an "IM" classification
because we do not wish to fall into a category where consumers and buyers
make comparisons between apples and oranges. Some rods are also made with
a bit of glass fiber in the base or handle sections, or the blank does
not extend all the way through the handle, because it's cheaper to make
rods that way. Our rods are made of 100% graphite, with no glass fiber
filler in the base, and the blank goes all the way down to the butt of
the handle.
Q: What is the modulus of your rods?
A: When we see a claim that a rod is 60 million modulus, the first thing
that comes to mind is "60 million what?" Modulus is a measure of elasticity,
which is a stiffness to weight ratio. A modulus ratio has to have a metric
or imperial measurement, but no one lists what it is. So a claim of some
million modulus is misleading, because we do not know how it is being
measured. Second, knowing that a modulus figure is a measure of elasticity,
we can deduce that a higher modulus figure should mean a less elastic
blank. But less elastic doesn't mean better graphite or a better rod!
Remember the specification is based on the raw graphite fibers in the
cloth itself, not the finished blank. There are times when you want a
stiff, or less elastic rod, and there are times you want a more flexible,
or more elastic rod. For example, the Superpro rigging and jigging rods
all have soft tips for live bait rigging. In this situation, you would
not want a stiff, high modulus graphite. In our 9'6" leadcore trolling
rods, you want a nice, soft bend throughout the rod so it acts as a shock
absorber for the lure, as your boat trolls through the waves. We control
the elasticity of our rods by the design and cut of the graphite cloth
used to roll the blanks. Change the shape and cut, and you can change
the properties of the rod. Because modulus is a misleading term, we won't
use it in our advertising.
Q: Why don't your rods have Fuji guides and reel seats?
A: We approached our rod components with a set of criteria from Gary. Each rod had to have certain properties, and meet certain requirements. Gary wanted the stainless steel rings in our Series rods, because they're light, and durable enough for use with mono, fluorocarbon, braided "super" lines, and leadcore. There is no issue with rings popping out of guides. For Superpro, Gary wanted a guide with those same properties, and more. He wanted to reduce the amount of friction the guide ring puts on the line, because friction causes heat and wear on the line, and that can lead to premature failure. Our testing found that the TiCH vapor coating on the Pacific Bay Zirconium guide rings produced less friction and heat than a comparable Fuji ring. The deep-pressed mounting of the rings also ensured they would be extra-strong even under huge loads. They are also half the cost, and weigh in within a gram overall. Gary tested several different guides, and selected these as the best performing. Gary made the point of noting that to most professionals, and himself, a brand name guide means nothing. Therefore we get the guide performance Gary demands, and it helps keep the cost of the rod down to earth. In addition, Pac Bay produces them with a custom frame color, just for us - no extra charge. When it came to reel seats, Gary had a list of reels that the reel seat must lock securely. We tried and tested many different reel seats. We found the reel seat we use on the Series spinning rods worked perfectly, and it also allowed us to coat it with our rubberized PVC coating, which helps keep the reels even more secure. On casting rods, it was more difficult, as most reel seats did not secure all of the line counter trolling reels. Even the Fuji reel seats allowed some reels to become loose and pop out, or the hoods broke altogether under pressure. The reel seats we use were one of the only ones that locked all of the reels in solidly. On Superpro trolling rods, we had the same issue, and we use a skeleton-style reel seat, with a carbon fiber tube insert and rubberized PVC coating. We use what worked the best, and secured all of the reels.
Q: I can't find the rod action for Superpro rods. Where are they?
A: You won't! Superpro was designed to be different. Each rod was designed to be used for a specific purpose, so there was no need to offer a 6'3" rod in several actions. That rod is made for live bait rigging. If you're going to be vertical jigging, we have vertical jigging rods, the 7'0" is the 1st choice, and the 6'0" for windy days or shallower water. Check the Superpro product page, and click on the rod photos to display Gary's tips for each rod. There you will find what each one was designed for. The idea with Superpro is that you don't need to know what action is right for a particular fishing style or application - Gary's already giving you the info you need to select the right rod for the job!
Q: Why do the 2 piece rods have sections of different lengths?
A: Gary did that (and caused the engineers headaches) because it preserves the intended action of the rod as much as possible. By utilizing the guide wrap as a ferrule, which is already a dead spot on the rod, we eliminate the usual ferrule joint, which just destroys rod actions on 2 piece rods by putting 3 dead spots in close proximity - as the ferrule joint is usually right between two guides.. On our engineering deflection tables, our 2 piece rods are within 3% of their 1 piece counterparts. If you can tell the difference between the two without looking at the label, we'd be genuinely surprised. The 2 piece rod is made so you can transport it easier, and you can! The rod halves don't have to be of equal length for you to fit it in the trunk of your car.
Q: What's with the thumb pad on the Superpro spinning rods? Does it really work?
A: Absolutely! The thumb pad is not a gimmick, it's a real working part that sits in the foregrip, and directly contacts the blank inside at two points which are surrounded by a rock hard epoxy compound that "welds" the two together. The pad works because when the tip of the blank vibrates due to the line pulling on the top guide, that vibration is transmitted (resonates) throughout the entire blank. The pad has a base that conducts the vibrations from the blank, up to the surface of the pad, and onto your thumb or forefinger. The large surface area gives your finger or thumb a greater area of contact, meaning more of your more sensitive nerve endings are receiving the vibrations. The pad actually enhances the vibration from the blank, much in the same way the leaves at the top of the small tree shake when you rap on the trunk. The trunk might not move much, but the leaves at the top do. It's a Mr Walleye exclusive!
Q: Where can I buy one of Gary's rods?
A: There are many retail, internet and catalog locations to find them, but your best bet would probably be to try our store locator first. Click here and a new window should open up to the store locator for you. Just enter your zip code, or as much of an address as you can, and it'll try to find the nearest stores. The store locator is good to help you find a retailer, but it isn't perfect - we have many smaller bait and tackle shops that handle our products, that don't get listed because they order from one of our distributors. As much as we try to get a listing, it's not always available. There is also the list of interet retailers there as well, so even if you can't find a store near you, there is an option for you to purchase one online!
Q: Can I ask a question and get it posted here?
A: Sure! We welcome feedback from everyone. That doesn't mean Gary's going to redesign a rod to suit your personal liking, but we may be able to help direct you to the best choice for your particular use. At some of the trade shows and seminars, we've had some very good discussions about our products, and we've learned quite a bit about what you might want. For example, our 7'0" ultra light was created because we got so many requests for it. The same goes for the 6'7" Superpro rigging rod. We do listen to what you have to say, so send us your feedback via the contact page, and you will get a personal response from Gary or one of our staff each time. Watch for more Q&A as we get them! We're always adding content!
