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Posts: 200
| Looking to get a telescoping 9’ rod for bucktails and regular size dawgs. I am looking at Tackle Industries regular and also the pro vexan/TI. Anyone used the pro rods from Tackle Industries? Also would like to hear other recommendations in the $200 range. |
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Posts: 357
Location: Western U.P. | I built a TI PRO XH to use this past fall, and liked it a lot. It is lighter, casts well, and has a good feel to it. The Vexan's are good rods, but I would recommend the telescoping TI PRO. It will easily cast the baits mentioned. |
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Posts: 32934
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Cedar - 12/16/2020 2:18 AM
I built a TI PRO XH to use this past fall, and liked it a lot. It is lighter, casts well, and has a good feel to it. The Vexan's are good rods, but I would recommend the telescoping TI PRO. It will easily cast the baits mentioned.
This |
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Posts: 200
| How do you like the medium fast action? Is it whippy? Load up too much in the 8? I am used to a fast action. |
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Posts: 420
Location: SW Ohio | I have two standard TI 9’ XH telescopic rods that I like a lot. Casts larger bass lures and small/medium rubber equally well. I have a TI XXH 9’ telescopic for larger blades and bigger rubber. Every happy with the TI line. |
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Posts: 200
| OH Musky - 12/16/2020 4:00 PM
I have two standard TI 9’ XH telescopic rods that I like a lot. Casts larger bass lures and small/medium rubber equally well. I have a TI XXH 9’ telescopic for larger blades and bigger rubber. Every happy with the TI line.
Thanks for the feedback. Also what do you what do you consider small/medium rubber? And what do you consider larger blades? |
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Posts: 245
Location: Madison | you have a pm |
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Posts: 357
Location: Western U.P. | Bigbucks1985 - 12/16/2020 9:04 AM
How do you like the medium fast action? Is it whippy? Load up too much in the 8? I am used to a fast action.
The TI PRO XH isn't "whippy" at all. The Vexan Big Game blanks have a pretty moderate action, which is not a bad thing, but the PRO's are a stiffer blank, and do load deeper casting heavier baits... as they should. I thought the blank worked fine in the 8 with double 8's & 10"s with not much bending (or loading). I've never really been a fan of telescoping rods, but I do like these new PRO's. As a rod builder, this will be a good line of 9' blanks to build on, and still be able to ship anywhere for a reasonable price as they are 7'6"ish compressed.
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Posts: 420
Location: SW Ohio | Bigbucks1985 - 12/16/2020 7:38 PM
OH Musky - 12/16/2020 4:00 PM
I have two standard TI 9’ XH telescopic rods that I like a lot. Casts larger bass lures and small/medium rubber equally well. I have a TI XXH 9’ telescopic for larger blades and bigger rubber. Every happy with the TI line.
Thanks for the feedback. Also what do you what do you consider small/medium rubber? And what do you consider larger blades?
Pegasus, mini Medusa’s, standard bull dawgs. #7 and 8 Bucktails and cowgirls and Mepps Musky Killers.
#9 and 10 (or bigger) I use the heavier rods. To be honest, I haven’t thrown the bigger blades on the XH rods. The XXH rods toss the smaller lures fine but don’t have the flex the lighter rads have. |
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Posts: 4053
Location: Land of the Musky | For the lighter lures I think you will be real happy with the MH TI PRO. Brand New PRO blanks on this too! Tested out on gators up to 800lbs and not one rod broke over two years of testing! Incredible strength yet 20% lighter and more sensitive.
Bigbucks1985 - 12/15/2020 11:24 PM
Looking to get a telescoping 9’ rod for bucktails and regular size dawgs. I am looking at Tackle Industries regular and also the pro vexan/TI. Anyone used the pro rods from Tackle Industries? Also would like to hear other recommendations in the $200 range. |
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Posts: 18
| While I have never had TI blank break on a 800 lb. Gator, we have had numerous break while casting and landing fish. Just saying. |
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Posts: 2381
Location: Chisholm, MN | thompwater - 12/18/2020 7:50 AM
While I have never had TI blank break on a 800 lb. Gator, we have had numerous break while casting and landing fish. Just saying.
I've had St. Croix and Okuma rods break on muskies and on casts too...just sayin |
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| Kirby Budrow - 12/18/2020 10:11 AM
thompwater - 12/18/2020 7:50 AM
While I have never had TI blank break on a 800 lb. Gator, we have had numerous break while casting and landing fish. Just saying.
I've had St. Croix and Okuma rods break on muskies and on casts too...just sayin
I have not had this happen but know folks who have had it happen. Is this a result of prior damage to the rod like a lure scoring the blank while riding in the boat? Just curious. |
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Posts: 18
| The breaks were from the graphite unwrapping, two broke on the first cast.
I build on many different blanks, have only had one break. Have had 5 TI break. |
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Posts: 357
Location: Western U.P. | thompwater - 12/18/2020 12:52 PM
The breaks were from the graphite unwrapping, two broke on the first cast.
I build on many different blanks, have only had one break. Have had 5 TI break.
Out of fairness, comparing the Vexan blanks, and the new TI PRO's to the old or original TI blanks isn't an apples to apples comparison. The original TI's, Vexans, and TI PRO's are each made of different materials/formulations, so we are looking at 3 very different rod blanks.
I hadn't built any rods on the original TI blanks, but have a friend that did, and he also had several customers with breakage issues. I've fished with several of the originals, and liked them, but had no problems. |
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Posts: 2381
Location: Chisholm, MN | North of 8 - 12/18/2020 10:48 AM
Kirby Budrow - 12/18/2020 10:11 AM
thompwater - 12/18/2020 7:50 AM
While I have never had TI blank break on a 800 lb. Gator, we have had numerous break while casting and landing fish. Just saying.
I've had St. Croix and Okuma rods break on muskies and on casts too...just sayin
I have not had this happen but know folks who have had it happen. Is this a result of prior damage to the rod like a lure scoring the blank while riding in the boat? Just curious.
Normal wear and tear in the first season of using them. Point being, it can happen to any rod. I have used a lot of TI rods and never had one break. They’re not my primary rods anymore as I prefer upscale custom rods mostly, but any rod can break. TI does make a great rod and I would suggest them to anyone, especially a newer fisherman. |
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Posts: 357
Location: Western U.P. | North of 8 - 12/18/2020 10:48 AM
Kirby Budrow - 12/18/2020 10:11 AM
thompwater - 12/18/2020 7:50 AM
While I have never had TI blank break on a 800 lb. Gator, we have had numerous break while casting and landing fish. Just saying.
I've had St. Croix and Okuma rods break on muskies and on casts too...just sayin
I have not had this happen but know folks who have had it happen. Is this a result of prior damage to the rod like a lure scoring the blank while riding in the boat? Just curious.
There really aren't any latent problems with graphite blanks that will just pop up down the road. If there is something wrong with the blank, it will let you know pretty much right away, and break or fracture in some way. This typically happens to a good rod builder while testing the blank during or after completing a build (if custom built), or during the buyers first thorough use if it's factory made. If you've fished with a rod for a while, and it breaks, it will have been caused by some kind of damage, over stressing, or abuse of/to the blank. Knicks, impacts, abrasions, high sticking, snap casting, overloading, carelessness, abuse, and accidents, are some of the more common causes of breakage that I've come across. |
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Posts: 32934
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | thompwater - 12/18/2020 12:52 PM
The breaks were from the graphite unwrapping, two broke on the first cast.
I build on many different blanks, have only had one break. Have had 5 TI break.
I have about 10 TI rods. Never broke a single one. Biggest question, did James take care of you? When was this happening, lately? Bet these were not the new blanks, either, right? |
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Posts: 18
| Yes, James did replace the blanks, even threw in a bucktail. After 2, I quit sending them in. I am still out my build time, the ,handle and realseat, also a unhappy customer. I stopped using them after that.
FWIW. The one I have that didnt break is one of my favorite rods. Again 2 of them broke on first cast.in my boat. Now I go in a different direction. Not flaming James, just relaying my experiences. |
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Posts: 18
| No, they were not the new blanks |
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Posts: 79
| I just got two telescoping 9’ XH Musky Shop shield rods for trolling. But I took them out casting and I was rather impressed. $169 each, free shipping. So not exactly cheap depending on what you consider cheap. |
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