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Posts: 61
Location: Avilla, IN | Thinking of purchasing a couple Fig Rig's over winter. I have never held one, nor do I personally know anyone that fishes them. I have been told by a retailer that they are very light. Any feedback from guys using these sticks would be appreciated. Thanks.  |
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Posts: 2515
Location: Waukesha & Land O Lakes, WI | Kevin and the gang sponsors the IMTT and this was my first year of using them. I have 2 Tooth Tamers and have to say they're probally the lightest rods I've used. I have a 6-6H and a 7-0 MH..love them both. They're easily worth the money. What's really nice is that Fig Rig stands behind they're product, Ive known guys who've broken them. Fig Rig's customer service is excellent. |
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Posts: 2378
| Very Light rod. I have an Extreme 8'H and love that rod. i will be picking up one or two more this winter |
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Posts: 2427
Location: Ft. Wayne Indiana | please e-mail me at [email protected]
I have some valuable info for you. |
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Posts: 663
| I used Fig Rigs this year both for Musky and Walleye/Bass Rods. They performed great. I use the Tooth Tamer series for musky, the 7'6" medium heavy and heavy. The walleye rods are called Extreme series and used the 6'6" medium heavy. They are nice sticks, priced right, and an over the counter warranty on the Tooth Tamers is tough to beat. |
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Posts: 561
Location: Monee, Illinois | I really like both Figs I have they work great......Great price too...
pga |
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Posts: 207
Location: Mpls, MN | I've got 2.
A 7' mf and 7'6 mh. Really light rods and the price is nice too. Going to get a least one more this year, maybe 2. |
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| Heard a lot about guys breaking them on the first few production runs, but so far mine are holding up just fine. I've got three of them and everyone else is right -- they are super light.
What I DON'T know is which ones people were having trouble with, the Tooth Tamer/$159 models or the Extreme/$79 models.
Anybody?
p.s. mine are all Tooth Tamers |
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Posts: 2024
| Mike,
It would be nice for you to share your "valuable information" with others who may be considering purchasing a Fig Rig, even if it's negative.
Anyway, I have two and love them. They are, IMO, the lightest rods out there. Excellent customer service. Great handles. |
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Posts: 2515
Location: Waukesha & Land O Lakes, WI | It was the super light Tooth Tamers, there was some breakage, but from what I hear Kevin took care of everybody who had issues. I was concerned because my first stick came right about that time and to be 100% honest, I put my 7-0 MH through the wringer trying to see if I could overload it....nope, I casted Mag Bulldawgs and 8" Cobbs Roundnose Countdowns with no issues. |
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Posts: 61
Location: Avilla, IN | Thanks for the feedback. That was quick!! |
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| Sorry to burst everyones bubble, my fishing buddy broke two in an hours time one on a big fish and one casting a mag. bulldawg. These were the most expensive ones. |
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| Duke
if by chance your anywhere near the twin cities I can gey you a deal on a tooth tamer if intrested email me at
[email protected]
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Posts: 469
Location: Downers Grove, IL | I've had two Fig Rigs that I've literally beat the crap out of. No complaints. They are the original blanks with the hook hanger on the shaft and not in the trigger. My 7'6'' MH tooth tamer has thrown mag dawgs, weagles, wabulls, shakers, etc in heat and snow for 3 years and is still kickin a$$. I used them both for the three days of thanksgiving and they performed fine. They're super light and have great 14 inch handles.
thedude |
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Posts: 2427
Location: Ft. Wayne Indiana |
Here is what I e-mailed him...
Fig Rigs break, plain and simple. I have probably seen at least a dozen snap in half this year alone in my boat. Casting, setting the hook, etc... they break. It also didn't matter which rod it was, both the higher end model and the cheaper rod broke, a lots of them.
I tried to eductate my buddy Matt about this before his trip to MN this summer. His response back to me after a few days of fishing....two broken rods, one on a fish, and one while casting.
I am not trying to bash anybody or any company I am just trying to shed some light on somethings that I have seen this year in my boat. 10+ rods snapping is alot. |
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| Thanks for the honesty Mike. I've broken about 12 of them myself or with clients. They have great customer satisfaction though. By the way, I've only broken one other muskie rod in my life. Maybe it's the puny arms, although I can drive a golfball further than Hulbert.
Ty |
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Posts: 2384
Location: On the X that marks the mucky spot | Ty, I think you have to be at least 100lbs to break one LOL!!!! 
Everyone in the pool!!!!!
Edited by Muskie Treats 12/8/2005 4:30 PM
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| I have known Kevin Figgins fore some time now and own 9 Tooth Tamers some early ones, some late models and even a couple glass rods I use for suckers and trolling and man I will tell you I have put them through the paces from shutting them in my door to pounding on some big fish. I can say I have not broken any and most likley will not use another brand of rod. I trust my Fig Rigs to any abuse I can hand them!! I know there have been some break and as far as I know they have all been taken care of in a very proffesional manner and in my oppinion that is a --BIG DEAL--. I have used other more expensive rods that have broken and did not receive the help and replacement that Kevin has given his clients and if one of mine broke tomorrow I would buy another Fig Rig. Hope this helps............Doug |
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| Thank you for your interest in Fig Rig Rods and thank you to the others who support the rods. Fig Rig has one of the finest warranties on the market. I have been using them in tournaments and guiding for 3 years now and they are very fine rods. As Fishing Manager of Gander Mtn in Appleton, I get to see ALOT of customer returns and the % of Fig Rigs in comp. to others is quite similar. I can not attest for rods from 4 years ago but am aware of Kevin's dedication to building a great product. As Pro Staff director for Fig Rig, I am very excited for the MAJOR changes and new lines you'll see in Fig Rig in 2006-2007 and am confident you'll be excited about them too.
P.S. A Magnum Bulldawg weighs 12.47oz. What was your rod rated for? Gary Loomis once said, "I can build a rod you can't break, but you don't want to fish with it." With our drive for longer and longer rods and lighter and lighter rods it is certainly a challenge to build a rod capable of throwing 1 pound baits at 8' long and very light weight. My 6'10 Heavy throws Magnums flawlessly.
While guiding on the Wisconsin River, Depthraiders, Bulldawgs, Phantoms, Suicks and other heavy baits often find their way into stumps, rocks, sheet metal, cement, bridges, dams, spillways, cables, turbines, discharges, paper mills and the occasional body. These rods have been rock solid for me in these conditions, and I like throwing them.
Lastly. Everyone makes good rods. St. Croix, Gloomis, Guide Series, and Fig Rigs are all very fine rods with 100's of people loving theirs. The best thing you can do is size them up at a dealer and make your own descision. |
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Posts: 1438
| Amen Justin...
I've got 3 Rigs now and love them all. Will continue to use them until I find otherwise.
Thanks for the effort and a great rod. Relay my thanks to Kevin too.
Scott |
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Posts: 172
| I have been using some figrigs this season, the 8' toothtamer and glass models both. i have broken 2 rods. that said the next rod i will buy is a FIGRIG. regardless of the broken rods, they have had excellent customer service and i have had no problems. i love the feel of these rods and will stand behind them on the water until someone else makes a better one for the price.
i have owned/fished with all major production brands and i still like the figrigs best.
this year i personally broke a loomis, 2 St. croix, and 2 figrigs. for what its worth. (ya i know thats 5 rods....)
-matt |
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Posts: 32886
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I own a couple Fig Rigs and have had no problems with them. Kevin is a great guy IMHO, and truly cares about customer service. |
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| I own 7 fig rigs,,,at least 3 of these I have won,,not only does Kevin Figgins give great customer service but he has been very generous in his contributions and deals and willingness to help out good causes for fund raisers,raffles etc |
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| It is nice to see the thread take a classy turn. Everything breaks, it is what happens afterwards that matters and sets people apart...Ben |
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Posts: 8781
| I look at it this way:
I like them because they are light, comfortable, and well built using quality components.
Knowing the outstanding reputation Kevin and Terri have with customer service, and the fact that my rods have a lifetime warranty, breakage isn't something I worry about.
How many of you guys have broken reels?
How many of you guys have had to pay to get them fixed or replaced?
How many of you guys have broken more reels than you can remember?
So why are you worried about rods breaking? |
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Posts: 2024
| I will also say Fig Rig's customer service is probably the best in the industry. I called them this summer after breaking a rod on Mille Lacs and they replaced it NO QUESTIONS ASKED. I couldn't even explain to them how it happened. They simply asked me what rod it was, and in a week or two I had a brand new one.
And, as others have said, Kevin is a great guy. I bought my first Fig Rig a couple years ago and spoke with him personally. He had never met me before, I was just some schmuck of a kid for all he knew. Yet, he took the time to talk muskies with me. We briefly talked about his rods, but there was no sales pitch. When you're that good a guy, you don't need a sales pitch. |
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Posts: 663
| Here's a quick story for you. Last year at the Pittsburgh show I "sold" a gentleman on buying two Fig Rigs. He came back to me at the Ohio show and said that one of the rods appeared to have some kind of flaw in it. He wasn't sure if it was a bubble in the lacquer or some kind of structural flaw. A quick phone call to Fig Rigs and I got the word from Kevin Figgins to immediately give the man a new rod and tell him to keep the previously purchased, and still unused rod. I hadn't even seen the rod yet. The gentleman was thrilled to death and since then has purchased more Fig Rigs rods from me. The last I heard there was no problem with the rod he had a question about. The moral is: great customer service builds customer loyalty. As Justin mentioned there are a lot of good companies out there and the musky world is fortunate to have some excellent choices. In my position as a guide and working in a retail establishment it's a joy to work with companies like Fig Rigs. |
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | I can't say enough about how great Fig Rigs have treated me over the past couple seasons. I am lucky enough to own several that have not broken. I have three friends who broke them this summer however. It was dissapointing, but they were amazed at the quick response they received and just plain excellent service upon returning them. I was told that there were quite a few problems with the old style blanks that were being used, and that it has since changed. I'm not sure what mine are made of, but could be steel for all I know. As I said, I use several of them, but have two in particular(an 8' Tooth tamer, and a 7' glass rod) that I really abused in 2005, and am amazed at their performance. I was a St. Croix guy through and through(and still use alot of their products), but with the prices of the 'tamers compared to other manufacturers top lines, and the responsiveness and lightweight nature of the glass rods(I use them for casting and trolling), I will definately turn to them for my next purchase. |
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Posts: 92
| We've caught muskies up to 35 pounds on fig rigs in my boat and never had a problem.
Jim |
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| It seems no one cares that these rods are built over seas.Not saying they are inferior quality
but it just make me feel good to look down at a rod that is built here. If they were to start building in the U.S. I'd fish them |
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Posts: 2024
| Does Ford build all their cars and trucks in the US? Their HQs are here, yes. However, do a little digging and you'll find that they get nearly all their parts overseas. Same holds true for GM, Chevy, etc. Hardly anything these days is TRUELY built in the US.
If it's built well, I'll take it. Last thing on my mind is whether or not I'm being patriotic... |
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Posts: 317
| Fig Rigs are great. Light and strong. I have seen posts about people breaking SC rods too, the difference is how it's handled afterwards. Fig Rig service is second to none. |
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| I just got a fig rig rod as a gift last X-Mas and I hope it performs well for me this year. It better not break on me during normal wear and tear. I have never broken a rod under normal usage. Could it be that the customer service is so great because the product is inferior? Unless they deliver a new rod to my boat on whatever lake I am on the service won't be good enough. Rods just should not be breaking on casts or hooksets!
As for the "everything breaks" line I read early one only needs to look at Ty's and Mike's post to know that amount of breakage is rediculous!
Why can't we call a spade a spade?
Edited by DJS 4/5/2006 8:31 AM
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | DJS, one great aspect of their customer service is listenning to the customer. Kevin knows some of the rods broke, found the problem and took steps to fix it. I have broken Lamiglass rods, St. Croix, and other big names, and most were rods from the first 'run' of a new line up. Fig Rig is not going away, and they will do whatever they can to make us happy, and that is what I like about them. I still use Shimano reels and have broken several of them. They took steps to fix things that were not 'perfect' on the originals and went so far as to tell us what they improved. What I don't like, is when a company ignores issues, and does not make changes. Does not seem to be the case with these upstanding individuals.
Jason Schillinger
Edited by Reef Hawg 4/5/2006 9:29 AM
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Posts: 8781
| If they broke as often as people seem to think, Kevin would be out of business by now...
All his profits, materials, and time would be dedicated to warranty work and he'd never be able to get rods to the retailers.
The first run probably went to guides and pro staffers, who put their gear through the wringer day in and day out. It gets the word out there, gets your product exposure, exposes it to a lot of people (clients) in a hurry.
The bad news? Well, if there are flaws, news of that will get out as well.
In a case like this, when you have a problem, you fix it. You HAVE to fix it, or you're gone.
My only issue with my Fig Rigs is the differences in components between the early models and the stuff that's out there today. My older Fig Rigs have a different blank, Fuji Alconite guides, and the cork is very smooth.
The newer ones have a lower quality of cork, much like a St Croix rod, Ceramic guides, and a different blank than the older ones, which I believe were Diamondback blanks...
But for me? I fish maybe 30 days a year. If I break a rod I've got extras, and for the $159 price tag? It's a fair price for a very light rod that (for me at least, so far anyway) does the trick.
If I was going to buy all new rods? I'd go custom all the way, for a number of reasons:
1. You can pick what type/brand/speed/weight blank you want to use
2. You can pick what brand/size/type of guides you want
3. Custom rod builders spine their rods
4. Custom rod builders (some anyway) will space the guides in a fashion most suited for that particular blank
5. You can specify handle length, type, and diameter
6. You can choose what color you want the wraps, pick decals, etc. Strictly cosmetic, but it is kind of cool!
Edited by esoxaddict 4/5/2006 10:22 AM
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Posts: 427
Location: Wausau | 8' Toothtamer - excellent! |
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Fig Rig Rods