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Posts: 1023
| Anyone had a chance to get their hands on these rods yet? The new owner, Bill, is going to replace my broken Fig Rig at a VERY fair price - great guy. BUT, I have not and will not, likely see them in person here in Toronto. What do they feel like - well balanced, nicely tied up??... And my biggest question - what is the synthetic cork handle like, (heavy rubbery or just like real cork).
I just bought an Okuma and love it - how does the Tooth Tamer compare???
Thanks a ton everyone.
Landry |
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Posts: 32934
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I had a few in my hands at the Expo in St Paul, and liked the way the rod balanced and felt. Nice finishing work, all in all a great rod. |
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Posts: 2024
| The new rods have SynCork? Can someone provide a picture of the new Tooth Tamers (Jason?)? |
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Posts: 1023
| Yah - the syncork thing is my biggest question really. thanks for replying steve. what did you think of the syncork handle???
Edited by Landry 6/3/2009 12:23 PM
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Posts: 1023
| hah - I found this on the web. Would still love to hear everyone's opinions though.
Syncork™ - “Reshaping the Future of Fishing”
With the rising cost and the decline in the quality of organic cork, custom rod builders and fishing rod manufacturers have long been seeking a viable replacement for organic cork. The performance factors of any viable replacement needs to exceed natural cork’s durability and shape ability while offering a wider spectrum of cosmetic options at a reasonable value.
Patent pending Syncork™ has reached all of these goals and more. It’s promising to reshape the future of fishing rod handles into a whole new world with improved function and comfort that organic cork can’t provide.
The cellular make up of organic cork and Syncork™ is very similar, however, natural cork has a certain level of moisture in it plus it takes on the moisture of its surrounding atmospheric conditions. The repeated process of absorbing moisture and drying out breaks down its organic cells making it brittle and like most organic material it can deteriorate, rot, and it can also become a host to mold and mildew.
Syncork™ on the other hand is plastic and can not hold moisture. It’s not organic and is not subject to rotting, molding or mildewing. It is extremely inert plus physically lighter than organic cork. It can withstand UV rays as well as accelerated weather temperatures (both hot and cold). In addition, it is extremely chemical resistant to a variety of petroleum products, acids, and alkalines. Pound for pound, gram for gram, Syncork™ offers cork like characteristics with far superior performance and design capabilities.
The surface of Syncork™ can be made to be as smooth as an organic cork handle, but smoothness can translate to ‘slippery when wet’. One of the many features and benefits of Syncork is that the handle surface can be textured providing a powerful non-slip grip that fisherman greatly prefer over natural cork.
In the future Syncork™ will offer a variety of solid and mixed colors, shapes and textures. To begin, the first available color is black and the reasons are logical. Natural cork is a tan or blonde color that quickly shows dirt and its age. A heavily used black Syncork handle will look as black and as new as the day you got it for years and years!
To date Syncork ™ is made into Syncork rings used by custom rod builders but we’re hard at work to produce pre-formed handles for fishing rod manufacturers and the custom rod building market.
Syncork™ – Get a Grip on it!
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Posts: 393
Location: Hopefully on the water | I haven't used the new tooth tamer rods but held one last weekend and it is completly different from the Fig's. They have a very nice feel to them and the next rod will more then likely be one of those. I did get 2 custom rods theis off season that have Syncork handles. From that aspect I like the way they feel. Hands didn't slip at all, not soaking wet held up very well. The only thing that I am not sold on is the rings they use. I had 1 pull apart on me this weekend but it slide back together. I just have to get a hold of the guy that built the rod to see what he uses for connecting the rings together. Other then that I like the way it handles and look forward to my next Tooth Tamer. |
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Posts: 1023
| i read on a site that their have been some issues with adhesives and syncork. i am confused as to what to do - take a chance on a rod i have not seen or just spend the extra $ and get an okuma. I loved the way the old figs felt - ridiculously light - but they were just asking for problems with graphite walls that thin I suppose. |
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Posts: 87
| I have used the 7'6" tooth tamer two weekends now and like the feel that they have. I had no problem casting a weagle with it. Until I read this post, I forgot that it was syncork and not the real thing. It is a nice rod and I will probably get others.
Terry |
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Posts: 1023
| Thanks - you can hardly tell the difference between syncork and cork?
What 7'6" did you throw - mag medium or med-heavy? Did it have a soft tip or is it stiff all the way thru?
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Posts: 2378
| Landry - 6/4/2009 3:16 PM
Thanks - you can hardly tell the difference between syncork and cork?
What 7'6" did you throw - mag medium or med-heavy? Did it have a soft tip or is it stiff all the way thru?
I have not seen these rods, but I am guessing that there is a difference between the synthetic cork that they use and actual Syncork.
Just a guess on my part, but if guys are saying they cannot tell the difference it is definitely not real Syncork like Professional Edge and Thornes are using. |
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | Just got a batch a month ago, having used them a whole bunch already. I'll get some photos of the rods up when I can. I cannot tell the difference between the handle material and real cork, save for it being ever so slightly more compressable. Very comfortable in that dept. I might add. We've caught a couple dozen muskies, with some big ones in the mix having them loaded to the butt, very nice. I've been slinging with the 8'6" medium heavy so far, and love it for medium to large bucktails/spinnerbaits, regular dawgs, and straight ahead topwater. I did run double 10's on it, and liked how it worked, but am looking forward to the 8'6" xhvy for that duty soon. Oh, the trolling sticks are nice too, and are very tough with regards to snags and heavy strikes.
One thing I really like about the 7'6" med hvy and 8'6" med hvy models I have, is the action. The 8'6" in particular has a mod fast tip, an improvement in my eyes over the ultra/almost too fast on some of the old figs. These rods seem forgiving while tough, really loading up nicely on both cast and fish.
Edited by Reef Hawg 6/6/2009 11:06 AM
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Posts: 133
Location: Wausau, WI | Hey Everyone,
A few people have been asking me questions about the new rods. The most common question is:
What is the synthetic cork like? The synthetic cork has more grip than normal cork in my opinion. The synthetic cork is a little softer than the real cork, but that delivers that extra grip. I can't tell if there is a weight differnce because they don't make a Tooth Tamer rod with tradition cork.
How light are the new Tooth Tamers? One thing that I can assure you is that the new Tooth Tamer rods are very light weight. In fact, the other day I took my girlfriend out and I gave her the 8'6" MH with a small bucktail on it. I've never heard a girl get so excited about a fishing rod. Long story short, she is 5'6" and she couldn't belive how light it was. She didn't believe it when I told her she was using a 8'6" and not a 7'.
Finally, what is the 7'6" Mag Medium like? I have been using this rod the the last two weeks. I have been using it for gliders, twitchin' cranks, jerkbaits, and small bucktails. I love this rod for these applications because of the action of the rod. The Mag Medium has a soft tip/fast action. Don't let the soft tip fool you. As the rod loads up the soft tip is immediately followed by a stiff backbone that is capable of handling even the biggest muskies. Long story short, I usually only bring three rods in the boat and the 7'6" Mag Medium is always one of them.
If anyone has any questions about the rods, please do not hesitate to ask! |
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Posts: 87
| I was throwing the medium 7'6" not the heavy. The tip was not a fast tip but I thought more smooth all the way through. I have a lot more confidence in these rods than the Fig Rigs. |
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Posts: 40
Location: Elkhorn, WI | I won a Tooth Tamer of my choice from the IMTT booth at the Milwaukee Musky Show last winter. I waited for the new ones to come out and picked it up about 3 weeks ago. I liked it so much I bought another at the same time. I got an 8' MH and an 8'6" MH. I didn't even know the handles weren't cork till I got reading this thread. Nice looking, great feel, excellent action. My only problem with them is they've spoiled me for using my old rods. I highly recommend them.
Edited by fish hawk 6/6/2009 8:52 PM
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Posts: 285
Location: Price County WI | Tooth Tamer Rods took first place in the Phillips Chain WMT and 3rd place in the Butternut WMT last weekend. Right in St Croix's back yard.
The new rods are great, Best value for a fishing rod in my store. Don't over look the Walleye rods. Just as nice as the big stuff. If someone wants to see them Ross's in Phillips, Flambeau River Outfitters in Ladysmith, Hayward Bait and Tackle in Hayward, Mouldy's in Eau Claire, and I think Dorns in Madison have them in stock. |
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Posts: 86
| I dont know about the syncork fig is using.
I did get to handle several Thorne Bros. rods with the black syncork in Chicago year before last, when it first came out.
I really like the black syncork Thorne has. I am planning on using it on the next rods built.
I fish alot in cold wet weather, so I'm gonna go with a more textured finnish.
Also with a black finnish, the handles will always look the same, not like dirty, weathered cork.
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Posts: 29
| Where can a guy found info on the new rods. Does anyone now if they kept their walleye series rods too I love my Pete Harsh rods, so I would like to try a couple new muskie poles to go along with them. |
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Posts: 1023
| okay - i am sold!
I had the fig 7'10" and before it broke I did find it very light but with not enough tip flex. This made casting tiring because there was very little sling shot effect. The rod then felt very long (try waving around an unflexible stick for a day) and I tired easily. This made me think I was not suited to the longer rods.
What model should I get - the 8' MH or 8'6" MH. I don't throw dawgs or real heavy stuff much - most of my baits are in the 2 - 4 oz range. The lakes I fish (Kawarthas in Ontario) are action lakes with lots of fish up to high 40" so I tend to avoid the real big sticks and I throw tiger tubes and bucktails a lot.
thanks |
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Posts: 133
Location: Wausau, WI | Landry,
Get the 8'6". I don't want to be "that guy" that goes along with the current fad, but these long rods cast easier, figure 8 better, and they do a great job controlling fish. The 8'6" is light enough to throw baits as small as a #5 Mepps, but has the strength to throw 10's. I have been using that 8'6" for over two weeks now and I love it more and more cast after cast. You will not be dissapointed by the 8'6". |
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Posts: 1023
| Thanks a ton. Yah - I was starting to see the longer rods as a fad or trend. Call me a cynic but companies invent "better" products all the time to simply increase revenues. I will try the 8'6" |
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Posts: 311
Location: Ontario | Cast and figure 8 for a wknd with a 7'6 rod, then try a wknd with an 8'6 and you'll notice a huge difference. I'm on the list of guys who picked up long rods and will never go back to short, and wonder how I did so long with short rods. You're right, muskie fishing is full of fads to increase sales, but long rods is definitely not one of them. JB's Depot off the 401 can't keep them on the shelves. Personally I think for the size of baits you're using long rods make more sense too, they make casting easier. |
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Posts: 285
Location: Price County WI | Tooth Tamer still has a walleye series. Right now it kinda basic with 4 rods in the series, 6'6" med, 6'9" med/hvy, 7' med, 7'2' med/hvy. All spinning. Bill kept the same handles at the Harsh and Carbon Pro Rods, I love that handle because the rod balance is great and you can put your finger on the rod blank for added feel. The blank is carbon matrix and it has the same synthetic cork that the big rods have. I know that there is a 6'1" med comming out for mid summer and more actions to be added for next spring. The 7' med landed me a 34" pike earlier this spring and caught a number of limits of eyes.
As for the 8'6" rod I was out last night throwing Red October twisted tubes with it and it threw them great, I also threw a Dreamcatcher Mag double 9 with it and it handled that good too. |
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | Love the walleye rods too, and have been testing them on multi species as well. Cranked some cats the other morning and they performed quite well. The 7'2" livebait rod is so sweet for tube jigs, swim jigs and slip bobs. One very cool feature of the walleye rods is the lure keeper, which is a small hook allowing for the quickest easiest hookup I have seen. The hook keeper on the musky rods are very beefy, but a bit small, and are being changed as we speak.
They'll also be available in WI Rapids at Musky Bizness on Baker Street(the old Lavaques bait shop).
Here are a few pics of the rods.
Edited by Reef Hawg 6/9/2009 6:59 PM
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Summer 2009 024.JPG (188KB - 272 downloads)
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Posts: 1023
| Thanks everyone. This site is amazing. Thanks for the info and pics! I am ordering the 8'6" rod for sure now - sounds sweet!!!!
I've got one more trolling motor question now and then I should have my stuff figured out for the season.
Landry |
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Posts: 29
| Where can a guy find these poles online I would like to try one out. |
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Posts: 285
Location: Price County WI | Bill is working on a web site right now. There are only a few retailers listed above that have them in stock right now. If you want to know more about them email me at [email protected] and I will help you out. |
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