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Posts: 326
| First the usual disclaimers:I'm not getting paid for nor have any affiliation whatsoever with the parties and companies involved with what follows.My only commitment to them was that I would try the product(s)and 'tell it as I see it'.
A little background may help.I'm old.I'm beat up.I have double jointed arthritic thumbs.I have thrown way to many lures of all weights and sizes for too many years.I palm my reels and the result of all this is I cast with significant pain almost all the time.Pain in my thumbs,wrists and shoulder to the extent I have toyed with giving casting up and have,for instance,stopped throwing certain lures like D10s.If you know me.or look in my boat,you likely see 6 rods up front which I use off/on daily.It's not that I have such a varied need due to lure types or sizes but rather that I need to change the 'grip' regularly throughout the day cause that gives some relief.Thus a close look would reveal an assortment of grip sizes and styles.Many are home created or altered by using tennis handle wrap to create variations in grip height or thickness or....whatever.Any change is a good change.Temporarliy.
Thus I'm always interested in anything new grip wise.
Enter James from Tackle Industies/Vexan rods and Aaron from Pac Bay reel seats/grips.
When I saw the release of their system from Icast awhile ago I contacted James and was able to convince him to sell me a proto Vexan 9fter with Aarons reel seat incorporated.
I have used the rod/system for about a month now.For me,GAME CHANGER!!!With it I can throw 10s again if I want.(not so much anymore for other reasons)I can cast,FOR AWHILE,relatively pain free.I still have to change up,after awhile the pain returns,but it is without a doubt a new tool in my arsenal that allows me to keep doing what I love so much.
If you have issues like me,are old or young or...,TRY IT.
It comes with screw in options and sizes with more in development.As to TI/Vexan,the rod I have is great and I love the blank.I believe other sizes and rods will be soon available.
Thank you James and Aaron!
https://www.mudhole.com/Pac-Bay-Revolution-Reel-Seat |
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| hi dick. why don't you just troll ? or troll cast troll cast ? |
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Posts: 326
| Hi.I do but frankly prefer to cast,see the follows,etc. |
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Posts: 72
| Have you tried a jig ripper? I bet that'll work even better for you, because it's so different from palming the reel. |
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Posts: 326
| oops thinking of different product. |
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Posts: 326
| Edit,was thinking of a different product.
Hi.No haven't tried it but looks similar.
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Posts: 326
| Was just told they are one and the same.True or not,game changer. |
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| when me and friends will get older maybe for jig rapper but for now i don't want to see that in my boat. ive got almost no rules but this is one of them. |
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Posts: 3480
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | I've got to build me a rod with one of those...
That looks to be a great addition and a long time in coming. I know my wrists and hands aren't as old, but I certainly feel it after 40 years of casting...
Troller....do you have any idea who you are talking with?
Steve |
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Posts: 8782
| VMS - 8/19/2019 1:52 PM
I've got to build me a rod with one of those...
That looks to be a great addition and a long time in coming. I know my wrists and hands aren't as old, but I certainly feel it after 40 years of casting...
Troller....do you have any idea who you are talking with?
Steve
 I don't think so.
This is one of those things that we're all going to need one day... Thanking my lucky stars that I'm a few years out from that.
I'm reminded of a couple "old guys" I fished with when I was first starting out.
"Hey whaddya got for pain medication today??" "Uhhh... Alleve, Advil, and a couple Tylenol . What do you have?" "Bayer, supposedly for back pain." "Oh, I'll trade 'ya a couple Advil for a couple Bayer's..."
I'm thinking "what the hell???"
Then one day I looked over at my wife and said "hey, whaddawe got for pain medication today???"
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Posts: 4269
Location: Ashland WI | supertrollr - 8/19/2019 1:33 PM
when me and friends will get older maybe for jig rapper but for now i don't want to see that in my boat. ive got almost no rules but this is one of them.
Trust me.. you want dickp in your boat.. no matter what he has on his rod. |
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| That is interesting. I too have arthritis in my hands. I have been dealing with it by changing out between left and right hand reels but this would provide another option. Seems worse when weather is colder in the fall. May just give this a try. |
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Posts: 8782
| I worked on cars for many years and beat what was left of my hands all to hell playing musical instruments. Years of palming reels and my hands just are not what they were 20 years ago. Like No8, I use both lh and rh reels. That helps a lot! Perhaps the biggest adjustment was switching to holding the foregrip instead of palming the reel. It's not ideal, but it gets the job done. I've also found that my wife's reels (all 50 series low profile) are far more comfortable to palm than the larger or older round reels. I get yelled at for using her gear, though. Funny, since I bought the #*#*! |
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Posts: 326
| North of 8 I'd give it a try.
esox addict I hear ya on the low profile reels.They apply when using this system as well.The lower the profile,the less thumb/wrist strain in my view. |
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Posts: 4269
Location: Ashland WI | North of 8 - 8/19/2019 4:33 PM
That is interesting. I too have arthritis in my hands. I have been dealing with it by changing out between left and right hand reels but this would provide another option. Seems worse when weather is colder in the fall. May just give this a try.
Definitely try it.
I made one out of a piece of dowel, zip tied it to the foregrip, and covered with hockey tape. I thought it made a huge difference when reeling 10s . |
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Posts: 93
| I've used the Jig Ripper version for a few years now, much better ergonomics for less pain and better leverage especially in the figure-8 with a heavy lure.
Best part is that they're available as a separate component so not unique to that brand of rods. Your favorite rod builder can use them on anything. For example, my rebuilt St. Croix Big Dawg is coming in the mail this week with one of those Revolution reel seats installed, can't wait to put it into play!
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Posts: 144
Location: Loves Park, IL | dp I held one of these at the Milwaukee Muskie Show this year. I agree with you, it felt great. The demo they had set up had a Calcutta on it that matched what I use and it was perfect. I'm hoping for a "retro fit" system that can be added to rods that I have but the next rod I order will have one for sure. Very nice. |
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Posts: 326
| Hi Jeff!
Wonderful thing! |
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Location: Contrarian Island | I've tried those and still have yet to think they feel better than palming.. I'll get there, someday! |
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Posts: 93
| I'm hoping for a "retro fit" system that can be added to rods that I have.
Yep, it's something a rod builder can do pretty easily: remove the rear cork and original reel seat, replace with the new Revolution reel seat and re-cork the back handle.
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Posts: 326
| Brad,still are palming,just changing the angle. |
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Posts: 4053
Location: Land of the Musky | Thanks Dick! Tackle Industries and Vexan Fishing will have these new rods out with the all new Revolution reel seats on them for all of the BIG Musky shows! All new blanks too on the new Pro TI and Vexan rods!! All of the new rods will also have very comfortable WINN grips on them! Come see Tackle Industries and Vexan at the upcoming shows.
(Vexan Big Game PRO Inshore - 1.JPG)
(Tackle Industries PRO Freshwater - 1.JPG)
(Transluscent Naked Blank - 1.JPG)
(Vexan Big Game PRO Inshore - 2.JPG)
Attachments
----------------
 Vexan Big Game PRO Inshore - 1.JPG (47KB - 561 downloads)
Tackle Industries PRO Freshwater - 1.JPG (50KB - 496 downloads)
Transluscent Naked Blank - 1.JPG (81KB - 476 downloads)
Vexan Big Game PRO Inshore - 2.JPG (49KB - 518 downloads)
Vexan PRO Bass - 1.JPG (65KB - 492 downloads)
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| So James, not available yet, but they will be this winter? |
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| VMS - 8/19/2019 1:52 PM
I've got to build me a rod with one of those...
That looks to be a great addition and a long time in coming. I know my wrists and hands aren't as old, but I certainly feel it after 40 years of casting...
Troller....do you have any idea who you are talking with?
Steve
there was just one guy that was talking about jig reapper and dick is not one of them. so my message was not pointed at him. but if a legend like him want to fish in my boat he can do it whit a pink fur hat maina style, or a 3 feet jig ripper handle. |
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Posts: 1023
| Anyone questioning or criticizing this new reel seat likely has not actually tried it. Of course everyone is different. This is a spin-off product of the jig ripper. It is a reel seat not an attachment and must be built into a rod like any other seat. It has interchangeable bottom extensions - a regular small trigger, a medium stubby extension and a large extension. It is super well designed and modifiable.
I am building a 9’ Shock n Awe with this PAC Bay Revolution reel seat on it very soon. Seat is here and blank is coming this week.
You don’t have to be a seasoned and arthritic fishing legend like Dick P to appreciate or benefit from this product although being 50, I do feel pain faster when throwing 10’s and pounders all day. If you are 25-39 them ok - you likely aren’t suffering yet but this grip still gives far improved leverage on hooksets anyways.
This is a truly unique product which doesn’t come along often in the fishing industry. |
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Posts: 326
| Landry good points I think.I have been wondering a lot if using something like this early on in my musky fishing might have helped avoid some of the issues I now have.Suspect so since clearly less strain on the muscles/joints etc now causing me issues. |
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Posts: 4053
Location: Land of the Musky | North of 8 - 8/20/2019 1:00 PM
So James, not available yet, but they will be this winter?
Hope to have everything ready to ship late November or early December. Plus the musky shows. TI/Vexan will be attending the Chicago, Milwaukee, Wausua and St Paul shows this year. I think we will have a booth right next to Outdoor Grips too.
Thanks
James
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| Tackle Industries - 8/21/2019 10:02 AM
North of 8 - 8/20/2019 1:00 PM
So James, not available yet, but they will be this winter?
Hope to have everything ready to ship late November or early December. Plus the musky shows. TI/Vexan will be attending the Chicago, Milwaukee, Wausua and St Paul shows this year. I think we will have a booth right next to Outdoor Grips too.
Thanks
James
Thanks for the info. Look forward to getting one. Was out last night casting and spent the first couple hours today trolling because my hands were stiff this morning. Did spend an hour or so casting but would rather been casting than trolling. |
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | I really like some of the grippy stuff, and I've had some of my custom rods built into less diameter handles as result. The biggest comfort reprieve I've had in terms of ergonomics over the past few years, has been shifting to some of the smaller reels. Over the last 10 years for the first time, using a smaller reel does not inhibit speed, nor add more torque to body. The 'reel' difference has been the durability of some of these reels, particularily the tranx and Lexa's I've been running. Even the 500 Tranx, albeit a true beast, is easy to hold underneath the reel for a hybrid hold that doesn't sacrafice hookset/grip. The last thing I'll add to the rods and reels I'm using today, is that my 11 and 13 year old girls can pick up all but my big blades or big rubber rigs, and cast right along side me. Good topic. Off to LOTW.
Jason Schillinger |
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Posts: 716
| Ck back a about 3-4 years ago I did a column in Musky Hunter about making an add-on that will accomplish this on your current rods. To me the jig ripper mounts too far forward and I prefer a different angle vs 90 degrees so I made my own. With an add on you can position in anywhere you want to accommodate those who palm and those who hold the fore grip. Used them for the past five years or so...they work really well . You can see one of my early models in use at around 4 minutes of this episode of MHTV.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiNUm4HWSPI&t=947s |
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