by Thomas Brzezinski
I had the opportunity to fish with Dave McKenna from Douglas Outdoors and try out some of their bass fishing rods for the first time. We took the day to fish in Lake Mohawk of Sparta NJ a 800 acre private lake filled with largemouth, smallmouth, pickerel and hybrid striped bass. Our strategy was to locate and find some of the bigger fall bass with football jigs. Being the air temperature had recently dropped to its lowest temp of the year we knew it could be a tough bite to locate. Not only did we have the severe temperature change we were battling 13 – 15 mph winds from the south.
Dave set me up with a 6’8 Douglas LRS C685XF medium heavy fast action casting rod and the LRS C715F medium heavy fast action casting rod. The first advantage i noticed about the rods was the sensitivity to help feel the bottom and structure. This was extremely helpful especially with the high winds and deep structure we were targeting. I credit the rod to helping land a quick hookset on a soft bite from a smaller bass while swimming the jig over a rock wall about 12ft down. The sensitive tip allowed me to determine the bite and give a quick hookset to land that specific bass. It is difficult to find a jigging rod that is sensitive, but has enough backbone for a deep hookset. The LRS X-fast rod gave me both!
As an avid bass fisherman finding quality rods at an affordable price is not always easy. One thing I always say is “maybe I do have more fishing poles than my wife has shoes but every rod as a purpose.” You need the right rod to fish a bait correctly. The Douglas rods we fished delivered the key characteristics of a top level rod at a mid level price point. The LRS series includes top grade components and reel seats that are extremely comfortable and ergonomic. I loved the detail and construction put into the guides to help keep them from bending or breaking when traveling or storing in your rod locker. Also there were significantly more guides on all their rods compared the other rods I use regularly. Their attention to detail and craftsmanship separates Douglas LRS rods from others in their class.
We also got a chance to test their spinning rods The LRS S6103F specifically to try a little drop shot action. Although the drop shot was not successful at catching fish the rod was no disappointment. The comfort and sensitivity helped control the bait and bounce it off rocks and hard bottom even though we were being pushed all over by the wind. One aspect of the spinning rod that stood out to me is the comfort of the handle.
All the rod combinations and applications used that day, the consistency of comfort, durability and sensitivity was outstanding. It is tough to find all those characteristics in a rod for under $200 but the LRS series delivers. I am looking forward to trying their DXS series rods and to see what they have to offer. When looking for a new fishing rod or multiple rods that won’t break the bank but deliver tremendous quality Douglas rods is a great choice.
Check out the rods and Douglas Outdoors with the links below.