Preliminary Review: Elliot Ice Rod Siscowett-C
The rod retails at $145 and is a solid carbon fiber blank. Heavy Power and Fast action is what I was looking for. The rod is labeled as a 44" length and I thought it kind of looked just a tad bit long so after measuring it came in at plus 46 inches long. When looking at the rod, I was wondering why didn't it come with a more traditional double feet line guides, but I sort of knew the answer to that already. It's a bit harder to flick ice off of those guides, even though it offers the rigidity on the whole rod overall. The line guides are from manufacture Sea guide. Yes, I did compare it against the Spinning version that was listed as a 46" length and that rod was still nearly two inches longer. So anyways I am not complaining, but actually ecstatic that it's longer.
I was at a pivotal point of contemplating St. Croix Custom Apex Predator vs the Elliot Rod Siscowett. As usual St. Croix rods are almost a half power stronger and comparing hand test flex also gave me the same impressionable results. I would already buy the Apex Predator if it existed in a bait casting model, but that's not the case. The Elliot Rod Siscowett gets to come home. Again back to the line guide choice and why. First I am not casting the rod, so I understand that. However what if I wanted to in the summer time and make this my shorty rod for tight spaces. Well we'll see when that happens, as there's always just practice casting on the ice when the fish ain't biting.
So as intended for a standing vertical jigging rod, the line guides works. It's a rod tip down onto the hole and that is the function being optimized for that. As usual playing with the rod flex with line through the guides, I did experience some slight rod torsion roll over. That is expected due to the larger rings and it's easy for the line to torsion along the edge. I can only imagine that smaller line guide rings would prevent that as well as using a double feet line guides, but this is an ice rod. I'm not fighting fish in open water, I will be tugging against it with a hole on the ice floor. There is almost barely some line contact on the blank at 90 degree angle line pull and it was at the mid section just at the start of the rod bend. Mostly just due to how short the legs of each line guides are. The tip section showed good clearance. So I have to keep a reminder to self to not fish like an open water rod and fish like an ice rod for what it's designed for. Being a heavy power rod, I should have no problems.
The syncork thing is still very different to me, but I will embrace it. The balance point on this rod is so wonderful with a low profile bait casting reel mounted on. I am just in a toss up over low profile vs traditional round bait casting reel.
One last check was with the Giant Chubby Darter. That heavy lure weighing in at about 3.5 ounces or so is quite a feat to be jigging about. Yes it's too heavy for this rod to handle comfortably as well, but it's like fighting a fish the whole time with the Giant Chubby Darter.
I may plan to put some field test first on my usual crappie chase. (I didn't pay full retail price...)