ultra lite rods

[hooky]

I am looking at two different brands of 6' UL rods for perch. They are very comparable except one is an IM7 and one is an IM8. Is that a big diference? Thanks

[walcat]

Take a look at the Eagle 6 ft glass ulta light, yellow in color. They are glass. They are nice. $20 at Cabelas.

[Hawg]

Some would tell you the 8 is a better quality. Fact is it's just different. If the rods had the same eyelets, the same handle, the same wrappings, the same decals, the same reel seat,...then the 8 may be a slightly better rod. They can also be completly different tip actions. Buy the one you like.

[REW]

Actually, if I was fishing for perch, I would probably buy a light action rod - as opposed to an ultra light, but every one is different.

If the action is fast and furious, I find that I can catch the fish faster with the light action rod - compared to the ultra light - just a bit too soft action for my liking for deep water perch.

The difference between IM7 and IM8 is really in the eyes and hands of the purchaser. Try one of each and buy the one that feels best to you and catches the most fish. I actually doubt that - unless one has a significantly different tip or rod action that you would see, or feel much difference in the rods.

Take care
REW
p.s.
The other thing to realize is that many times - the IM7 or IM8 is simply a name. Yes, there should be some basis behind it but if you compare different rod manufacturers, you may find that one manufacturer has an IM7 that feels and works better than another manufacturers IM8 rod which is supposed to be better.

Conversely, the opposite may be true of two different manufacturers. So, buy the rod that feels and works best for you.

[Homer]

I'll second the Eagle Claw Featherlite series, although mine are 6'6". Coupled with Fireline, they are amazing on perch.

[Mattman]

What REW said.

If they are from 2 different manufacturers, you can't take the IM7 vs IM8 into account.

A well built IM7 can feel much better than a poorly built IM8.

Plus there really isn't any standard for the IM ratings. Yes, that's the cloth that gets used but does not take into account the volume of resin used to bind the cloth or the scrim fibers that get used. Again, an IM7 with very little resin and scrim can feel much better than an IM8 with a lot of resin and scrim.



Matt Davis

Better to have and not need than to need and not have!

[jet man]

Mattman has pretty much hit the nail on the head. Graphite modulus is in reality a maketing tool started by the graphite industry many years ago. As the Rep for Setyr rods I run into this all the time.
Rod design has to take into account many factors: and graphite is only a part of it.

When you design a rod you want sensitivity, light weight, durability and the action appropriate for the application. For example, you can get light weight and cheaper by using less graphite and quality scrim and more resin; but you get a less sensitive rod. Keep in mind resin is basically "plastic" and not very good at tramsmitting "feel". You can make a rod with very little "high modulus" graphite but to much resin and call it an IM8 rod for marketing purposes. Getting a light weight rod with a low resin count while maintaining durability is what rod builders chase all the time in their design efforts.
Components are also extremely important such as reel seats, handles and guides. Custom rod builders like Mattman and REW understand this very well and are a great resource for this board because they buy raw blanks and then select componets to give then the finished product they desire. This process gives them an intimate understanding of how all componets and design must come together to create a product with value and performance.

Feel free to contact me at bill@advancesales.net if you would like more details about how we build our product and rod design in general.