New toys

[Ezcue]

My order arrived yesterday, HE69APC, and the composite crankbait special in 7' and 6'6".
I have only had a chance to cast in the yard with a practice plug but man these things are awesome!!! On first impressions, I am most pleased with the 6"6" composite. My hope when ordering it was that it would work well for small shallow running cranks and smal topwater plugs ( ( - - blocked - - ) torpedos, rebel Pop-R, etc.) and it is perfect. I throw a lot of that type of lure at structure and into the bank. I put a Curado 101B on it and it is a perfect rod IMO for just that type of fshing. The handle is short enough that it does not get in the way when working popping and walk the dog type lures and the 6"6" length allows pin point casting. The small profile Curado mates up with the rod perfectly and allows you to palm the rod.reel combo with no wrist strain at all.

The 7' composite got teamed up with a Shimano Chronarch SF and feels like it will handle the rest of my crankbait requirements with no trouble at all. I cannot get over the amount of flex in the upper half of the rod which enables extremely long cast of light weight lures. It is obvious that there is plenty of spine when the time comes to horse a victim out of a tree top or other possible hidey hole.

The HE69APC is all that it has been billed out to be in the forum (Thanks for the reccomendation Sdesign). My intention when ordering this rod last week was to use it as my spinnerbait rod. However, it feels like this rod is capable of doing a lot of things very well. I have it teamed up with a standard Chronarch and anxiously await the chance to sling some spinnerbaits as soon as possible. I think this thing would be deadly with a rattle trap or even a jerk bait on the end of it!! Like the name says , "All Purpose Casting"... The HE69APC is probably the best value in the entire Helium line. Especially for a guy on a budget, with three of those you could cover just about all of the lure presentations needed. Note I did not say it would be the best way, but you would be much better equipped than most of the other two-three rig guys on the water..just my opinion.

Thanks to Clifford for getting the order out quickly and thanks also for the decals and brochures ( I am sure I will get those into the hands of local fishing buddies )

I also have a HE66MH paired up with a Chronarch that is my primary TX rig rod and a HE70MC witha CHronarch SF that handles my Senko and weightless plastic duties.

Again thanks to everyone that provided their opinions on my rod choices, I am very pleased with the way it turned out. Now, time to go fishing!!

[sdfd504]

I am looking to get my first helium and i was wondering which rod that you like best for you senko the HE69APC or the HE70MC. Can you tell a difference between the two rods?

[TTCal]

Ezcue... congrats on your order!!! and I'm glad you're happy with the He69APC... it IS a great rod... you have quite the lineup now! I think you need to add the He76HC to your lineup lol.. sorry.. i need to mention that rod on just about every post as it is my favorite with the He69APC running a close second oh yeah, and yes, the He69APC makes a great lipless crank rod too:

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SDFD504,

Either the He69APC or the He70MC will serve the purpose of presenting a Senko quite well. The only difference in the rods (besides the 3 inches) is that the He69APC has a tad more backbone... as a result it can handle slightly heavier lures and it has a little more power to work fish out of heavy cover should they become tangled...

I should mention the He70MC is a close third on my list of favorite Heliums behind the two I mentioned above. You can do pretty much anything with both rods, so yes, it is difficult to choose between the two.

However, if Senko's are the ONLY thing you intend to do with the rod, then I'd recommend the He70MC.

ask me again tomorrow and I might give you a different answer LOL

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[sdfd504]

Yes i would say that i am only going to use it for a senko and maybe a weightless fluke.

[Ezcue]

sdfd504, If you are only going to fish Senkos, the HE70MC would be my choice. It is a little more flexible than the HE69 and the three inches of tip make it a breeze to really sail the old Senko IMO.

Sdesign, LOL there is just no stopping you is there? One more rod hits my place this week and me and the rods may have to find a new place to live.
I have looked seriously at the HE76HC but am concerned as to the ability of that particular rod to be stowed/carried?? What is the difference in that rod and the 7'6" telescoping model? The 7' stuff is about all my rod box can handle.

[TTCal]

Ezcue,

As you've discerned... I can be a very bad or good influence - depending on your perspective heh heh. The good news is, this week is almost over, so there's no way the rod could get to you by the end of this week and next week is an entirely new adventure!

Well... to address your question regarding telescopic vs one piece let me ask you why you fish with 1 piece casting rods vs 2 piece?

The size of your rod locker, no doubt, is an issue, BUT the He76HC, as a one piece flipping stick is a fantastically versatile rod. Because it's one piece, the butt section is narrower than a telescopic version and it is much much lighter - on top of that, because it is one solid piece, the sensitivity is that much more enhanced. It's a real wonder this rod. I now have my sights set on the He76XHC... I ordered one a few weeks ago, but the vendor from which I ordered did not have them in stock, so rather than wait, I asked to switch it to the He76HC - I don't mind having another one of these rods! We'll see which one actually arrives.

Most people I talk to are pretty familiar with GLoomis rods... if you're familiar with those, just imagine the MBR844C GLX with 6 more inches and a slightly softer tip for better pitching applications... it's a wonderful thing...

SD

[Ezcue]

[TTCal]

Ezcue... if you think this place is bad, you should also visit:

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they have a forum there filled with fanatics like me... just ask Lightninrod lol

[Lightninrod]

I don't have an APC version(yet ) but I can surely attest to the joy of a HE70MC--I have three! Those rods are for SENKOs(for sure), topwater baits including 1/2oz buzzbaits, Rogues, cr/baits, Porkos, and spinnerbaits IMO. Heck, I've even pitched a jig-n-pig with one too.

Dan

[TTCal]

oman.. Dan.. now I have to start riding ya to get an He69APC... LOL

well.. with three He70MC's, I'm not sure you really NEED one... then again, when has "need" ever worked into the equation?

lol