Little too long for me. They aren’t stuck in rod holders 90% of the time, so they get heavy. Especially for clients that don’t fish much.

Like I said guys it’s all personal preference. After using cork handles and x grip handles that continuously rocked back and forth in my rod holders all day it was driving me crazy. Eye strain is probably one of the most annoying things for me in Catfishing. I have found there are ways to virtually eliminate the issue of eye strain. Having rods that rest in the rod holders without rocking with every wave is a huge one. The next is probably a bright color rod that is easy to see out of your peripheral. Everyone’s eyes are different so finding what is comfortable to your eyes is personal preference. The 3rd thing is having your rods closer together so you can keep an eye on them all without constantly looking all over the boat. lastly is having a graph with a screen large enough for my old eyes to see without straining to look at it for 2 hours while I’m scanning for fish. Might not be an issue for some but for me, remedying all those things has dramatically improved my fishing experience.

As far as reels those are 100% personal preference as well. I ran Abu 6500 c3 for close to 30 yrs and they did a great job and I loved them. I did have all the standard problems that guys have with them when put to heavy use like pawl and worm gear replacements, bearing replacements, and drag washers but when I started pulling planer boards 8 yrs ago those issues accelerated. That wasn’t an issue when repairs were cheap and I am not a fishing reel repair man so sending a handful in for repairs every year was getting expensive. Then I started busting the tack weld on the reel foot from the stress of pulling planer boards and my rods rocking back and forth all day in the rod holders. That issue is not repairable so I came on the forum and asked the other big fish guys if they had been having the same issues and what was a good alternative reel. Back then there were still quite a few big fish guys in this forum and Michael Littlejohn had said he was having the exact same issues with the reel foot breaking on all his guide boats and that he had switched to Shimano Tekotas. I figured since he was catching more big fish in a single year than most guys catch their whole life I would give them a try. Fast foreword 7 yrs and I haven’t had a single issue with one of my Tekotas and I have 10 of them that get put to heavy use. They have paid for themselves in repairs and the old saying of you get what you pay for never rang more true. I gotta say that the gen 2 Tekota HGA is even better than the Gen 1s I started with. That high gear ratio and beefed up drag make cranking in 6 planer boards and 4 long lines fast and easy. It was a beating to reel up all that and make a move when I was running Abus.

I’ve never been one to be stuck in my ways and I am always willing to try new things if I think it will improve my fishing experience or make me a better angler. Sure all this stuff can get expensive but it’s all relative to each persons value that they put on their fishing experience. I spend a good amount of time on the water all year and I like to have good equipment. Some guys have a $100k boat (not me) and some have a $1k boat. They both catch fish but the experience fishing on each boat is dramatically different. I don’t knock the guy with the 100k boat or the guy with the 1k boat. Same goes for graphs, rods, reels, trolling motors, rod holders, rod racks, and fishing rigs. You can catch fish with any and all of them but the experience will be different with each. I always hear guys say you don’t need this or you don’t need that to catch fish which is true. Technically you can catch them on a cane pole or a hand line like my Great Grandpa used to do but I’m taking my Tekota on a Mad Katz over a cane pole or hand line any day and that is just my personal preference👍.

I don’t tell guys what equipment they should use. I just share what we like and what works for us. Some guys don’t like it and some do. I was talking good about all these products long before they put me on their teams. It’s my willingness to share my unbiased opinion with folks that attracted these brands to want to sponsor and support us in the first place. I’m not a guide or tournament pro, we are just a father and son fishing duo that does it for our pure joy of fishing and sharing our journey with others. I love Mad Katz, Carolina Lake Weights, Parks Planer Boards,Demon Dragons, MulTbars, and Nic’s and Knacks Custom Bait Boards and Minotaur Hooks. The only exception to this is Minotaur Hooks who brought me on to Field Test their hooks and tell them what I like and dislike about each hook. If Shimano or Fitec nets came knocking I certainly wouldn’t turn them away eather. Some guys might not think we are worthy but I am honored that these brands want to support a father and son team who fish for the pure fun of it. Now if I can just get Exxon to sponsor my fuel and get Chevy to give me a new truck!

Matt told me last week they are coming out with a composite rod this year but I imagine you wouldn’t want your clients fishing with that. It’s going to be fancy.

Mad Katz rod are the best rods I’ve ever used. I run 8 of the ML panther rods. I love them, and they have done everything I’ve asked of them! Most importantly, they look cool!!!

I still have a bunch of Pro Angler Rods and I love the action, especially when I am anchor fishing in the spring.

The MadKatz and the Tekotas make it so much easier pulling boards. The MadKatz has a longer handle for more leverage and the Tekotas have a bigger handle(which it more comfortable to me) and great cranking power and a high ratio. Plus like Chris said, the bright colors are easy for me to see so less eye strain.

The WS rod I have has a great action, but the fake cork handle tore apart in less than 1 year. I paracord wrapped it but the cord is slick and it rocks in my rod holders.

I will agree, there are lots of good rods and reels out there and its all preference.

My rods are spread out in my boat when I am drifting and I am always having to keep my head on a swivel to watch them. I would love to have a set of Mul-T-Bars but I do not have a great place to mount them on my boat.

The price point looks great to me, then the Mad Katz manufacturer all in and behind them, pretty impressive. I run all Shimano reels and have for well over 25 years now I guess, now in the words someone already mentioned lol, us old school guys, which heck I will own that and we all can lol about how I wear that. That is fare, heck I am a Tuff old schooler anyway lol.

I actually have no idea how long ago I sold off all my Abu 5500,5600 and 6000's that I had been buying since I was a young lake rat cleaning up everyone's shorelines and selling live bait to fund my addiction. But once I had the first Shimano in my hand that belonged to an older guy who would take me out fishing, well the first thing I noticed was not how smooth it was, heck all my Abu's were smooth and easy, I kept them tuned and clean but it was that instant anti-reverse. No body had that.

Heck I have had those Abu reels held at an angle and go for a hook set and that paw on the anti-reverse system not engage and not only did I miss the fish, I got one huge backlash from it... I know darn well there are some others here had the same thing, after all I am not the only old schooler here lol... I may be the only one fess up and wear it. I don't have the screen name Rowdy easy, I earned that and wear it also lol

That freak'n instant anti-reverse on a good strong hook set, well it sold me. No body else's reels did that back then, heck there was no local place around a 80 mile radius that sold the Shimano brand either, so as I sold my stash of what was prized Abu's, this lake rat kid sent money back to the D/FW area with this older guy to buy me the Shimano reels. Man has things changed now.

My dad told me I was wasting my time and money doing this too. Then one father's day I bought him a Shimano saltwater reel and a G Loomis Bluewater rod and then there was no more being mentioned about me wasting anything lol. Sold him on all that, hook, line and sinker, literally lol.

Man, I do like the look of the Shimano- Tekota reels, price is good too, much better price than my other reels I have of theirs, with the exception of the baitrunner spinning reel I have. This thing is really loaded with some great features, just doesn't have 10 or more bearings in it lol. The gearhead in me is a sickness that does get the better of me. They make drugs for old school guys like me to take, I just keep over building and buying stuff at my expense though. I am a sick individual lol. You guys are not helping this. Lol

When I went to CatCon in Louisville, KY last year, I was going to treat my self to a nice rod. I shopped around the conference floor and settled on a Mad Katz rod. I ended up walking out with four of them. My only complaint is they should have two reel nuts instead of one. Mine kept coming loose until I covered them with electrical tape.

Fishin Nut, All of my MadKatz have 2 reel nuts. Are you positive yours doesn't? They have the first nut that you torque down and then a locking nut behind it.

Mine all have double nuts on them. Every rod I’ve owned with aluminum reel seats had to be tightened with a set of pliers to keep them from backing off. I’ve owned Tangling With Catfish, Whisker Seeker, Warrior Cat, Big Cat Fever, that all had aluminum reel seats that backed off until I tightened them with channel locks which resolved the issue.

My first set I bought 2 yrs ago had double locking nuts as well Carey.

Brand new Venom 2.0... all my rods look just like this Carey. I think you might have an anomaly...

Yes I talked to them that’s where the info I posted come from. I’m sure making a lot of noise would resolve the problem but I’m not into that. I will just keep fishing with mine until they completely fall apart and replace them with another brand.

Man that red and black Venom looks awesome Tim!!💪

Just my 2 cents worth on Mad Katz,
Buy it once and be done. Buy [censored] and buy it over and over.

Dang, talk about porn. Which I won't elaborate any further or you guys would twist it all up lol. I will say one thing though, that freak'n lime green reel seat is awesome. I really like green anyway and that thing is nice...

The nut backing off on the reel seat is one of the major complaints Gary Loomis had with guys on the bass tournaments. They hounded him about that. Heck here I am and I would not take for any of my old original Gary Loomis sticks, sure the nut every so often will loosen but as I fish with all my stuff, I am constantly fiddling with things and I just check them when I change from one rod to the next. They have never been very loose, certainly no where enough to have a reel slip from the rod.

Yes the new G Loomis sticks with the fuji reel seat stay tight really tight, I have often wondered if someday I might have a problem getting one of my Shimano reels off the stick. They don't feel as strong to me either, then you add that nut on the fuji getting to tight, that alone would add to the matrix of the stick breaking more easy. So I am not a big fan. You add the fact of what you pay for these and the luster is not there so much.

Now these Mad Katz looks and sounds like they are being purposely tailored for us if you ask me, and why not. That double nut reel seat makes perfect sense really. Heck looks like that pic El Gato tacked up last, even has a washer between, which is really cool. Just not going to get better than that jimo.