Simply stated, the finest Salmon/Steelhead blanks made today.  Lightweight and powerful designs which represent the pinnacle of design concepts in the Salmon/Steelhead category.  Proprietary material blending results in a series of blanks that are simply a joy to fish.  Two years in the design and field testing process had resulted in the industry benchmark in this category.

     At first, I had some reservations around the titanium-chrome color.  My concern was that the finish would appear light or metallic chrome in color.  I was pleasantly surprised that the finish is more of a metallic pewter.  For rodbuilders familiar with Gudebrod's HT Metallic wrapping thread, this rod is a very close to their pewter thread.  As a base to build upon, the finish will be supportive of many color schemes.

      I noticed that when bright sunlight was introduced to the blank that the color shifted from a micro-small metallic sparkle to a translucent clear grey blank with the shadow of graphite rings.  It almost appeared as a holographic color change.  I like it!

      Giving the "wiggle" test, which amounts to meaning absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things, the rod felt solidly built.  There was a minimum amount of whippy-ness.  The blending of modulus by Batson has produced, at least by the initial feel, a GL Steelhead Fish Taming Stick.   I'm looking forward to putting a bend into this stick to see how it feels under stress.  My guess is the rod will flex into the mid section with enough forgiveness to protect the lighter fluorocarbon leads I run, but have enough power down low to man-handle the meaner fish into submission.

      The construction of the rod blank revealed the attention to detail designed by Batson.  The Rainshadow blank was silky smooth in finish and the sections fit together perfectly with little effort.

Features:

• Modulus blending of RX8 & RX7 graphite materials

• Unbelievable combination of sensitivity and strength

• 10-15% Lighter overall blank weight than competitive blanks

• Titanium Chrome Finish

• Limited Lifetime Warranty

     To best describe this blank is "fishes with complete authority" comes to mind.  For the tributaries feeding Erie in NE Ohio, this rod will perform very well.  The combination of materials and their individual strengths can easily be felt when battling steel.  Smaller fish are easily pulled to the bank for a quick release.  Stronger fish can tug and run and the light tip section softens the force of their head thrashing.  On longer runs, with higher line-test tippet, putting the breaks on fish is a matter of principle.  Lock down on the reel, tilt the rod slightly toward level and begin to reel them in....with this blank, you direct the show!

     There are many rods and rod blanks available to our specific industry with prices ranges that run the gamut.  Deciding on which rod is right given your particular needs can sometimes be difficult.  With this said, reviews of particular areas of design, quality and value is very much subjective.  I found with this new rod blank, that given the cost and the performance...the value is extremely good.  I acknowledge that there are competitors that sell rods that are only slightly lighter and at a much higher expense.  If a truly custom experience is what your after, whether you employ a builder or build the rod yourself, than the new XST1562-3 is worth your serious consideration!

     The following components have been installed on this rod to produce "The S.A.W. II - Dj's Revenge", Steelhead Assault Weapon:

• Fuji TYSG Titanium Guides

• Ti Finish Sm. Bent Wire Hookkeeper

• Amtack's Ti Finish AWC Knurled Winding Check

• Amtack's Ti Finish Windowed Graphite Insert Ti Finish Reelseat

• PacBay's HD Ti Finish Fighting Butt

• Custom Cork Grip

• Halo / Tiger Wrap

     A detailed write-up of this project build can be found at our partner site:

Infinity Rod Creations

     80 fish and counting without a negative word to say...

     On smaller fish and lighter tippet, the rod provides a choice between babying or playing boss-man.  If you choose to horse the smaller (under 25") fish into shore, turn the rod to the side, crank away and watch the fish hydroplane to shore.  On the bigger fish, initial hooksets can be made with authority.  The tip sections ability to compensate for head thrashing is about as good as any float rod I've fished.  When the big guy tires, bring the rod from either the 10 or 2 o'clock position to a more horizontal angle and watch as the fight is transferred from middle-upper to middle-lower.  In this process, an extreme amount of power is at your disposal.  It is a safe assessment and statement that if you choose to have one of these rods built, you'll be as pleased with it as I have been!  The modulus and 3 piece nature of its construction are just icing on the cake.  For the investment dollars, it is a great value.  Way to go Batson Enterprises!