Tried Out My New Kistler Rods Today... Love 'em! :-) 2025
desmobob reply :
I got out on the water this afternoon for some fishing and got my first skunking of the year. The water was 44* and I couldn't find any bass around the old bridge pilings that had been one of my late fall hot spots. It was too cold to motor north up the lake to areas where there was more deep water and structure, so I took my skunking and went home early.
I did get a chance to fish my new Kistler rods. I used my two new KLX and two all-new 2015 Carbon Steel models. I really like them! The KLX rods are made in the USA (Magnolia, TX) with blanks from Gary Loomis' North Fork Composites in Washington.
The KLX rods feel a LOT lighter than my St. Croix Premier, and more sensative. I think they also have slightly softer tips and they cast very well. (I have the KLXs in 6'9" MHF "Finesse Tube, Worm, Jig" and 7' MF "Speck and Red All Purpose".) It's killing me that today was probably my last fishing day of the season... I like these new rods a lot and want to really get to know them.
The surprise for me was the new Carbon Steel rods. I actually got them free when I bought the KLXs; they weren't rods I was planning on purchasing. I don't know the actual weights of my rods, but the Carbon Steel rods also feel noticeably lighter than the similarly-priced St. Croix Premier. These are new versions of the Carbon Steel, with "raw" uncoated/unpainted blanks that look like the higher end Kistlers. The fit and finish is excellent.
The Carbon Steel 7'6" HF "All Day Power Tool" is a very nice rod and I'm already looking forward to throwing frogs with it next summer. I haven't fished it enough to figure out why, but for some reason, I really like this rod a whole lot.
The Carbon Steel 7' MHF "Worm, Jig, Carolina Rig" was also a nice handling rod that I felt is as good or better than my St. Croix Premier 7' MHF.
The rods have Fuji's "Micro" and Kigan "Macro" guides which are both a little larger than other micros. I use 30lb. braid with a 20lb. fluoro leader and had no trouble at all with my Albright knot passing through the guides on casts and retrieves.
The guys at Kistler are prompt and polite. One of the guys e-mailed and called me the morning after I made my orders on their website to make sure everything was correct. When I returned the call, Trey Kistler answered the phone and talked with me for a bit. I then responded to the e-mail to let the other guy know I got everything in order. He e-mailed back later to thank me for being courteous enough to return his e-mail even though I had already talked to Trey. I'm hoping this is the only kind of customer service I'll ever need from them. :-)
It would have been nice if I had been able to land fish on each of the rods, but that wasn't in the cards for me today. It's very likely I won't get a chance to do that until spring.
Tight lines,
Bob
new2BC4bass reply :
Nice! I would expect the KLX to be lighter than a Premier. More sensitive as well because 1) it is a newer line, 2) it is lighter and 3) more expensive. I would also guess that a Medium Premier is going to be a little more powerful than a Medium KLX which often adds weight. That is only a guess based on how everyone says St. Croix rods are under-rated. I've fished with my buddy's, but didn't catch anything with it. There have been some very positive comments on here about the KLX rods. It has been mentioned to me that their customer service when you have a problem with a rod isn't all that good. When selling a rod it is great. This is only hearsay.
I've thought about a Carbon Steel. Hopefully you can give a review of them next year. I know that I am satisfied with Falcon's low cost line...the Originals...for the money. A MH caught my PB largemouth.
I am planning on stopping after work tomorrow for about a half hour to do a little casting. Suppose to be around 60 with the temps dropping drastically Wednesday. Doubt I will be getting out much more this year either. Still trying to talk my wife into moving to Florida. 
desmobob reply :
On 11/11/2014 at 9:15 AM, new2BC4bass said:
I've thought about a Carbon Steel. Hopefully you can give a review of them next year. I know that I am satisfied with Falcon's low cost line...the Originals...for the money. A MH caught my PB largemouth.
I am planning on stopping after work tomorrow for about a half hour to do a little casting. Suppose to be around 60 with the temps dropping drastically Wednesday. Doubt I will be getting out much more this year either. Still trying to talk my wife into moving to Florida.
I'm very eager to do some more fishing with the Kistlers. I love the KLX rods so far, and was very impressed with the Carbon Steels. I loved my St. Croix Premier (made in the USA, like your Falcons), but the imported Carbon Steels seemed as well made, lighter, and just "felt better" to me so far. Time will tell.
I know what you mean about moving to FL. I was hoping to do a little more late-fall fishing before the lakes freeze up here, but the state just took out the docks for the winter at my local launch site. I'm going to change my outboard's engine oil and lower unit lube today and get ready to tarp the boat for the winter. A sad time, indeed....
Tight lines,
Bob
A-Jay reply :
Nice Review.
I have several Kistler models, both casting & spinning, and I like them as well.
A-Jay
illinifan4152 reply :
Great review as well. I have a couple Magnesium's TS and LOVE them and have been really considering purchasing a KLX or Carbon Steel to see how they compare.
masterbass reply :
On 11/11/2014 at 7:55 AM, desmobob said:I got out on the water this afternoon for some fishing and got my first skunking of the year. The water was 44* and I couldn't find any bass around the old bridge pilings that had been one of my late fall hot spots. It was too cold to motor north up the lake to areas where there was more deep water and structure, so I took my skunking and went home early.
I did get a chance to fish my new Kistler rods. I used my two new KLX and two all-new 2015 Carbon Steel models. I really like them! The KLX rods are made in the USA (Magnolia, TX) with blanks from Gary Loomis' North Fork Composites in Washington.
The KLX rods feel a LOT lighter than my St. Croix Premier, and more sensative. I think they also have slightly softer tips and they cast very well. (I have the KLXs in 6'9" MHF "Finesse Tube, Worm, Jig" and 7' MF "Speck and Red All Purpose".) It's killing me that today was probably my last fishing day of the season... I like these new rods a lot and want to really get to know them.
The surprise for me was the new Carbon Steel rods. I actually got them free when I bought the KLXs; they weren't rods I was planning on purchasing. I don't know the actual weights of my rods, but the Carbon Steel rods also feel noticeably lighter than the similarly-priced St. Croix Premier. These are new versions of the Carbon Steel, with "raw" uncoated/unpainted blanks that look like the higher end Kistlers. The fit and finish is excellent.
The Carbon Steel 7'6" HF "All Day Power Tool" is a very nice rod and I'm already looking forward to throwing frogs with it next summer. I haven't fished it enough to figure out why, but for some reason, I really like this rod a whole lot.
The Carbon Steel 7' MHF "Worm, Jig, Carolina Rig" was also a nice handling rod that I felt is as good or better than my St. Croix Premier 7' MHF.
The rods have Fuji's "Micro" and Kigan "Macro" guides which are both a little larger than other micros. I use 30lb. braid with a 20lb. fluoro leader and had no trouble at all with my Albright knot passing through the guides on casts and retrieves.
The guys at Kistler are prompt and polite. One of the guys e-mailed and called me the morning after I made my orders on their website to make sure everything was correct. When I returned the call, Trey Kistler answered the phone and talked with me for a bit. I then responded to the e-mail to let the other guy know I got everything in order. He e-mailed back later to thank me for being courteous enough to return his e-mail even though I had already talked to Trey. I'm hoping this is the only kind of customer service I'll ever need from them. :-)
It would have been nice if I had been able to land fish on each of the rods, but that wasn't in the cards for me today. It's very likely I won't get a chance to do that until spring.
Tight lines,
Bob
I'm curious about the mh finesse klx rod. What sort of baits and weights did you use on it? Are you using a finesse reel with it and if so did you test the lower limits of the rod?
thehooligan reply :
On 11/12/2014 at 1:00 PM, masterbass said:I'm curious about the mh finesse klx rod. What sort of baits and weights did you use on it? Are you using a finesse reel with it and if so did you test the lower limits of the rod?
Would also like to hear some more info on this rod...
Chris at Tech reply :
On 11/12/2014 at 9:09 PM, thehooligan said:Would also like to hear some more info on this rod...
x3.
I can't wrap my head around this being MH power. Why not just call it M power? Oh well, let's see what the OP says on how this thing fishes 
new2BC4bass reply :
On 11/12/2014 at 10:21 PM, Chris at Tech said:x3.
I can't wrap my head around this being MH power. Why not just call it M power? Oh well, let's see what the OP says on how this thing fishes
A MH with a 1/8-3/8 oz. rating? I've got a ML with a 1/8-1/2 and another with a 1/16-1/2 rating. Must have a real nice backbone with a very soft tip.
desmobob reply :
On 11/12/2014 at 1:00 PM, masterbass said:I'm curious about the mh finesse klx rod. What sort of baits and weights did you use on it? Are you using a finesse reel with it and if so did you test the lower limits of the rod?
On 11/12/2014 at 9:09 PM, thehooligan said:Would also like to hear some more info on this rod...
On 11/12/2014 at 10:21 PM, Chris at Tech said:x3.
I can't wrap my head around this being MH power. Why not just call it M power? Oh well, let's see what the OP says on how this thing fishes
On 11/12/2014 at 11:59 PM, new2BC4bass said:A MH with a 1/8-3/8 oz. rating? I've got a ML with a 1/8-1/2 and another with a 1/16-1/2 rating. Must have a real nice backbone with a very soft tip.
I can't say too much about the rod as I have not actually caught a fish on it yet (and just winterized the boat). I CAN say that it will throw an unweighted 5" Senko as far as you would want, and will throw a 3/8 oz. floating original Rapala without trouble... and that's without a "finesse" reel; I was using a Daiwa Tatula with 30lb. Power Pro. And it does it without the tip feeling too soft at all, if you can imagine a rod that loads up well with 3/8 oz. and still feels sharp and responsive.
I also am a bit curious about the lure weight rating of the rod. It sounds a little optimistic, but I think with a proper reel, you could throw 1/4 oz. just fine....
Anyway, I'm really impressed with the rod and wish I could get some more time in with it before ice-up.
Keep in mind that my only other experience with a decent bait casting rod is with the 7' MHF St. Croix Premier, which has a reputation as being on the heavy side of medium-heavy. That rod feels like a club compared to any of the four Kistlers I bought; including the 7'6" HF "All Day Power Tool." I have a feeling that maybe Kistlers could be on the lighter side of their ratings; the opposite of the St. Croix.
Tight lines,
Bob
new2BC4bass reply :
Wouldn't be the first time a rod was marked wrong. I've got a couple Quantum HF rods marked 1/4-5/8 oz. My understanding is the correct rating should read 3/8 - 1 1/2 (or 1 1/4, forget which).
dwong reply :
So my KLX snapped today. On the cast! I guess we'll soon see how their service and warranty holds up. Wish me luck
Alonerankin2 reply :
On 11/14/2014 at 5:43 AM, dwong said:So my KLX snapped today. On the cast! I guess we'll soon see how their service and warranty holds up. Wish me luck
Good Luck! Report back on the service, please.
FrankW reply :
I have a KLX Finesse 7' Worm Tube Jig Rod rated for 1/8th to 3/8th oz baits. The rods handles very well with high sensitivity. The overall rod handle is short but works well for pitching with one hand. I like a short handle but some might like it a little longer for two hand casting. The rod is very light with good balance. Even with a 7' length and the short handle I don't find it tip heavy with the Alphas. I have a Daiwa Alphas Finesse Custom mounted on the rod and a very good match. I can cast 1/8th Texas Rigs with no problems but generally have a 1/4 jig head with a skirt and trailer. The tip is fairly soft and with a heavy load bends to about half rod. It is definitely not a full parabolic. It doesn't have the cross-their-eyes power in the front of the rod that you usually see in a jig rod. Nor should you expect it in a Finesse Jig rod. This rod falls somewhere between a jig rod and a true Finesse rod and is what I expect from a Finesse Jig rod. I haven't caught any fish with it yet so not sure what its roll will be. This is a really nice rod and I got it on sale.
In regards to the Kistler warranty. Kistler warrants that their rods are free of manufacture defects in workmanship and materials. They don't warrant their rods against breaking for any reason. If you step on your rod and break it, or slam it in a door, or hit it with a jig, you will more than likely be disappointed in their warranty. If you are expecting that a broken rod will be replaced with no questions asked, then Kistler may not be a good choice for you.
The KLX rods will be hard to beat by other rods any where near its price range. If a buyer understands Kistlers warranty philosophy they will be very happy with the KLX rods.
Frank
J Francho reply :
On 11/14/2014 at 5:43 AM, dwong said:So my KLX snapped today. On the cast! I guess we'll soon see how their service and warranty holds up. Wish me luck
Good luck. All five of my Kistlers eventually broke while fishing. Never made any warranty claim.
dwong reply :
Thanks guys. So far so good. I filled out the warranty form on their website, and got an email from a representative (I think it might have been automated though). I had to cut the handle and label section of the blank and ship that back to them. I'm pretty happy because this only cost me about $7.00, and the email said that the replacement would be at no cost to me. On the other hand, I have a feeling that the claim still has to be approved. The rod broke at the fourth guide from the top right below the epoxy. Not sure what caused it as I was throwing a jig that was well within the lure rating and I have never over loaded the rod. Anyways, desmobob I didn't mean to hijack your thread, but I thought that this was relevant and can be useful for you and others to know.
desmobob reply :
That's a weird looking break. No splinters! I'd think it was a defect....
Good luck with your warranty service. I hope all goes well.
Tight lines,
Bob
dwong reply :
So my replacement rod was shipped out of Texas today. Here's a quick timeline to help visualize the warranty procedure:
November 13th: Rod broken, warranty claim filed, and warranty claim response received
November 14th: Shipped out handle of broken rod ($6.65 priority with usps vs ~$20-25 to ship entire rod)
November 17th: Kistler received broken rod
November 18th: Replacement rod shipped out
Overall, I'm impressed and relieved with my first ever experience submitting a warranty claim with any of my rods. Although it's not as convenient as an over the counter replacement, it beats some of the other warranties for my other rods. For example, St Croix would have me pay for shipping both ways (~40 dollars total), and if they deem the breakage to be outside the scope of faulty craftsmanship there is an additional fee to replace or fix the rod. I always feel that when I have already spent a good amount of money on a product, I don't want to pay any more for a replacement for a problem that was beyond my control. I am okay with the amount I had to spend to get a replacement rod with Kistler. I guess the only downside of Kistler's warranty is the short time periods in which they cover, but hopefully any manufacturing defects will show themselves early on. Hopefully my experience might ease some minds of prospective buyers who have read about shaky service from Kistler.
J Francho reply :
Very good report! Thanks!
Alonerankin2 reply :
dwong, thanks for the follow up on Kistler's C.S./ warranty claim. Sounds very excellent to me.
Hogsticker reply :
Good news. Hope you have better luck with the replacement!
desmobob reply :
I'm glad your warranty claim was handled well. I sure hope I don't have to make a claim.... J Franco's experience is a bit frightening.
What line of rods, and what vintage did you have the breakage with?
I fished my new rods a little on the water, and did lots of yard fishing with them. So far, so good.
I am dying to fish my new Kistlers enough so that I really get to know them. Winter is here (not by the calendar, but it's here) in NY and I'm thinking it might be a long time before I get out again.
Tight lines,
Bob
J Francho reply :
Helium, graphite plus, and some other higher end "TS" maybe? Can't remember. They were nice rods to fish with. They just didn't last.
ww2farmer reply :
On 11/19/2014 at 10:18 PM, J Francho said:Helium, graphite plus, and some other higher end "TS" maybe? Can't remember. They were nice rods to fish with. They just didn't last.
Same here........... You buy yours from Gander in Henrietta? That's where I got all mine (except one I bought used from wnybassman, but it might have gome from there too). I wonder if they didn't get a shipment of them that was "man handled". I have other buddies that bought them from the same store, and they all ended up busted.
Hogsticker reply :
Rods of the old and rods of the new are night and day difference. Low quality overseas blanks vs nfc, build quality has also improved exponentially. Being Kistler made it right shows Trey is taking customer service a bit more seriously. All these combined attributes make the Klx and Helium 3 hard to beat when shopping for a new stick imo.
desmobob reply :
On 11/19/2014 at 11:13 PM, Hogsticker said:Rods of the old and rods of the new are night and day difference. Low quality overseas blanks vs nfc, build quality has also improved exponentially. Being Kistler made it right shows Trey is taking customer service a bit more seriously. All these combined attributes make the Klx and Helium 3 hard to beat when shopping for a new stick imo.
That's what I was hoping/thinking when I decided to pull the trigger on some new Kistlers. It seems most of the guys who are fishing the new KLX rods claim they perform way above their price. That had me very interested in the KLX rod line. And when Kistler had the "buy a KLX and get a Carbon Steel free" deal, I felt it was definitely the time to give a couple of KLXs a try.
I'm very pleased with the way the KLX rods I chose cast. The biggest surprise to me is still the Carbon Steel 7'6" HF "All Day Power Tool." I can't wait to get some fishing time in with that rod. This summer, I struggled a little throwing the light ScumFrogs on my 7' MHF St. Croix Premier. I have a feeling it will be a breeze with the new rod. But casting is only part of the picture. I'll need to catch some fish on these rods to have an opinion worth anything!
Winter is long enough here without having new gear I'm anxious to try out! I hope I have a fun ice fishing season to take my mind off the bass....
Tight lines,
Bob
J Francho reply :
On 11/19/2014 at 10:34 PM, ww2farmer said:Same here........... You buy yours from Gander in Henrietta? That's where I got all mine (except one I bought used from wnybassman, but it might have gome from there too). I wonder if they didn't get a shipment of them that was "man handled". I have other buddies that bought them from the same store, and they all ended up busted.
Yep, Gander in Henri...that place not the greatest. I find it hard to believe that ALL the rods got abused - a few of mine never hit the racks on the sales floor. At any rate, good to hear Kistler is taking care of their customers, now. I could care less what they're doing now - I've found rods I like and are for the most part durable.
*Hootie reply :
On 11/15/2014 at 1:32 AM, J Francho said:Good luck. All five of my Kistlers eventually broke while fishing. Never made any warranty claim
All five??....wasn't planning on buying any Kistlers, but if I were, I would now be changing my mind.
Hootie
Jrob78 reply :
Most of the new Kistler rods use North Fork Composite blanks, Gary Loomis' company. Any breakage associated with the old rods shouldn't be an issue as the blanks are different.
J Francho reply :
On 11/20/2014 at 9:40 AM, Jrob78 said:Most of the new Kistler rods use North Fork Composite blanks, Gary Loomis' company. Any breakage associated with the old rods shouldn't be an issue as the blanks are different.
I thought just the KLX and Z-bone lines were NFC? Didn't Kistler move blank making in house for other lines a few years ago?
Jrob78 reply :
On 11/21/2014 at 2:04 AM, J Francho said:I thought just the KLX and Z-bone lines were NFC? Didn't Kistler move blank making in house for other lines a few years ago?
The new Heliums are NFC as well. The Carbon Steel is the only other line they offer but I'm not sure where those blanks are made. The Carbon Steel rods are made over seas so I imagine the blanks are too. The Z-bone, Helium and KLX are all NFC, made in TX.
J Francho reply :
Thanks!
Jrob78 reply :
No problem. I've been considering a KLX, so I've been on their website a lot lately. That's the only reason I know that.
Sam reply :
Des, first cast with my Kistler a number of years ago nailed a bass.
Love that rod.
desmobob reply :
On 11/22/2014 at 8:37 PM, Sam said:Des, first cast with my Kistler a number of years ago nailed a bass.
Love that rod.
I was hoping to do the same --fish on the first casts-- with mine, too, but the day I got to fish them was my last day on the water for the season (and the water temp. was 43*). The forecast for this weekend is for warmer weather. I have Sunday and Monday off and the forecast Monday is for a high of 63*! It's supposed to rain, but I'm going to try to get out on a nearby lake in VT and catch a few fish with the blade baits.
I want to know how my new Kistlers feel with a fish on the line!
Tight lines,
Bob
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