Smug

I can't wait to get mine. Talked to trey yesterday and he hooked me up. Great customer service

Double check kistler's site for their warranty info which I beleive was recently changed. It looks like the carbon steel has a 1 year warranty. I just ordered a helium 3 from them yesterday. If you plan on ordering direct from them, PM me for a coupon code.

After chatting with a few reps from a few different companies, I pulled the trigger on a new rod. I was able to get a new kistler helium 3 for $175 shipped! I had not realized that Kistler had updated their warranty to a cover issues with these rods for up to three years post purchase. I just wanted to thank everyone for the help, and if/when I decide to go for a lighter finesse setup in the future, I have some awesome starting points.

Duly noted, thank you

I gotcha. I tend to throw finesse stuff around the edges of pads and laydowns, unfortunately I've had larger fish pull drag and get me all tangled up more than once haha

I looked at the Dobyns, however they don't make a rod that throws anything lighter than 3/16oz lures in the champion hp series. They do make one in the extreme series that looks awesome, but it's a little more than i'm looking to spend. I am glad to hear you're happy with it! I do mostly one handed casts and pitches unless I'm really trying to bomb the bait, so I'm not super concerned about the shorter grip. Any problems with larger baits or pulling larger fish out of cover?

That is what I'm leaning towards. I prefer the fast action on the kistler over an extra fast, and the fact that if can throw lighter lures. I've seen alot of love for kistler rods on theae forums, so I figured maybe somebody could point out something I missed before I pull the trigger on a $270 rod. Thanks for the input!

Hey guys and gals, been lurking the forums for a while now and figured I could use some advice, so this is my first post. To start off, I am a big fan of finesse fishing. I usually throw my finesse stuff on spinning gear, however I much prefer fishing with a baitcaster. I recently sold off my Quantum EXO combo (which was a 7'MH/F), because it was too much rod for the kind of fishing I was doing. After a little digging, I was able to snipe a mint condition Shimano Aldebaran on ebay for a little over 200 bucks(Score!). I have ordered some BFS Air bearings to put in to help with casting my light tackle. I am now looking for a rod to pair it with and i am down to a few; St Croix LTB - 6'10" ML/XF Line Weight: 6-10 Lure weight 1/8-1/2 Kistler Helium 3 - 7'0" ML/F Line Weight: 6-10 Lure weight 1/16-3/8 Kistler Helium 3 - 6'6" M/XF Line Weight: 8-12 Lure weight 1/8-1/2 I would like to keep the rod between 6'6" and 7'0"(most managable for the pond fishing that I do) as well as around the price point of the above rods(≈$250). The reel will most likely be spooled up with an 8 strand braid in #10 test or lighter fluorocarbon. I throw alot of weightless plastics and light t-rigs. I also tend to dabble in lighter topwater lures(spro baby popper, duo realis shinmushi, etc.) as well as some lighter squarebills like the molix fc45. Largest bass I have seen in my area ponds has been about 4 pounds, so don't foresee any issues as far as fish being too big for the tackle. I am slightly concerned about the Kistler's lack of warranty, especially when compared to the lifetime warranty on the St Croix offering. Well, I think that covered all the bases. If there is something I missed or you have a better suggestion please let me know!