Alex Ball

I've promised this review for a while now. Rod - JB3 Series 2 Outlaw Heavy Cover rod Specs - 7'3" HXF 3/8- 1.5oz lure Price - 249 I have a serious problem. I'm horribly addicted to Heavy Power Casting Rods. I'm also a western fanatic. Enter JB3. Outlaw? Ya imma get that for the name alone. I held this rod 4 times before I bought it. Very light but it had some beef where it counts. A basic look, which I'm a fan of. A nice cork handle, very supple. I teased a monster score for this rod. I'm glad I waited. There are some glaring issues that need to be addressed. On the water First couple times out I got skunked, but I learned a lot about the rod. Sensitivity - 7.5/10- it's very good at detection on movement, but seems to be a little lacking on bottom contact. I know that's a bit picky, but at $250 it needs to be better. I have a Daiwa Tatula SVF Frog rod that is more sensitive on the bottom. That's a $150 rod. Action - 10/10 - Extremely limber tip area. By my measurements, it's actually an 82/18 tip. That tip is moderate. That's good to me. You want that bend. A unique action and flex here. Feel - 9/10 - It feels like a $250 rod. Nuff said. Build - 6.5/10 - This is where the score suffers from here until we get to "hooked up". It has flaws. I was forgiving at first because it's obvious this rod was made by hand. A boutique rod. However, the cork grip was off center when I bought it, but not enough to bother me. That progressively worsened. It's now noticable. That's in 20 trips. Not acceptable. The guides are straight. The epoxy job was good. Everything else passed muster. They didn't splurge on anything, the reel seat is in house. The guides might be too. Info on the website is nominal. Durability - 5/10 - After a few trips, I noticed that the rod started to feel loose. Not as sensitive or clean. That's a builders error IMO. It impressed me initially, but faded over time. Again, I bought it in July. That's not great for durability. Value - 4/10 - I know, "dang Alex! That's low!!!". Here's why: They have a lesser series called series 1. Found one on sale and grabbed it. Same specs and height. Except for the EVA grips, it felt and fished exactly the same way. That's not good. That rod is $150 retail. Where's the extra $100 at? Hooked up - 10/10 - Finally got a bigger fish on it, and it shined here. It's a horse. Hookset is surgical. It'll bully a 5 pounder. Mine was probably around 4. It skated in. No issues with stress under a load. Excellent backbone. Final score - 7.4/10 - for a $250 rod, it does okay. But again, they have a cheaper one that does everything the same. Build and durability hurt this score bad along with value. It performed very, very well under stress. It was lackluster in too many places. IMHO this is not a keeper, which is sad, because it should be. This company is very young, so we'll see what they do next, but as of now, I'd be a looking for something else.

I owe you big. You were the one who helped me figure out my path in this game. We really need to go out sometime and I'll just flabbergast you with how terrible I am at fishing 😂😂😂😂😂. I'm a scientist, not an astronaut.

Correct. I'm a home wrapper. Independent contractor I guess. But ya, I only work for one manufacturer. Hey! You're Talkin bout my Gen-er-a-tion!!!! My generation!!! LoL couldn't resist. I'm an elder Millennial, but yes, my generation is broken. I was too until I got into fishing. I've been doing it 3 years on February 10, my birthday. Fishing I mean. I got really lucky to get this opportunity. I waited. Got real knowledgeable about rods. One of the guys from Virtus heard me rambling and gave a card to the shop owner, who is kinda like a Dad to me. He gave me the card. I called, and off I went. Patience is everything. I'm happier now than I've ever been. Just ecstatic with getting to play with fancy toys all day. A dream job.

Thanks. I live at n an area with 2 builders that I know about and there's at least 1 more. I moved here to try and get into the fishing industry. It's one of the places that is known for it. Northern Arkansas.

I became friends with the owner of the local shop in my town. He knows the owner of Virtus. The owner needed some people and I called him. He hired me and I had to prove I could do it. I did. I make around 40 rods a week. It's awesome. Just find someone near you that actually makes the rods. If they're looking, it's pretty easy to get a job.

Super excited. A few months back, I got a job with Virtus Rods as a home wrapper. I am now working on building my own as well. I'll drop a couple reviews this weekend. The JB3, Big Bear Rods, and some Denalis. Hope everyone else is doing as well as me right now. I'm floating. So happy. 😁

I think it really depends on the circumstances. Bank- I'm going with 2 here. A m/ml rated 1/16-3/8 and a H caster that goes 3/8-1+. That's everything in my box. Good compromise. Casual boat- 3-4. It's not a tourney so just pick your faves. Tourney- I have the pleasure of riding with a Bass Master Open Angler some. He told me that it's really only 5 rods he'll use consistently in any given tournament. Which 5 is based on the location. But ya 5.

Thanks. For whatever reason, that's about an average bass for me. I use nothing but Heavy power casting rods. Mag lures, braid, and big drag reels. Just on lures alone, I eliminate a fair amount of smaller bass because they aren't going to come to a mag lure. The braid is for safety. No leader, usually. They can't see it if it's moss green here. 20lb is best. Small but strong. And the 18lb drag helps end fights early. I set it low for better sensitivity, then I crank it up on a hookup. Get it to 6-7lbs then halfway up, they usually quit. Downside is obviously volume. I'm happy with 1 that size a day. I get less hits, but it's almost always a thumper. Just some ideas for species targeting of big bass if they're there. I love throwing big lures. So fun.

Good one. I saw a bass come up and eat a bigger bluegill. Glad I brought a bass rod. I was out here looking for BG. Threw a popper and started walking it. Came in on it the first cast but missed. 4 casts later, he hit it in the same spot he missed it. Just hammered it. Only set the hook cuz of instinct. No need. He caught himself. Straight to the jaw bone. Clean set. Took maybe 30 seconds to bring him home. Was ecstatic when I saw him take it. Good fish. The setup JB3 Outlaw HXF/Kastking Assassin 631 20lb Matzuo braid/Rebel Mag Pop R Ol' Bass

JB3 Outlaw/KK Assassin 631/20lb Matzuo braid/Rebel Mag Pop R(Ol' Bass) Nice catch. Got em in pretty easy. Good size. This rod made it so easy. No problem horsing him off a bush. Felt a tap(taking the lure), a bigger tap(commitment), and a thunk(hookset). Extremely sensitive. Felt him swallow it.

True, but you can often find a lightning rod on sale below $30 at Walmart. Agreed they're technically in the same price range. Should've set my parameters a little different. The Aird isn't a beginner rod, but it's priced like it. The Lightning Rod has become a very common starter rod.

Keep it coming. I need to burn more money!!!! LoL. Not one I've heard of. Don't really go JDM but that's downright affordable. Definitely going on the buy list. If you like em, that really says a lot. I could say very similar things about Denali. OEM. Absolutely bend you over on the upcharge. The Android probably has $150 in it total. That's a $400 rod. Phenomenal blanks. Dunno who makes em. That'll be my next thread. Denali. I live 15 minutes from the home store. Nobody seems to know much about em here. That's odd. Nothing beats a Zebco 33 rod til something does. Yup. I still crank with my Zebbys. They do that job well.

Now we've set a standard for entry level I think. Budget is overwhelmingly the Lightning Rod. Aird has been getting it's love today.

I still have my HF from when I was upgrading the first time. My frogger. Don't really do that here so it gets used for swimbaits. Yup. A quality rod. Not a Tatula SVF, but it's nasty for the money.

Man, if the Aird X was more available around me, it'd be an easy number one. That rod is excellent for twice the number really. Also the Lightning Rod is by far the winner so far regardless of category. Everyone loves em.

By accuracy vs stated specs I mean how accurate are the specs on the rod for action, lure weight, etc. A couple examples. The Cherrywood mf 7' says 1/8-3/4. Yet, under 5/16 it doesn't do very well. It shorted everything under that number. My Fenwick Eagle, with the same specs, didn't have any issues with the small baits. I have a Denali Attax Glass Cranking rod that absolutely will throw 1/2 -2 oz baits. No more no less. Accuracy vs stated accuracy. The Standard for casters ML 1/8-1/2 usually M 1/4-5/8 usually MH 1/4-3/4 usually H 3/8-1 or 1.5 depending on the model if it's bait specific That's just based on the average. On spinners, good luck. It varies wildly.

Meant to tag you on the first one. Forgot to reply to the first question. It took forever to figure out a reliable way to measure sensitivity across the board. Kinda found it on accident. I was fishing a 13 Omen rod at my "house" my spot. Nobody goes there, it's mine. I know it backwards. I threw at a submerged bush and I felt something odd. That bush has a weird branch that has kind of a hump that is different in composition. I hit two branches. I knew which one was the hump because of the feeling. That was new. Threw at rock bottom and felt the changes clearly. Eureka! Picked up a Cherrywood and repeated the process. Felt two bumps again, but no difference in either. Felt the same scrape all the way back on the rock but not the transitions. Got it. Then I cranked. That's vibration. Really good way to test relay of sensitivity. On a 13 Defy Cranker, if you sped up it was profound. Otherwise, not so much. The Lew's Custom Pro Speed Stick Shined. Felt everything until it got anything on it, then nothing but pull. On the Wood, it did pretty well there. Pretty good for movers. Its definitely the most subjective score. I had to find rods to use as a baseline. I ran a White Bird at it and didn't feel anything outside hard contact. The Lew's KVD wasn't much better than the Cherrywood IMO. My Daiwa and Denalis are super sensitive. Virtus might be too sensitive LoL. My Rhino Tough is the deadest stick ever, but it's a horse. Crank Dead- Rhino Tough Top level - Lew's Custom Pro Bottom Dead- Favorite White Bird Tops- Daiwa Tatula SVF These are my baseline rods. I've had things test lower than the bottom and higher than the top. I use these to set a standard. If it beats the top, I get specific. I have 3 rods I test against there. Virtus Red Diamond Lew's custom pro JB3 Outlaw but it was the Daiwa( that write up is gonna be nuts, it's fantastic for it's purpose of Heavy Cover.). Those are the 3 rods I test against because each is a standard. I use them to create a fine tuned score on a big scorer. Its definitely subjective. I can give you the science (I have) but it really comes down to what I feel it performed like vs known quantities for me. My favorites. If it beats em, it's special in my opinion. Again, subjective. Yessir. Fatty Stick. The Wood. LoL. You'd probably catch an actual dinosaur with a Lightning Rod. You sir, are a hammer.

Something else: I feel like the thing that is most important in the function of a rod is the amount of parabolic bend the tip gives you. I'm cranking on a HXF JB3 right now because that tip bends over like a moderate. The overall flex stops at 20 percent just like it should. It made me think. How about this rating? JB3 Outlaw 73 HXF Action- XFast Power- H Tip Flex- Soft I feel like that's a better way to describe a rod. Just a thought.

Funny you say that. Dobyns was the first company I got "steered" towards on BR. I asked about a good AP rod. Everyone said Dobyns. I asked about a good cranker. Same thing. Got a sierra 682 for the cranks. Got a DC 734 sh for the AP. I wasn't as impressed with the Champion as I wanted to be. It let me down a bit. Good rod, but not at $270. The Sierra is great. 170 for it. It feels better imo for 100 less. That bothered me some. Across the board, Dobyns has something for anybody, that's why I list em. I definitely agree you gotta kind of know where to look.

Had a bad experience with a new Lamiglas. I'd gladly try an older one if I can find one. I've heard the stories. I do want to try one. ALX and IRod aren't here because I can't find a store near me that sells em. I won't buy before I touch it. My one rule. I've heard nothing but positive things about ALX. I may eventually take a leap of faith. It would be the first time ever. I'm not real familiar with IRod so I'm not willing to offer any opinions. I did look them up after I saw you post. They certainly fit the bill of my parameters for testing. Hmmm.... Looks very interesting indeed. Thanks for mentioning them.

Correct on Action. Sorry about that. I should've specifically stated flex. That's more of an accurate term. Action is supposed to refer to restoration time. Yup. Very few people seem to test that. A true moderate action rod, depending on power and radius, should basically wobble like a car lot noodle man. It should also bend over in a u shape. That should occur around halfway of the total bend. The tip should be fairly long and Charmin soft. As for standard, you kind of touch on it at the end. There is a "standard" for "action" (flex). I'll use the general one as the specific to power one is a book. XFast - 15-20 percent flex Fast - 20-25 usually but 30 is the max MFast - 30-35 but some go 25 low and 40 high Mod- 35-50 Slow - The Zebco Rhino Tough fits. LoL. I'll see if I can get those pics loaded from that camera. Its pretty old. I bought it specifically for this. The pullback is probably more accurate. I use cm and not inches because of the math accuracy. Much tighter parameter. Our mutual fantasy: Agreed it's intentionally convoluted, but I do believe it can be changed. Just takes the right mad scientists. Plenty of em on this site. I am currently looking at building a couple very soon. Got a mutual friend who does it as a hobby. He's willing to apprentice me. I'm excited. I'm a science nerd and a guitar player. An enlightened artist so to speak. Rod building is both art and science. A convergence. Gonna look the Common Cents system up. I want a Kistler bad. Never found one in a shop. I gotta touch it before I buy it. Its my one rule. Not the same for reels. I feel like Kistler and Daiwa both are trying to set a real standard on lure rating. To a degree, Falcon does this. They have a Heavy, 3/8 to 3/4 pitching rod. A MH 1/8 to 3/8 Swim Jig Rod, etc... I'm so glad so many people are talking to me on this. Its really interesting to see how much who you are determines what you want. Its absolutely all a matter of opinion. That's my biggest takeaway so far. Truth. I did kind of a blind test yesterday. Fished for 4 hours with two very similar rods. A JB3 Outlaw and a similarly priced Denali Lithium. I turned my brain off and just fished. Without thinking about it, I kept grabbing the JB3. Just felt so good. Not as outstanding in certain areas, but definitely more suited to me. You nailed it. This is Quixotic. You're tilting at windmills looking for definitive answers.

Can't really talk about a company I haven't used. I've never gotten to touch one in person, so I hesitate on a purchase. I've not ever heard anything bad. That's unusual.

My scoring system. Rods 3pts max for weight, sensitivity, components, and accuracy of specs. 1pt option on fit and finish, feel, and balance. Reels 5pts max for smoothness, stated vs actual drag, components, and weight/feel. Each point can be decimalized, so it gets pretty deep. Not a perfect system, but it works for me and I've yet to have anyone come back unhappy. On the Winch. I'm actually talking about load. The amount of back bend at the terminal point of your wind up before you come forward. I get that number 2 ways. 1. I tie on a lure in the middle of the weight range. I set up a shutter speed camera aimed a little behind me. I look at where the rod stops loading. I use NP marker to mark every cm of the rod. I count the cm and do the math. 2. I bend it back with some line through the top til it reaches a max bend. I use both sets to create an average. I do each phase 10x. There is an industry standard on action, but nobody follows it. My fantasy in life is to change that. They're looking at it the wrong way imo. Action is about how much it bends forward. Load isn't usually considered. Also, they don't explain the parabolic percent. How much of that tip bends over and how far? That's what I'm trying to figure out. How to create a set of numbers that accurately reflect how a rod "moves".

Right. The Kaden was stiff. That was my primary issue. Too stiff.

It's funny those 2 series are about the same number in price. I liked the Sierra. Came really close to being my cranking rod. 682 model. I didn't like the Kaden for the price. 30 less yes. I really like the consistency of Dobyns. There's value at every level. However, as it's been pointed out, every angler is unique. What I think is great won't be the same for everyone. Have you tried comparable St. Croix rods? I've got several friends who prefer them to Dobyns. The Mojo Bass is a very good series IMO.