At some point just before the start of this season I realized two things, you get what you pay for and you need rods for different applications. Finesse fishing was becoming something that I really enjoyed and I discovered that I enjoyed it more with a lighter rod and reel. During the New England Fishing & Outdoor Expo I stumbled upon the Carrot Stix booth. Of course the first thing that caught my eye was those beautiful orange and green colors, but it wasn't until I held the Carrot Stix in my hand that I truly understood what I was missing out on. I instantly fell in love with the Wild Wild Orange. It was as light as a feather and just absolutely gorgeous to look at! 6 months later and I can finally talk about how it feels to fish it!
The Wild Wild Orange I'm using is a 6'7", Medium-Heavy, Fast Action spinning reel. It's absolutely perfect for finesse fishing with soft plastics. The is super sensitive and can take a beating. I chose this length instead of the 7' to give me more flexibility in how it will be used and also because shaving of those 5 inches means I get a lighter rod. We also paired this rod with an Okuma Trio not only because it's a good reel, but the black and orange matched up perfectly with the Wild Wild Orange's metallic finish. The Okuma is a little heavier than we liked, so we plan on pairing our Wild Wild Black with a super light Pflueger President LE.
My co-angler and I put it to the test on Lake Chauncy, Charles River and Spy pond. He accidentally trolled a 2 pound Smallmouth bass when I started moving the boat while his line was still in the water. The Pickerel at Chauncy are tough. Even though we don't prefer to catch them, they put on a fight like a Largemouth bass. We pulled in a strong 2.5 pound Pickerel close to the boat. It slammed the bait hard and the Carrot Stix snapped into action and put it in the boat. He also grabbed a nice 2lb Largemouth bass at Spy Pond to cap off a perfect week!
My only issue with the Wild Wild Orange is the hook keeper location. I prefer it to be inline with the guides but on this particular rod it's on top above the guides. That's just me nitpicking as I simply can't find anything else wrong with this rod. It's gorgeous, light weight and powerful. Put one of these in the boat and you'll be the talk of the lake!