I probably get asked about fishing rods more than anything else, if I had to guess. Rods are a tricky deal, man. When you’re buying ’em online, you can’t touch them, feel them in your hands and test out the actions for yourself, so that creates a lot of hesitancy for potential buyers. I think that’s the reason for all of the questions. Folks want to know if something is worth a dang before they take the plunge.
I’ve had the opportunity to test the new Jenko Fishing DCVR High Roller casting rod for several months now. My buddies and I have been pitching, flipping and even frogging up a storm with ’em since the summer and we’ve all really liked them. This has been my first experience with a Jenko rod and so far, I think I want more.
I’m going to run through some cool characteristics of this rod. Hang in there with me and see what you think.
It ain’t a fashion contest but this is a sharp-looking rod
I’m not a big fan of the neon-colored rod movement that’s happened in the past few years. I don’t want my front deck looking like I spilled a sack of Skittles all over it. Call me old fashioned, I guess.
But I really like the retro look of the Jenko Fishing DCVR High Roller rods. I was telling Terry just the other day that they remind me of the old 76ers jerseys when Julius Erving used to play for ’em. They’re not flashy which I like but they don’t look like every other rod on the market, either. When I’m at the boat ramp or when a buddy is in my shop, this is one of the first rods they pick up to inspect.
Now, let’s talk performance. It can be the prettiest rod this side of the Mississippi, but if it doesn’t do its job, who cares?
I’ve liked the balance so far
I’ve been getting a bunch of poorly balanced rods this year. I don’t know what the deal is, but it has definitely been a head scratcher for me. I’ll admit, when I first laid hands on this particular rod, it felt a little tip heavy. When I put a reel on it, however, it balanced out very nicely and the results have been noticeable on the water.
Froggin’ for days at a time can burn up your wrist, forearm and elbow in a hurry. I can remember a few times in college waking up in the middle of the night with big ol’ cramps in my arm and hand. Maybe I should have gone to class more instead throwing a frog daylight to dark.
You’re not going to have that problem with this rod. I’m fairly surprised how good I feel after a full day of frog or any other topwater fishing. No discomfort whatsoever.
I’ve also been able to slide my finesse jigs and other creature baits underneath docks really easily with this rod. I made my buddy mad when I was in the back of his boat a few weeks ago. He was ringing the dinner bell on every dang dock we fished and I was just sliding my cricket everywhere perfectly with this pretty little rod.
If you ever get one of these rods, I highly suggest throwing squarebills and medium-diving crankbaits on the 7-foot, 3-inch medium heavy model. It has been one of the better squarebill rods I’ve put my hands on this year. Normally, I try to keep my cranking rods around the 7-foot mark, but the extra 3 inches on this model has made a notceable difference in regards to casting distance. Just this evening I was bombing casts to the middle of a cove targeting those surface baitballs that tend to come to the surface before dark. I was able to stay a bit further away from the fish because I can sling a crankbait so far with the High Roller.
Excellent grips
As anglers, our hands are nearly always wet somehow. Whether it’s sweat, fish slime or water, keeping a solid hold of your fishing rod can be tricky. I remember years ago when I was fishing the National Championship for college fishing, I lost a dang fish because the rod slipped out of my hands when I set the hook. It was over 100 degrees during that event in Texas and we were all drenched in sweat.
Thankfully, rod grips have come a long way since then. The Jenko Fishing DCVR High Roller comes equipped with an All-Weather Grip that works excellently with wet hands. It almost has a tacky feel to it in dry conditions, too, which feels really nice. The Jenko Fishing logo on the grip is a pretty cool touch as well, I thought.
Impressive sensitivity
Whether you’re using the heavy-action model or the medium-heavy models, I think you’ll really enjoy the amount of sensitivity this rod series offers. I let my wife, who fishes all the time with me, try it last week and she fell in love with the 7-foot, 3-inch medium heavy I mentioned. She was winging a medium-diving crankbait all around the place and she literally turned around, smiled at me and said, “Welp, I just got me a new rod.”
She and I both agree that the sensitivity is really what sets these rods apart from some others at this price point. I can feel every blade of grass my crankbait knocks against and I can feel whenever my crankbait misses a thump. Lots of times, especially in the summer and winter, big bass will get your plug from behind, which causes the bite to feel very subtle to the angler. I’ve had that type of bite several times when I was testing this rod and I’ve had no problem detecting them.
For bottom-contact baits, I tend to notice most of the sensitivity in the blank-thru reel seat. There’s no delay between a fish inhaling your jig and you feeling the bite.
Final impressions
I came into this with no preconceived notions; I had no prior experience with Jenko rods. I’m coming away from this testing process impressed by the quality, sensitivity and all-day comfort of these rods. I hope to purchase a few more because, heck… my wife probably ain’t going to give me mine back.
Jenko Fishing DCVR High Roller casting rods are available at these retailers:
