I’ve come to really enjoy fishing with the SixGill rods I’ve tested. They have dozens of rod lines and each one is specifically built to cater to a certain type of angler or fishing. That is defintely the case with the Heimdall series.
The Heimdall Series includes 3 rods specifically made for jerkbait fishing but I’ve found they are really exceptional for all finesse hardbaits. Like the 1.0 size crankbaits, spybaits and of course various sizes of shallow and deep jerkbaits.
A quick look at the specs give you a good idea of what they had in mind with these rods.
Features:
- Moderate-Fast with Fast Tip
- 1-Piece 24/30T Japanese Toray Carbon construction
- Fuji Guides
- Full Grip with Rubberized Cork Handle
I of course started out jerkbait fishing with these rods because that was their intended use. And already they have become my favorite jerkbait rods. I’m 6-foot, 1-inch, which to some is tall but to me it feels short because I have a really long torso and short legs.
I say all that to say that a shorter jerkbait rod fits me better because when I point the tip at the water at a 45-degree angle, a 7-foot rod slaps too much. So I always use a 6-foot, 8-inch rod. But I loved the 6-foot, 6-inch model too. And both turned out to be dynamite for small crankbaits weighing 1/4 ounce.
The handle is a full handle but it’s short and built knowing you’re going to be snapping a rod all day and you don’t want a handle snagging in your coat pockets and everything else while you fish.
And that small short handle is so comfortable to crank small crankbaits with. It’s become my favorite for the Yo-Zuri 3DR-X MR that weighs 1/4 ounce but is a flat catcher.
The 24/30-Ton Toray blank is a blend of fast responsive tip and more solid backbone to handle the action of the lures and still have enough power to fight good fish in a small form factor.
I was very impressed how well these small diameter blanks responded to jerking a jerkbait, setting the hook on light line and playing a fish down with ultra tiny hooks like you have on small finesse hard baits.
Fuji guides, Fuji reel seat, and rubberized cork grip make these very solid rods for fishing in cold conditions. They are light, responsive, good actions and solid components.
While I’ve been fishing these rods, I noticed something about sensitivity. Since I’m fishing jerkbaits and smaller crankbaits, you get a lot of different species that will hit the lures. Smaller cranks and jerkbaits on the Heimdall have produced crappie, bluegill, white bass, yellow bass, largemouth and smallmouth bass.
These rods are a lot more sensitive than I first thought. I’ve caught a lot of smaller fish on a dead stop with these rods because you have such a good connection to your bait. That has been very telling for me. These are very sensitive and they transmit the smallest bites not to mention the quality fish.
