I first saw the Teklon Concept Dropshot 702 at “The Big One” (Fishing tackle show) back in February. It looked like just the rod I was looking for, and filled the gap between the Teklon 702L and my LRF/finesse rods. The action looked superb, and so it was that I managed to get my hands on one from Veals Mail Order. I have been using the rod in anger for several months now, and below I will share my thoughts on the rod with you.
The rod is 7 feet long and comes in 2 equal sections.
The butt section of the rod is very similar to the other rods in the Teklon Concept range. The section below the reel seat is short, which is great news for kayak fishermen.
I am not too sure about the colour scheme (!!) but the finish of the rod is clean and simple.
One of the best features of the rod (and probably un-intentional on Teklon’s part !), is the short gap in the duplon handle just below the reel seat…
… This is absolutely perfect for wrapping/attaching a rod leash when fishing from the kayak – and its in just the right location on the blank.
The reel seat is a custom graphte job, with a faux carbon weave pattern, again, the same design as the other rods in the Teklon Concept range – very nice.
Above the reel seat is a hook keeper – this is a real plus for me – I don’t understand why all lure rods don’t have them.
The rod is rated to cast lures of 5 to 20g. I would say its probably more like 5g to 15g; I am sure the rod could handle more, but it would not be pleasant or comfortable to use.
The finishing on the whippings is neat and tidy, without being excessive.
The joint between the rods looks strong, and there si a good gap for wear – the whippings around the joint could do with being a bit longer in my opinion.
The rings are genuine fuji’s; well spaced; a couple had a tad too much varnish around the bottom of the frames, but that is just being picky.
The tip ring is small and neat…
So a nicely laid out blank, with decent fittings and good attention to detail, but the best thing about the rod, is its action. It is just smooth and progressive, right the way around, with no flat spots. Pull it into its test curve and it just loads up, and soaks up the strain. This is due to a solid spliced tip, and for me, it is the best thing about the rod. Just to give you and idea of the action, this is what it looks like when the tip is put under pressure (Don’t do this at home kids !!!)…
Pretty impressive. Other rods may have K rings, microwave guides and fancy trimmings; this rod is all about the action.
Okay, so enough of the chit chat, how does all of this translate when fishing. Well, I’ll tell you…. I have been using and abusing the rod whilst kayak fishing in freshwater. Pike, perch, chub on both soft and hard plastics. The action when you lock up on a big fish is just brilliant – you can feel the blank soaking up the power when you hook a decent fish, and yet the tip is still very delicate.
I paired the rod up with an Air Blade fixed spool, loaded with braid (this was a great match for the rod – very well balanced).
This is what a fighting fit summer pike looks like from the Teklon Concept Dropshot 702’s perspective…
I hope you are getting it, not easy to describe, but so many rods either just fold up, or are super stiff apart from the top 8 inches; this rod works for you.
Conclusion
This rod really fills a gap for me, between the masses of 8-28g rods and the ultralights of 2-8g. It serves a purpose. In my view, that purpose might not be what Teklon intended – ie. dropshotting (though undoubtedly it will handle that). This rod copes with the soft plastics on jigs of 8-12g, and also micro cranks and medium cranks (eg. Shakespeare’s little S, and medium S). The spliced tip is its USP. It enables the rod to punch above its weight in terms of action, whilst still enabling the lure fisherman to feel every little knock and pull. I reckon this rod could tame much bigger fish than its specification would suggest. I think it would make an ideal pike and zander rod for the lure fisherman – its versatile, reasonably priced, and its action has to be seen to be believed.
The Teklon Concept Dropshot 702 is available from Veals Mail Order…
https://www.veals.co.uk/acatalog/Teklon-Concept-Drop-Shot-702-4418.html