What Would You Do If...

You couldn't find your favorite rod in the store the next time you need a new one? That's what happened to me--well, in a way.

I'm not talking about St. Croix Premier crankin' rods, which I use all the time because they're lightweight, seem to last, and get the job done. I'm instead talking about Browning Medallion casting rods, which I prefer for all my other bassin' needs.

In every case, I don't buy anything but medium-power rods these days. And if you're wondering why, it's because of what my doctor classifies "an age-related thing." I simply can't handle a heavier rod for 8 hours any given fishing day and be able to raise my arms above my head or move my fingers even a little bit the next day without experiencing a wealth of pain.

Incidentally, that "age-related thing" also accounts for why I wear a glove on my left hand (and sometimes both hands) nearly year-round now. I can't stand that clicking sound I get in my fingers if I don't wear the glove--and worse yet, I've had my fingers completely lock up at times.

Example of split-grip handle

All that aside, though, let me get back to the central point of this article--those Browning Medallion casting rods I spoke of earlier. I had decided I wanted to get a couple more of them, so, yesterday, I hopped online and went to looking. They were easy enough to find, but imagine my surprise when I discovered they only come with split-grip handles nowadays, instead of the solid cork I'm used to and much prefer.

After checking a host of different websites without finding any Browning Medallions with full-cork handles, I visited some local stores to see what they had to offer. A quick glance around at the rod display in any one of the stores made me acutely aware that seemingly most rod manufacturers today are turning out more rods with split-grip handles than solid-cork ones.

I picked up several different medium rods with the split grip but didn't find a single one that I liked. I can't say I was surprised, because I already own some split-grip rods that I very quickly came to dislike after buying them a few years back. I've recently been giving them a second chance but have found that, if anything, I like them even less than I did before I put them in storage the first time. For openers, these so-called "medium" Berkley Shock rods (designed especially for fishing braided line) feel more like baseball bats than fishing rods, and they cast about the same way.

Example of full-cork handle

As a result, I today decided to go online and see what some other folks were saying about the split grip vs. solid cork issue. I didn't have to dig very hard to find a lot of information. As you might expect, the viewpoints ran the whole gamut. One thing that most anglers seemed to be able to agree on, though, is that they like full-cork handles for special occasions, primarily when they're chunking frogs. A few added most crankbaits, big jigs, or anything heavy to that list of special occasions.

Here are a couple of specific comments I found that I feel worth mentioning:

"Split handles are almost purely cosmetic. They don't offer a sensitivity advantage as many people believe. They do offer a lighter weight package, but you give up a significant amount of balance."

And this from a custom-rod builder: "After having fished multiple split-grip spinning and casting rods, I am just not sold that they boost rod performance, as they always result in a tip-heavier rod. The only way, with a clear conscience, that I can build a split-grip as a 'better' rod is if the weight removed from the split is added at the very end of the rod, resulting in a nicer feel. I know of no mass-produced split-grip rods that do so, which, in my evaluation, makes them all lesser, not better fishing tools."

The lesson I learned here is simple: There are no guarantees that the rod you like today is going to be available tomorrow with all the same features you've come to appreciate. Perhaps that's why we have the old saying, "Here today, gone tomorrow."