In the end there can be only one, Daiwa Tournament AGS
If I had to fish for pike with just one rod, what would I choose? I was recently put in this position, in a challenge I wrote about here, and I chose a Daiwa Tournament AGS rod without emotion or question marks. A rod that received the education of the 7 years at home, consisting of teachings and skills with gums, oscillators, spinnerbait and wobblers. You will say like Marin Preda's peasant when he sees the giraffe at the Zoo: "There is no such thing." Well, for me, yes, there is! But until this rod… let's talk about the concept Tournament.
Before the rod, there were the Daiwa Tournament wobblers
The first impact and the first sign of confidence I had with the Daiwa Tournament division was at the beginning of the Drill club when, in the Arrow showroom, an impressive range of wobblers arrived for the first time. On all tastes, colors, sizes, applications and so on. Impressive, damn expensive, but extremely catchy. Daiwa Tournament Scouter, Mega Scouter and Wise Minnow are still in my top 10 when it comes to pike fishing wobblers, zander, even avat.
Clothes make a man, especially when it rains
Do you know what a passing rain is? I found out from a fishing enthusiast in the Delta and on the Danube. A rain that goes through everything. The need for a waterproof GoreTex suit and the luck of the moment 'dressed' me with a Daiwa Tournament suit specially ordered by Arrow for another fisherman who didn't fit in size. Again hole in the budget, but for a few years I did not receive any passing rain. I stayed perfectly dry. Since then and until now, more than 10 years have passed, I have not found another suit to dethrone him. Tournament or what?
Panic Tires, Daiwa Tournament D Fin
That's what I called the Daiwa Tournament D Fin after chopping envelope after envelope through the teeth of the shawls. I assume that these gums no longer need presentation, being for many years in the top of the preferences of predatory fishermen. But still, in short, these are the attributes that have consecrated them: Japanese materials and design, soft plastic impregnated with salt and squid aroma for taste and lift, ribbed tail, ie fine beating at low recovery speeds or falling, can be used on any hook, be it offset, dropshot or jig. Read more here.
From product showcases, I didn't choose…
You noticed that after all the above I had a passion for the Daiwa Tournament range. And yet, I chose the rod we are talking about today, not knowing that it is part of this range. I've been looking for a 2.4 m rod for a long time, gentle on the tip, but strong in the sting and with enough power reserve to be able to remove large pike from the vegetation. A rod capable of throwing heavier weights, but also unburdened, oscillating or reactive lures. A difficult mission that lasted several years testing many rods that were not to my taste. I knew exactly what I wanted, but I couldn't find it.
She is the one, Daiwa Tournament AGS rod
In the fall of 2014, I saw her in the Arrow showroom: "Here's a 2.4-meter-long Daiwa!" I was stalking all the 2.4-meter rods, knowing exactly where to look for them, namely the tips that came out of the rack with predator rods. Without paying attention to the name and the rings, I dangled it a little cold and said, “I want it! How much does it cost?". To the answer "About 2000 lei" I left her quickly and delicately back on the rack. Pfff, but I still wanted it. I took it off the rack again and saw that it was a Daiwa Tournament rod, AGS rings, white SVF with X45 fibers.
The game is not hard, on the water
What happened next? Of course I bought it, it was and still is one of the best purchases in terms of fishing equipment for predators for which I congratulate myself today. And there aren't many in this category, I can count them on my fingers. Come on, okay, including the ones on your feet. so Daiwa Tournament AGS 2.44m, 14-42g, she is the one!
At the pike gathering, the largest 5
I had so much confidence in this rod that she was the only one with whom I entered competitions without fishing with her before. The first competition I won was the Egreta Pro Big 5 Pike, in the Danube Delta. Thanks to the added sensitivity of the SVF board equipped with X45 fibers and AGS rings, on a wind of 50km per hour I noticed the finest pike attack. Other competitions followed where the Daiwa Tournament AGS rod was the key to success.
Romanian Spinning League, the little pig
The fact that this Daiwa Tournament AGS rod excels in soft lure fishing was confirmed during a national championship stage LRS when, being alone in the boat, I needed to cover as much water with long lances as possible. In the supporting role, Piglet Shad 10cm mounted on the offset hook taught me that the rod behaves flawlessly and weighs less than 14g.
Holbina Three Perches, three ghosts, many pike
How real is the limit inscribed on the Daiwa Tournament AGS rod heel? That's what I found out in Holbina, when I fished with small gums, big gums, spinnerbait, chatterbait, oscillating spoons, but also with gliders, respectively. Strike Pro Buster Jerk. According to my calculations, this rod has a real range of 5-50g.
Sweden, my love
Of course I took it with me on my annual expeditions to Sweden. In the videos you can see how it behaves with spinnerbatts and minnow wobblers, from launch, evolution, attack, reaction and drill.
Is 2.4m just for the shore?
Totally wrong. It's also for the boat or at least one doesn't bother me this length. I want more distance and control of the fish at the expense of occupied space when the rod is at rest. I wrote more here about the advantage of 2.4m rods, of course in my opinion. And yes, 2.4m is an optimal length for fishing on the shore, I tested this on Lake Tâncăbeşti.
The icing on the cake, Pig Shad JR.
In 2018 all the stars lined up. The perfect Daiwa Tournament AGS rod, the perfect ghost Strike Pro Pig Shad Jr. 15cm, the perfect Daiwa reel There is HyperCustom 3000 (thanks Paul Iancu), the Danube Delta and the perfect pike. Aaaa, also in that year there was the perfect string from Strike Pro Titanium and a perfect thread in terms of price and quality. You know this one, we all discovered it together, just like the gums D Fin. Yes, it's about Daiwa Tournament 8 Braid.
For all the rods I loved before, species
I, the provocative one, would manage to fish with this rod for all species, given that my beginnings in fishing were with hazelnut twig, bent bold and zipper. Even for trout or clean, I think I could do it, if I had no other alternative. Optimally speaking, this Daiwa Tournament AGS rod, I repeat, from my point of view, can be fished with any species of predatory fish, regardless of style, lure or type of water, as long as the weight of the lures is between 5 and 50 grams, reactive or not, and are intended for 40cm + predatory fish. If you want to go further, catch more and not drop fish. You have to have a budget, of course.
From me reading, I swear on red, Daiwa Tournament AGS rod for ever and ever
Also in terms of species, if Bărbosu 'helps me, you will see this rod in the hoped and near future in the fishing of bass, peacock bass, snakehead or other exotic species that I still dream of, except the marine ones, as I am sick of big. For all this and for bigger lures than I usually use, I also took the older sister of the Daiwa Tournament AGS rod, version 28-84g. Until my seasickness passes (I heard there are some miracle pills) or the exotic stars line up, I'm taking them both to Sweden this August. By the way, what are you doing? Lapland Pike?
All that is good must disappear… or not.
The two rods we mentioned above are no longer manufactured, being replaced by the new model that benefits from the same blank, rings and features and an impressive facelift. Besides my soul rod, I think I can call it that, they are still available 7 launches Daiwa Tournament AGS with lengths between 1.95-2.70 meters and launch ranges between 3.5-42 grams. If I didn't have more than 30 rods I usually fish with in the closet, I think I'd buy them all in this range. Or not?
Info Daiwa Tournament SW AGS
Daiwa Tournament SW AGS is a completely modified version of this popular and exclusive series of spinning rods. The rod was designed especially for fishing with soft lures and has a permissive action on the tip to allow a perfect presentation of the lures and to launch easily over long distances.
SVF carbon fiber rods are more sensitive and lighter because they have a lower resin content. It acts much faster and the torque is reduced to a minimum. Despite the increased danger of deformation, flexibility is maintained. This implies that the X45 rods are not only strong and throw more accurately, but also help the fisherman to present the lures delicately and end the drill with the fish safely.
The V-Joint joins ensure a uniform bending action and a very thin diameter. In addition, it reduces the risk of breakage due to the special arrangement of carbon fibers. The extremely short section of the handle allows you to position your index finger directly on the blank for optimal control.
• SVF® nanoplus carbon fiber
• X45® carbon fiber construction
• V-Joint® thread connection
• AGS® carbon fiber ring frame
• Fuji® SiC ring pad
• Premium Hard-EVA handle
Info Shop Daiwa - Arrow International
Daiwa rods are available in Romania through Arrow International in the 20 own stores and 227 partner stores. If you want other Daiwa products that are not in stock or are not listed on website, you can place a pre-order at any of the above stores.
