I think everyone has noticed that Great Lakes Finesse has taken the finesse fishing world by storm. They come out with more great baits and terminal tackle every year that are true fish catching machines. Whether it’s the Drop Minnow, Sneaky Underspin, or Snack Craw, they make a finesse bait for every situation imaginable to turn the heads of pressured bass.
Now, Great Lakes Finesse has stepped into the spinning rod market, because after all, what good is top-tier finesse tackle without a great spinning rod to feel the sensitive bites? Dan Miguel, Matt Dobson, and the rest of the GLF team know a thing or two about finesse fishing. They know what it takes to make a great finesse rod and these boys knocked it out of the park. This is arguably the best finesse rod to ever hit the market, period.
Finesse CX Rod Line Features and Details
Building a perfect finesse rod requires quality components to ensure you can feel every little bump, tick, or even a smallmouth fart. The GLF team did not slack off when it came to quality for this rod series.
The Carbon X blanks are constructed with a premium, high-modulus graphite which is woven in an “X” pattern. This allows for maximum sensitivity throughout the entire blank, from the reel seat to the tip. The uncoated finish on the blank makes for a lighter overall feel and less glare when fishing in bright conditions.
Many rods on the market are constructed with multiple pieces of cork or EVA foam and a graphite reel seat; the Finesse CX rods are built with a one-piece, non-slip Ergo Carbon handle, which is unlike any other rod construction on the market today. This allows for maximum sensitivity as the blank and handle feel combined as one.
The guides on this rod help separate from others in its class. In rod building, you gain a lot of your weight on the blank from the guides. If there’s too much weight in the tip, then you won’t have the perfect balance. The more balanced a rod is, the more sensitive it can be. GLF utilizes the Microwave Air Guide system on these rods, which are arguably some of the lightest, most sensitive guides available.
Like me, Miguel is also a rod builder. We have both been using these guides on our custom rods for years to get the most sensitivity out of them. These guides truly tie this rod together, making it the ultimate rod you can buy without building your own.
The Finesse CX rod series is offered in three different models; all are bait-specific to offerings from the GLF lineup and will cover every finesse fishing application.
The 7’8” medium-light fast action rod is their “longest casting and most parabolic rod in the lineup, with the backbone on the bottom end to turn any size fish.” It’s perfect for times when you need to get light baits out a long way. The 7’4’ medium light fast action rod is categorized as their “do everything rod,” and, finally, the 7’8” medium heavy rod with an extra fast tip is designed as their “tube or Juvy Craw” rod to handle heavier baits in windy conditions. They all come with a one-year limited warranty and retail for $399.99 each.
Finesse CX Rod – First Impressions
After all the hype surrounding the release of this rod, I finally got my hands on one. In short, the hype is real. Of all the rods on the market, it’s nice to have one that’s made purely for finesse smallmouth applications.
I was looking for a rod to add to my arsenal that could handle a little more than the average finesse rod — something that could be used for really light bottom baits, but also has some backbone for some heavier applications like skipping a fluke under docks or dragging a heavier tube. After lots of back and forth, I decided on the 7’4” medium-light fast action model Finesse CX model — the “do-it-all” option. Paired with a 3000-size reel and 10-pound braid, it’s a match made in heaven with how balanced it is.
What stood out most to me was that handle. At first glance, I didn’t think I’d really like it, as it’s a one piece, hard design. After finally getting my hands on it, I fell in love with it. For a hard handle, it fit my hand perfectly. The smoothness made me feel more in tune with my bait — it feels as if the blank and handle are all merged into one, creating the ultimate finesse fishing experience.
The Ultimate Finesse Fishing Spinning Rod
After testing the rod with various tactics for both smallmouth and largemouth this pre-spawn season, I’ll say this rod is one you definitely need to add to your arsenal. Everything about it is perfect, from the balance points to its ability to allow you to feel every little bite.
I’ve mainly been pairing this rod with my top three spring smallmouth baits: a tube, a Ned rig, and a small swimbait. Let me tell you, this model handles all three perfectly. It has just the right amount of backbone needed to set the hook in deep water for a tube and amazing sensitivity for feeling light bites on a Ned rig or swimbait. The Microwave Air Guides are the perfect match to this rod to ensure long casts with these baits.
This rod got the full western New York bass workout, from Cayuga Lake’s shallow flats all the way to the deep waters of Lake Erie, and everywhere in between. I was thoroughly impressed with how this rod handled a wide array of bait sizes in all different depths. There would be some days on charters where we would have two drift socks out fishing heavy tubes and swimbaits, and others we would be up shallow pitching light Ned rigs around. This rod handled every scenario out there passing with flying colors.
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Overall, this series of rods is definitely worth the money. In the end, you get what you pay for with all the quality components and blank. I’ll admit, the only way I could get a rod to feel this perfect is if I built it myself.
