Shimano Yasei Red Spinning Perch 190 rod
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£59.99
Depending on when were born, you would have witnessed some, if not all, of the following significant events: England winning the world cup, decimalisation, man walking on the moon, the birth of commercial fisheries, the Krankies live, mobile phones and social media.
So what’s the next big thing? Well, for anglers, without a doubt it’s drop shotting - the fishing sensation that’s sweeping the nation.
This arm of the sport has been a huge hit in Europe for many years, but it’s only recently that it has started to appear at UK venues, and unlike nearly all the other disciplines within our sport, there is no national team competing with other countries, or individual world champions showing everyone else how it should be done.
In an attempt to learn more about it, I have spent the last couple of months grabbing every spare hour I can find to wander the towpath of the Oxford Canal using a selection of rods, reels, and other drop shot paraphernalia in an attempt to gain a better understanding of what works best, and why.
While I’m not yet a leading authority on the method, I am getting to learn more about the tackle. So without further ado, here is my first ever drop shot rod-and-reel combination review.
The Shimano Yasei (which apparently means ‘wild’ in Japanese) Red Spin Perch 190 is actually classed by its manufactures as more of a spinning rod than a drop shot tool. However, after trying out quite a few different rods, I can vouch for the fact that this 6ft 3in, two-piece model does make a first rate drop shot and light spinning companion.
It hasn’t got the finest or most sensitive tip that I have seen or used on a rod of this type, but do not let that detract from its uses. In fact I am fast forming the opinion that drop shot rods with slightly stiffer tip sections seem to impart an enhanced speed of dart and jerk movement into the lure.
In addition, the petite nature of this blank makes line control on short accurate casts much easier. It also allows you to easily work the lure very close to the near bank, something which is of paramount importance when fishing up against moored boats or along the fish-holding deeper water which often found on stretches of canal with sheet metal pilings.
Although crisp on the strike, this rod couldn’t be classed as savage, but it does have more of a fast-parabolic rather than a through-type of fish-playing action. This definitely powers-in toward the middle of the pencil-thin carbon blank when it’s being put under stress which has, unfortunately, caused me to pull-out of a couple of small zander. However, in the rod’s defence, I have seen this happen to other people I have been out fishing with, so I am guessing it’s a common enough occurrence with this particular species of fish.
Like I said earlier, it’s still very much a learning process for everyone, but if you fancy having a go – without wanting to spend too much of whatever you have left in the wallet after the seasonal break - then the red Yasei gets the green light from me.