Sonik SKS 12ft Black Carp Rods
PAY AROUND
£69.99
It isn’t very often that you can second guess the fate of a rod even before you have had the opportunity to wet a line with it. But in the case of the latest 12ft SKS Black carp rods from Sonik the writing was on the wall from the moment I removed them from their bags.
These new rods are available in three different test curves of 2.75lb, 3lb (as tested) and 3.2.5lb and I was to test the 3lb version.
Without putting to finer point on it, as long as they didn’t burst into flames when attaching a reel, or melt upon contact with water, I knew that the live test would be a mere formality.
Why is that? Well, simply because these rods deliver perfectly the type of appearance that every modern day-ticket carper would want. They simply ooze with an array of aesthetics that marries ultra-cool respect with incomparable value for money.
The push-over jointed two piece blanks are finished with a sleek but durable matt black, with six classy double-legged black-lined SiC guides. These include a 50mm butt ring on both the 3lb and 3.5lb test-curve models, as well as an anti-frap tip guide. The rod’s super slim abbreviated handle has a black laser etched butt cap, with 14cm of Japanese shrink wrap fitted neatly above that.
Moving up the handle there a special Sonic DPS reel seat with matching black hood and collar, and just above that a line-friendly side mounted custom Sonik line clip. Yes, all in all and from any angle you care to look at it, the Sonik SKS Black is a good looking tool with a custom built designer specification but at a high street price.
Despite all this, I obviously needed to have a wave about over water with the two 3lb test curve models that Sonik had sent in for review. So on a beautifully sunny early spring afternoon I set about extracting a fish or two using an array of methods, from number one lake at Makins Fishery in Warwickshire, a very popular day-ticket carp water that contains fish in excess of 30lb.
With the fish showing themselves near the surface, a zig rig with an 8ft hooklength was the first method to be used. The SKS rod cast the 1.5oz bomb with ease, and the blank’s forgiving tip was ideal for this type of method. The other rod was set up with a 2oz lead, and small solid PVA filled with pellets. Although it handled this well enough, the softness of the progressive actioned blank revealed itself with a little post cast wobble, which will cut down its casting potential slightly. However, it would still be more than useful with a 3oz lead and single-bait set-up at up to 75 yards.
My personal recommendation would be to go for the slightly more back-boned 3.25lb model, if you want casts of 100yd or do a lot of bag, stick, or method feeder fishing.