Korda - Kaizen Platinum 13ft 4lb
Out of the whole range, this rod achieved the longest casts during testing, measured at over 200 yards and using a 4oz lead with a 15mm hookbait and rig. It’s rated at 3-5oz casting weight but has been optimised for use with 4oz leads. If you’re looking for the ultimate, high-end casting rod and nothing else really matters, then this is the model for you, but it will take practice and technique to achieve the best results from it. Recommended casting weight: 3-5oz.
Tom Dove put this rod through its paces in Croatia, catching lots of big fish at extreme ranges, he explained: “I wouldn’t consider myself a long-range caster, but if you are going to fish at extreme range then you need to have kit that won’t hold you back and will gain you extra yards. I’ve been using the 13ft 4lb model for all my long-range fishing for two years now and have honestly seen a massive improvement in my distance.
“I always struggled with compressing the ‘heavy’ distance rods on the market as they felt too stiff and cumbersome, but these are the complete opposite – light to hold and easy to compress, meaning that fishing at 35 wraps (140 yards) feels like casting 80 yards with my normal rods. My maximum fishing range is about 170 yards now, something which I never thought I’d have in my locker.”
The Kaizen Journey Explained
The Kaizen Rod range has been under development for more than four years and came about as we felt that we could develop high end rods that were even better than those already on the market - despite this being a first for Korda, we have utilised the extensive knowledge and experience of our Team Korda anglers and product development staff to produce an exceptional range of rods.
Danny Fairbrass has a long association with rods bearing his name, and which he was involved in developing. It was a natural progression for Korda to develop a range ourselves that had all the attributes that he, and our other anglers, would be looking for from the ultimate carp fishing rods.
The objective was to design a range of premium rods that would cover pretty much any carp angling situation at home or abroad, allowing you to not only accurately reach the fish if they were out at range, but which would also feel nice to play them on.
All our high-end Kaizen rods are built on a fast-tapered profile mandrel – meaning that the taper of the rod consistently goes all the way from the butt to the tip. This produces rods with a very ‘tippy’ action, and with pretty much all the flex being towards the tip end. Of course, when under extreme pressure such as casting, the rod will still bend all the way through to some extent. This type of action allows for better power transfer and the generation of very fast tip speeds, which in turn allows you to cast further.
That same action also allows much faster line pick-up as well, and whilst most of the bend is in the tip, the power is transferred progressively enough that the rod will absorb the lunges of a big fish at close range without fear of it causing hook pulls, it also ensures that it is still a pleasure to play fish on any of the Kaizen rods.
The taper of these rods isn’t the only factor in determining the action and attributes that it displays, and just as important is the type of carbon that has been used in the manufacturing process – for the Kaizen range the only real choice was the best super tensile, high-grade Japanese carbon that we could get our hands on! This ZERO90 carbon is used in just two layers and with very little resin content, and the result of that is lighter, stiffer blanks. Not only will this allow more power to be transferred into the cast and with less effort than you’d find with a cheaper grade of carbon, but it also aids enhanced accuracy as it reduces the ability of the blank to twist and cause your lead to go off-target during the cast. Over a long distance even tiny improvements in accuracy make a big difference to your rig landing exactly where you aimed. It aids tip recovery after casting, which is basically the length of time that the tip continues bouncing up and down after the cast, and the crisper this action the better – if you flick the tip of one of these Kaizen rods it will come to a stop almost immediately, with all the power having been transferred into that action, this is exactly what you require when trying to cast a long way.
The Kaizen range have been given a custom-made look, with the type of high grade components that you would expect to find on a rod of this price. The blank is finished in durable clear matt paint, which shows off the carbon and has been extensively tank tested to ensure it is perdurable - basically meaning it is incredibly durable and will take a long time to show any signs of weathering due to exposure to sunlight and moisture.
There is of course no point in developing a rod that is incredibly light compared to its power, and then adding heavy components to it, so all of the Kaizen range is fitted with lightweight Sea-Guide TDG rings, with a 50mm butt and 16mm tip – allowing the line to ‘cone’ off of a big pit spool in a way that minimises resistance as it passes through the butt ring, and providing a tip ring that is big enough to allow leader knots to smoothly pass through it. The reel is attached via a superior quality Fuji DPS seat and the handle is finished fully in Japanese shrink grip – the use of which is more than just cosmetic and allows for a good grip even when your hands or the rod are wet. The aluminium trim and an etched butt cap made by JAG completes the extremely desirable custom look.
In terms of the models in the high-end Kaizen range, currently there are seven, with 12ft 3lb, 3.5lb and 4lb fishing rods, plus a 12ft spod rod; a 12ft 6in 4lb version for those who really want an extreme range rod but find a 13ft model just a bit too long; plus 13ft 3.5lb and 4lb models. This will cover pretty much any angling situation, with the lightest model being perfectly suitable for fishing at closer range, but where you want the power to control and stop a big carp if you need to, plus can chuck a rig a long way when required. The 4lb models which are our specialist “long range” tools and have the ability to put a lead and rig incredible distances when in the right hands – as demonstrated by the likes of Terry Edmonds and Darrell Peck. In real fishing situations we have measured casts in excess of 200 yards and which feature in our forthcoming Long Range Masterclass chapter, filmed at Iles3 in France.
Danny Fairbrass, who has been involved in rod design for many years and was one of the driving forces behind the Kaizen range, enthused: “They are an absolute joy to use, such lightweight, but powerful, and with really light rings, so they move through the air so easily, and cast so perfectly straight. They also look absolutely gorgeous as well.”
So, whatever your casting style and ability, you’ll find a Kaizen rod that suits you, and allows you to fish at longer ranges, and more accurately, than ever before.
