MADE IN THE USA
When gearing up for these bulldogs of the underwater junkyard, rod selection is of the utmost importance, especially when steering these brutes up and off the structure and away from any escape routes deep inside a rocky crevice. A noteworthy American-made addition to the serious wreck fisherman’s arsenal this year is the GBT 70MH-C from Cousins Tackle, a 7-footer rated for 25- to 50-pound test and 2- to 10-ounce weight. This medium heavy rod is powerful enough to handle the task at hand with the sensitivity to feel the touch of the most finicky blackfish when using braided line.
Built from T-300 graphite blank with E-Glass reinforcement, the GBT series rods from Cousins are finished in clear gloss and outfitted with Fuji aluminum oxide guides and Fuji DPSM reel seats with stainless fittings. The rod handles are complemented by Cousins’ exclusive EVA foam grips, with a rubber bulb style butt cap. Rods triple-wrapped in black and silver trim with three coats of flex-coat slow cure finish. Plus, each one is hand-crafted in the United States and comes with a lifetime warranty.
Many local anglers may still be unfamiliar with Cousins Tackle; the rods first began appearing on the winter show circuit with displays at this year’s Suffern Show in New York and the Saltwater Fishing Expo in Somerset, NJ. A California tackle manufacturer, the company’s tactical approach to Mid-Atlantic and Northeast fishing is thanks in large part to the newest member of the Cousins Tackle team, Scott Greenberg, who literally grew up in the fishing tackle industry, working for and eventually owning, the family business, Merrick Tackle.
“Response to Cousins has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Greenberg. “The product literally checks every box independent tackle retailers want to see when considering a new rod line. The American-made craftsmanship of these rods is apparent as soon as you pick one up.
DESIGNED BY LOCALS
The Fisherman’s Senior Editor, Fred Golofaro, has had a chance to give the GBT 70MH-C a thorough once-over for design essentials, and sees this as a killer addition to any togger’s arsenal for the season ahead, while noted New York rod builder Steve Petri said the E-Glass itself is something that gives this rod a unique edge.
“When you’re using the braided line there’s a little bit of flexibility in the rod, the E-Glass component in the blank gives it more of a parabolic bend,” Petri said, explaining how the rod has enough bend to manage the thumping fight of blackfish with the backbone to keep it out of the rubble.
“Not only is it a good blackfish rod but it’s good for livelining bunker, sea bass fishing, it covers a lot of different fishing techniques, very much an all-purpose rod,” Petri said.
With first-hand experience in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast fishery, Petri is personally working with Greenberg and rod builders at Cousins Tackle to develop a full line of surf rods and inshore boat rods geared towards our regional fishing needs, and he’s been actively designing new rods with different grip materials, longer butt grips and lighter, high-tech components for hardcore local action.
“The workmanship and the attention to detail in these rods are top of the line in what I’ve seen in many factory rods on the market,” Petri added. “They build a beautiful stick.”
Once the heave is over and it’s time to hit the local snags again, those inshore tautog will no doubt be hungry; getting them to feed is one thing, but pulling them out of their comfort zone requires some backbone. The Cousins Tackle GBT 70MH-C (MSRP, $200) is definitely worth a look, particularly as a rod you may find perfect for the inshore striper action too this fall.
Whether you’re looking for freshwater, stand-up offshore, surf or inshore tackle for stripers, bluefish, fluke and blackfish, Cousins builds a rod made for the job, right here in the good old U.S.A.
