2018 Corto 6’ 10” first trip.

[Alphahawk]

I will have a video up in a day or so of first fish with the Corto. The spot I’m fishing is stacked now with smaller white bass....7-8 inch cookie cutter fish.....I mean literally thousands have made the run to the dam. The bigger fish will show up eventually. I had a Certate 2004H spooled up with 2# test SOS line......which is really 3.5# test. I had exactly 3/4 pound drag dialed in....casting a 2 gram Daiwa jig head with a Midnight Blue ThunderHawk. The rod is a dream to cast and fish. These fish were hitting very light....water temps at 48 degrees. Even white bass get very finicky at times. They were not slammmg it but just picking it up. I felt every fish and did not miss a single one. On hook up the rod would bend into a nice curve and you can feel every twist and turn of the fish. It is a dream to fish with. I went back today and fished with the Palms Egeria XUL hoping to have a lot more fun using a softer action rod. While I caught fish it was very difficult to feel the bite...so picked up the Corto again to try 2 new lures out and didn’t miss a fish. Next trip down will have a reel with ester on it and that should be a blast. I am more than satisfied with my purchase. Now that I’ve owned a Graphiteleader there will be another one.....the problem is I want the Super Finezza or the Super Bellezza.......life is upgrade!....LOL.

Regards

[timinmo]

Thanks for the report. Looking forward to your video.

[Popfly]

Alpha,

After reading your report I am about to pull the trigger...now if they would just make a travel version...

Best regards,

Popfly

[Rustyfisher1508]

YAS FINALLY! Been waiting for the report of this rod, thanks AlphaHawk for your awesome reviews and insights

[Allsorts]

I will have a video up in a day or so of first fish with the Corto. The spot I’m fishing is stacked now with smaller white bass....7-8 inch cookie cutter fish.....I mean literally thousands have made the run to the dam. The bigger fish will show up eventually. I had a Certate 2004H spooled up with 2# test SOS line......which is really 3.5# test. I had exactly 3/4 pound drag dialed in....casting a 2 gram Daiwa jig head with a Midnight Blue ThunderHawk. The rod is a dream to cast and fish. These fish were hitting very light....water temps at 48 degrees. Even white bass get very finicky at times. They were not slammmg it but just picking it up. I felt every fish and did not miss a single one. On hook up the rod would bend into a nice curve and you can feel every twist and turn of the fish. It is a dream to fish with. I went back today and fished with the Palms Egeria XUL hoping to have a lot more fun using a softer action rod. While I caught fish it was very difficult to feel the bite...so picked up the Corto again to try 2 new lures out and didn’t miss a fish. Next trip down will have a reel with ester on it and that should be a blast. I am more than satisfied with my purchase. Now that I’ve owned a Graphiteleader there will be another one.....the problem is I want the Super Finezza or the Super Bellezza.......life is upgrade!....LOL.

Regards

Well Randy, I do believe I called this one...Corto rules

[Alphahawk]

I will have a video up in a day or so of first fish with the Corto. The spot I’m fishing is stacked now with smaller white bass....7-8 inch cookie cutter fish.....I mean literally thousands have made the run to the dam. The bigger fish will show up eventually. I had a Certate 2004H spooled up with 2# test SOS line......which is really 3.5# test. I had exactly 3/4 pound drag dialed in....casting a 2 gram Daiwa jig head with a Midnight Blue ThunderHawk. The rod is a dream to cast and fish. These fish were hitting very light....water temps at 48 degrees. Even white bass get very finicky at times. They were not slammmg it but just picking it up. I felt every fish and did not miss a single one. On hook up the rod would bend into a nice curve and you can feel every twist and turn of the fish. It is a dream to fish with. I went back today and fished with the Palms Egeria XUL hoping to have a lot more fun using a softer action rod. While I caught fish it was very difficult to feel the bite...so picked up the Corto again to try 2 new lures out and didn’t miss a fish. Next trip down will have a reel with ester on it and that should be a blast. I am more than satisfied with my purchase. Now that I’ve owned a Graphiteleader there will be another one.....the problem is I want the Super Finezza or the Super Bellezza.......life is upgrade!....LOL.

Regards

Well Randy, I do believe I called this one...Corto rules

Oh yeah...no doubt. Thanks for the input.....if their lower end fishes this well the upper end must be off the charts.

Regards

[rtkolk]

Curious if you prefer the Corto over the Blue Current TZ. Is there one you'd choose over the other? Realizing the Yamaga is $100 more.

[Alphahawk]

Curious if you prefer the Corto over the Blue Current TZ. Is there one you'd choose over the other? Realizing the Yamaga is $100 more.

You know if I was only able to buy one rod between the two.....and I had been able to test each rod out.....I would have chosen the Corto because of a 100 dollar price diffence. But these two rods really fish different. One is solid tip one is tubular. That is a tough call...I don't want to get rid of either one....LOL. I am a fan of Torzite guides but not sure the cost is worth it over the new Sic-S guides. I weighed my Blue Current the other day to compare it to the Corto weight. Corto...1.95 ounces....Blue Current.....2.2 ounces. So the bottom line is still, had I been given a choice, I would have picked the Corto because I don't think the Blue Current is worth 100 bucks more. Which has me thinking.....how can Graphiteleader make a rod that good which by all appearances is as every bit as good as many rods that are 100 bucks more?

Regards

[ultralight]

I finally got the 2018 Corto 6- 10" - same as Randy's in. I got it to take measurements so that I get educated on one sample of a JDM rod before passing it on to someone else.

Some thoughts:

1. I am VERY impressed by the performance to price ration. Randy is on target as to 'bang for the buck'. If one were to purchase the components including blanks, guides, wrap, finish, handle - I think it would easily run the $220 that the rod cost (before shipping).

2. It has considerable power and yet bends very nicely at 8 oz tension on the drag - suited for even 2 lbs line. It is on the high powered side of UL and I really think it will do just fine with 6 lbs test though Olympic only rate it to 4 lbs. At 2 oz weight, the power to weight ratio is off the charts for a production rod.

3. Made in Japan. THAT is the surprise for me at the price it is - including Titanium Fujis. Workmanship is beautiful as befitting a Japanese made rod. it is a simple build without a lot of bling.

4. Now I see how a solid tip works - it is very fast action, and yet when loaded with 8 oz on the line, it bends gracefully to cushion the line. Interesting.

I genuinely do not know of any USA rods that matches it in performance to price ratio. Quite impressed, though my caveat is that I have not actually fished with this rod.

[Craigthor]

After watching your review and specs, then the video of fish on the rod I really wish I could test this one out. I’ve been looking for a second rod that is longer and a bit more power then my TenRyu Rayz Spectra. Though my Spectra is an amazing rod I could use a bit more length.

[Craigthor]

Only question though since you’ve fished this rod how well do you think it would fish using PE instead of Ester? I fish Sunline Small Game PE .4 which is pretty thin.

[Craigthor]

In a couple of weeks I’ll do a comparison to my Spectra with the Corto, they are 2 different price points but very similar spec wise outside of length.

[Alphahawk]

Only question though since you’ve fished this rod how well do you think it would fish using PE instead of Ester? I fish Sunline Small Game PE .4 which is pretty thin.

Sorry somehow I missed this. I think it will do fine.


Regards

[Craigthor]

A quick question as I know you own both how does this rod stack up to the Lunakia you purchased?

[Alphahawk]

A quick question as I know you own both how does this rod stack up to the Lunakia you purchased?

Quality wise it would be hard to really notice a difference. I’ve taken a magnifying glass checking the wrapping and guides looking for overruns. They are both of impeccable quality. The Corto has an IPS reel seat with EVA foam and Lunakia has an graphite reel seat with a nice weave in the carbon. The actions on the rods are noticeably different. The Lunakia is the first so called “light game” hybrid rods I’ve owned.....meaning a cross between Ajing/Mebaru. The action on it is such that medium bluegill could provide one with some fun. Catching a medium bluegill on the Corto I’ve decided not so much....but 8-9 inch bluegill could be fun with it. Corto is solid tip and Lunakia is tubular with what TenRyu calls a “MagnFlex Top”. As to sensitivity I cannot say yet which is better....if one is more sensitive than the other. Both are very sensitive but have not fished either one enough to make that judgement. Both rods instantaneously let you know you have had a hard hit.....a fish has hit on the fall.......or a fish has picked it up just mouthing it. Both of them are sensitive enough I can feel what the Japanese call the “Off bite”. Meaning a fish has it and is swimming with you and it is not so much as what you feel...it is what you don't feel....the resistance of the jig. Both of these rods allow one to feel a jig of 1 gram or less. The Corto has a .5 gram rating on the lower end and the Lunakia just states up to 5 grams.....but trust me you can easily feel a 1 gram jig with either. So far I have not fished a .5 gram jig yet. So in the end they are quite a bit of difference in the 2 rods. The Corto is 5 grams lighter than the Lunakia. Both are a pure joy to fish with and both cast effortlessly. Which always surprises me with these stiffer rods.....the Japanese just do some amazing stuff with graphite. In the end the Lunakia cost me about 100 dollars more....but keep in mind I got free shipping on the Corto so really about a 70 dollar difference. So I question myself is the Lunakia worth 70 dollars more than the Corto and the answer is yes....they are 2 completely different rods. In a way I wish I had never purchased the Corto. Since owning it and doing a ton of research.....consulting with Allsorts....and a guy in Spain.......I will be gettting the Finezza Protype.....if not the Super Finezza. In other words I want some high end Graphiteleader rods. That can hurt a guys bank account. I have way too many high end JDM rods.....I think it is around 20 but I’d have to count and also have given a few away to my sons. What has amazed me through the almost 5 years of doing this I keep thinking I’m going to get an Ajing......or Mebaru...or area trout rod that fishes the same as a model of that type rod I own. It has not happened yet...which to me is astonishing. I have a Corto....ShoreLuck Limited....Blue Current TZ.....and a Truzer.....all Ajing rides and they all fish different. So I wonder what a $370 Finezza Prototype will fish like compared to the Tict Ice Cube Rods I own. The only way to know is to buy it and fish it.

Regards