By : Mark Hicks
Arkansas bass pro Mark Rose is known for his versatility. He excels with everything from fishing a shaky head worm with spinning tackle to punching matted grass with a stout flipping stick.
However, he relies on his super sensitive 7-foot, 2-inch, Lew’s Mark Rose signature Jig/Worm rod more than any other. He calls it his “feel rod.”
“The rod is built on a really light blank,” Rose said. “It lets me detect every rock, every clam shell, every bit of pea gravel. It’s the perfect feel rod.”
Although Rose and Lew’s designed the rod for fishing ledges with football jigs, big Texas rigged worms, and 15- to 20-pound line, Rose uses it for many other applications.
“It’s the most versatile heavy action rod there is,” Rose said. “I also use it for fishing swing-head jigs, jigging spoons and even for pitching to docks and bushes.”
Rose pitched a Strike King Menace grub to bushes with a prototype of this rod when he won his first MLF Cup event at Oklahoma’s Fort Gibson Lake in May of 2020.
“The handle isn’t long like a flipping type handle that gets caught on your shirt,” Rose said. “But it’s long enough that you can rest the butt of the rod on your rib cage. It has the perfect balance.”
Rose dotes on the handle’s non-slip Winn Grips that ensure a solid hold even in rainy weather. He said that the grips give the rod an “athletic feel.”
He matches the rod with a Team Lew’s Hyper Mag Speed Spool SLP Casting Reel, which has been his stalwart for the past two seasons. The reel’s magnesium frame contributes to its scant weight of only 5.4 ounces.
“The Hyper Mag is really light and super smooth, but it doesn’t compromise on strength,” Rose said. “The gears are strong and the drag has up to 20 pounds of resistance. I use the 7.5:1 gear ratio.”
He added that the Hyper Mag has Winn Dri-Tac knobs for increased control, a convenient collapsible hook hanger and a Speed Dial line indicator on the spool tension knob.
