Trika USA is a new fishing gear company that uses premium materials like carbon fiber to create quality American-made tackle. Last year, just before ICAST, they introduced new Trica Ti Series Spinning ReelsA high-quality sealed spinning reel that utilizes aerospace-grade materials in its construction. So, for about a year now, I’ve been fishing with a 2000-size Trika Ti Series spinning reel. 7ft Trica 6X Rod For bass and inshore species. Being a lightweight combo, both physically and power-wise, I used it primarily as a great setup, but still put the combo through its paces when fishing some bigger water. So after a year, let’s see how the Trica Ti Series Spinning Reel with 6X Rod fared.
Fishing coverage on All Outdoors
Specifications – Trika Ti Series Spinning Reel and Trika 6X Rod
- DLC-coated titanium shaft
- Titanium and Avcarb Drag Washer
- titanium one-piece bail wire
- 8+1 sealed stainless bearings
- fully sealed body
- Type II Hard Anodized Finish
- one year warranty
- Ratio – 5.2:1 (1000 – 2500 reels), 6:1 (3000, 4000 reels)
- Drag – 10 lb (1000), 13 lb (2000, 2500), 15 lb (3000), 20 lb (4000)
- weight – 6.2 oz(1000), 6.3 oz(2000, 2500), 7.2 oz(3000), 7.5 oz(4000)
- Mono Line Capacity – 6 lb/100 yards (1000), 8 lb/100 yards (2000), 8 lb/125 yards (2500), 10 lb/125 yards (3000), 12 lb/125 yards (4000)
- Brad Line Capacity – 10 lb/110 yards (1000), 10 lb/125 yards (2000), 10 lb/150 yards (2500), 20 lb/130 yards (3000), 30 lb/140 yards (4000)
- row retrieval – 25.8″ (1000 – 2500), 32.7″ (3000), 35.7″ (4000)
- MSRP – $249 – $299
- grip carbon weave
- three years warranty
- Rod length – 7 feet
- power/action- medium light/high
- Rod weight – 3.8 ounces
- Line Rating – 4 – 10 pounds
- Greed for weight – 1/8 – 3/8 ounce
- pieces – a piece
- Handle Length – 9 inches
- guide count – 8+1
- MSRP – $421
First Impressions – Trika Ti Series Spinning Reel and Trika 6X Rod
First impressions of the Ti series spinning reels and 6X rods were that both were very light and well built. With a 6X rod that comes with carbon fiber weave grips, it feels incredibly light. The reel is quite light as it is made mostly of metal, very aesthetic machine work has been done on the spool, rotor and handle to lighten the reel. The build quality of the reel seemed great, even using good Torx head screws to secure the body sideplate. While it’s nice to be lightweight, I had some concerns about the stick possibly being fragile.
Out in the Ponds – Trika Ti Series Spinning Reel and Trika 6X Rod
The first stop to test the combo was a few ponds on the western edge of town, testing how well it worked at catching fish. Throwing unweighted soft plastics during the summer to lure sluggish bass into the summer. This proved to be a great combo for this, these light baits were easily thrown across the algae and grass mats into deeper water where the bass were positioned. You can feel the bite surprisingly well through the rod, even with small bass touching the worm.
Gulf Fishing – Trika Ti Series Spinning Reel and Trika 6X Rod
I try to get down to the bay as often as possible to catch more fish, so, of course, the Trika combo went with me. I used it mostly from beaches and bays to target coastal species like redfish, trout and flounder, but I also took the combo to the county pier to use it as an impromptu bait and squid rod. This was a great rod for targeting flounder on early summer mornings, as I usually walk a few miles up and down the beach at sunrise. I try to pack as light as possible for this, so a lightweight combo like this fits that plan perfectly. This also worked perfectly, I have had many nice flounder in the last year.
Up on the pier, the 6X rod really showed how sensitive it was when the sun went down. Normally, when I jig for squid, I move the jigs up and down and give the rod a big lift every now and then to see if there are any squid. You won’t feel any shock while fishing this way; Instead, you are simply watching to see if any heaviness is felt as the squid is attached to the rig. However, with the Trika rod, I was able to detect light taps of squid as they hit my squid jigs. I honestly think it’s pretty crazy to fish for rods like this, these are tiny squid, barely more than a few ounces, but you can feel them holding on to jigs with rods.
On the River – Trika Ti Series Spinning Reel and Trika 6X Rod
Although I used to fish lakes more than anything else, after a move, I have started fishing mostly on the Coosa River. Therefore fishing from above the bank or lock is common there. The main targets here are spotted bass, white bass and striped bass. It’s certainly not a great fishery, except for white bass, often having to throw good sized jigheads and swimbaits into the heavy current to find bass.
And when I caught the fish, until I had prepared my net. I was often rotating my catch about 15 feet above the lock wall and then flipping over the rail. This left me very impressed with the rod and reel. Holding a stick to turn a big buffalo, which I don’t advise all of you to do. Also when I was fishing the reel was not turning at all. But despite being able to bait these larger fish, I can also use combos to target whitebass and crappie with small jigs and spoons and have no problem finding a bite.
Final Thoughts – Trica Ti Series Spinning Reel and Trica 6X Rod
Overall, the Trica Ti Series Spinning Reel and Trica 6X Rod do everything you would expect from a premium rod in most aspects. They are very light but still capable of fighting and taking on larger fish. Honestly, I enjoy walking down the beach with this combo early in the morning to pitch jigs over surf breaks for flounder. Its lightweight nature is great for long days on the water. Although this may be a good general purpose stick, I think it excels as a great stick. Even after all the salt exposure when I put the combo on, I found only a little corrosion on a washer under the spool. The gasketing did its job well to keep water and sand out of the reel and protect the internal parts.
I want to say that I do have a few negatives that I want to point out. At first, you can lightly feel the gearing mesh as you spin the reel. While it’s not terrible, it’s also not as smooth as glass. So, for a reel of this price, some fishermen may be unhappy with it. However there are even more expensive sealed spinning reels that sound even worse than the Ti series spinners. The second is line roller; A reel on this reel is not moving as smoothly as I would like. I’ve opened it up and found some debris in the roller assembly, but no signs of rust on the bearings. This could be some dirt from fishing on the beach. Overall, these are quality American reels that have held up well to my hard use for almost a year, and I expect the combo to last for a long time.
