GSB1201L vs Century Stealth S1 Test Cast

[stripermaineiac]

One of the biggest factors in favor of the centurys is they seem to be all but unbreakable.I put the same effort into them that went into the CTM that I broke at the Rhody show. I didn't back off in any way and they held up. I've had more than a few Lamis to replace due to casting overloads. Especially the lighter ones.As far as fishing goes well they both fit differently with the styles out there. The Stealth I beleive are made to fit the fishing styles in a wider variety of situations where the other Centurys are made with distance more in mind in how they're built.
As far as doing a test on a rod well both need to be built or taped and balanced the same to get a true reading as thread,guides and epoxy all change a rods action. The more of any makes a huge difference in how they perform.It's like putting a bunch of stiffeners to a rod.
I due like how you did the test though as it is working in the right direction.By the end of this summer several of us need to compare notes that have built and fished a few of both to get a better comparrison.I'm impressed with how the furrels hold. No probs on the 3 I'm fishing so far.The 9 1/2 the 10 stealth and the 11. Ron

[Mike P]

One thing that I did notice about the 11' HJ 1327, after fishing it for a week, is that I am getting a slight amount of twist in the upper half of the rod while fishing. I've pretty much split its fishing time between throwing big surface plugs, and jigs or lead/plastic combos to 4 oz. One of the things people have told me is that the sections are hard to separate once you've set them and fished the rod for awhile, as is the case of the ferrules on the Mojo line from St. Croix. I did follow the advice that Ron Arra gives out, about lubricating the male part of the ferrule with one's facial oils before putting the sections together. But, as long as the sections don't lock in place with the guides out of alignment with the reel, I can live with it. It's just a little surprising, as I watched a couple of guys struggle to get one apart at the show.

The rod fits my casting style better than a GSB or SSU. As far as an XRA 1322 goes, I can't really do a fair side-by-side, as the Century has a concept layout with very light guides and short wraps, and the Arra has a COF layout with heavy V-frame Hardaloy guides (starting with a 50 mm) and longer wraps, including underwraps that traverse the entire length of the guide. My impression is, right now, both rods being built as they are, the Century throws farther starting at around 2.5 oz and up. Plus, it handles lead better. I haven't hooked into anything better than 20 lbs with it, so how it compares to the Arra when playing a fish is an open question. I've always felt that the 1322 fought a fish in current better than any other Lamiglas rod. Learning where the "power curve" of a rod works best on a big fish can only be done out there, with a big fish on the other end of the line.

As I stated before, I don't see any real similarities between the action of the 1322 and the HJ 1327. The Century is a lot faster in the tip, and the way it works a pencil popper is totally different. I would not want to even try to whip a pencil from an open beach, with no current, using the Century, and while the Arra may not be the ideal rod for it, it's certainly doable. To compare it to other rods that I've owned, to me, the Century is more like the All Star GSW 1267/2 than any other rod. Same tip size, too (9/64"), and very similar bend.

[numbskull]

Here is an interesting shot of both rods under 2.5lbs of static tip load, which felt like as much as I dared subject them to, although obviously at full load in a cast they handle even more.

The Stealth has the taped guides, the GSB finished guides. Rotating the Stealth so the guides were vertical (they are not in the picture) had no effect.

The Stealth (at least in midflex) is a softer lighter action blank. The reason it casts a similar distance is likely that it uses technology and taper (I'll bet that at extreme load the difference in tip deflection narrows as the Stealth tightens up) to get more high end reserve power, but since it is designed for lighter action the end result is a similar amount of power transmission as the GSB.

I am also learning that the Stealth series is a different design than most other Century blanks that are stiffer and likely more geared towards casting.

Again, this Stealth blank builds a very nice and capable rod....so I am not bashing it at all....but if you are planning to replace your GSB1201M this is probably not the blank to do it. It is more in line with the power of the 1201L.

[numbskull]

Last time Dave loans me a blank.
Here they are at 3.5 lbs.
Interesting