Blog

If you’ve ever swapped from a 1/4oz to a 1/2oz jighead and thought, “Why does my rod suddenly feel different?” —you’re not imagining it. Rod feel changes dramatically depending on the jighead weight, depth, drift, and current. It’s not the rod that’s inconsistent — it’s how the blank responds to load, recovery, and tension. Here’s…

Missing bites is one of the most frustrating parts of softbait fishing — especially when you know fish are there. You feel something, go to strike… and there’s nothing. Or worse: you never felt anything at all. The truth is this: Most missed softbait bites have nothing to do with skill — they come down…

If a softbait rod feels heavy in the tip, you’re already fishing at a disadvantage. Poor balance doesn’t just make a rod feel “off” — it directly affects strike detection, fatigue, lure control, and overall performance. Here’s what every NZ softbait angler needs to know about balance. Why Balance Matters More Than Raw Weight A…

If you’ve ever picked up a rod and thought “Why does this feel dead?” — chances are the blank wasn’t the real problem. One of the biggest killers of rod sensitivity is something almost no factory rod builder talks about: The grip-to-reel-seat transition. A rod blank is at its most sensitive when it’s untouched —…

K-Labs Custom Built Rods — Rods of Fine Design Every angler knows the feeling: you cast out a softbait, start working the lure, and something doesn’t feel right. The rod feels numb. You can’t feel the lure. Little bumps don’t register. The connection isn’t there. The rod feels “dead.” This is one of the most…

K-Labs Custom Built Rods — Rods of Fine Design Most anglers talk about “sensitivity” as if it’s a single feature you can buy off a label. But in softbait fishing, sensitivity is one of the most misunderstood qualities in a rod. Some swear a rod is “super sensitive” because it’s stiff. Others think carbon tonnage…

Choosing the Right Rod for New Zealand Soft Bait Fishing Softbait fishing has become one of New Zealand’s most effective, exciting, and rewarding ways to target snapper, kahawai, trevally, and a range of inshore species. The technique relies heavily on the right rod—one designed to work lures naturally, transmit subtle bites, and fight fish efficiently…

Most anglers think softbaiting success comes from how you work the lure. Lift… drop… twitch… repeat. But here’s the truth: In New Zealand, the majority of snapper are hooked before you ever start winding. They eat the softbait on the drop — that crucial moment when your lure is sinking naturally through the water column.…

Softbaiting is one of the most effective ways to catch snapper in New Zealand — but your results depend massively on how you rig your softbaits and which jighead shape and weight you choose. NZ fishing isn’t like other countries. We fish deeper water, stronger current, and drift far more aggressively. That means the right…

The Ultimate Softbait Rod Buyer’s Guide — What Actually Matters in NZ Conditions By K-Labs Custom Built Rods — Rods of Fine Design Buying a softbait rod should be simple — but the moment you walk into a tackle shop, you’re met with a wall of labels, tonnage numbers, “high modulus” promises, lure weights, tapers,…