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By K-Labs Custom Built Rods – New Zealand Introduction — Why Recovery Speed Matters More Than You Think Ask most anglers what makes a rod cast further and they’ll say: But in real NZ fishing conditions — wind, chop, drifting boats, softbaiting currents — the factor that quietly matters most is: recovery speed. Recovery speed…

By K-Labs Custom Built Rods — New Zealand Introduction — Rod Breakage Is Not What Most Anglers Think Every angler has seen it: A rod snaps mid-cast, or during a fight, and the first thing you hear is: “Must’ve been a weak blank.” “It snapped because the fish was too big.” “High sticking did it.”…

What Sensitivity Really Is — And Why Most Anglers (and Brands) Get It Wrong By K-Labs NZ — Fishing Rods of Fine Design Introduction — Sensitivity Is Not What You Think Every angler talks about rod sensitivity. Few actually understand what it is. Most people believe sensitivity comes from: But true sensitivity has nothing to…

Fishing Rod Parts NZ — The Complete Guide to Choosing Quality Components (2025) By K-Labs Custom Built Rods — New Zealand If you’re looking for fishing rod parts in New Zealand, you’ll know the problem already: Most online information is vague or outdated. NZ conditions are tough on gear. Cheap components fail under real load.…

Why Perfect Guide Placement Matters More Than Guide Count When most anglers think about rod performance, they focus on the blank, reel seat, or grip. But there’s a quieter hero that affects sensitivity, casting distance, blank stability, and fighting power: 👉 Guide spacing. The placement and number of guides will either unlock a blank’s full…

Introduction Most anglers judge a rod by how it bends. Very few ever think about how fast it unbends. That speed — known as blank recovery speed — has a massive effect on how far you can cast, how straight your lure tracks, and how much control you have during the entire cast. For NZ…

By K-Labs Custom Rods NZ Introduction Most anglers never think about it. Most factory rods don’t get it right. But reel seat placement is one of the most important decisions in rod building — and one of the biggest reasons custom rods feel so much better than mass-produced rods. Move the reel seat forward, and…

By K-Labs Custom Rods NZ Introduction Ask most anglers what makes a rod “sensitive” and you’ll usually hear one answer: “High modulus carbon.” It’s the most overused line in rod marketing — and one of the least understood. Sensitivity is not a single material. It’s a combination of design factors that determine how much vibration…

Bought May 2014 · Price Paid: £75 GBP · Current Model: ~£125 GBP Back in May 2014, I picked up a pair of Palm Nova launching boots — ordered from the UK because that’s usually where the sharper deals are, and the NZ range for this type of gear can be limited. I said I’d…

When the Tip-Top Insert Breaks It’s one of the most common issues anglers face — a chipped, cracked, or missing ceramic insert in the tip guide. You’ll often hear it before you see it — a faint scraping sound as the line runs through, or subtle fraying near your leader knot after a few casts.…