Anglers are always looking for the next best thing to help them catch more fish. Bass anglers are especially susceptible to fall prey to the latest and greatest trends that may or may not have been proven on the water. After being burned one too many times, I’ve become quite skeptical when I hear about the next “game changer.”
However, the Trika 6X has proven itself to be a truly game changing rod, at least for me. It’s everything it promised to be: lightweight, durable, and sensitive. Trika, a newer company, spent the past four years designing, constructing, and rigorously testing rods to achieve results that speak for themselves. I’ve been fishing the following four rods all spring and summer, focusing specifically on the techniques each rod is designed for. Let’s dive into my testing.
Trika 6X Specs and Key Features
6X Spinning Rods
- Length: 6 feet, 10 inches
- Power/Action: Medium Lite/Xtra Fast
- Rod Weight: 3.7 ounces
- Line Rating: 4 to 10 pounds
- Lure Weight: 1/16 to ¼ ounce
I found this rod was perfect for Ned rigs and heavier drop shots. The extra fast tip allowed the rod to be super sensitive for really finesse bites, but the rod also offers an awesome backbone for when you set the hook and a big bass makes a hard run.
- Length: 7 feet
- Power/Action: Medium/Fast
- Rod Weight: 3.8 ounces
- Line Rating: 6 to 12 pounds
- Lure Weight: ⅛ to 1/2 ounce
This rod was great for wacky rigs, but the fast tip was stiffer than I expected. It was great for long casts and skipping docks with light baits, but made it a bit more difficult to cast accurately since the tip didn’t load much.
6X Casting Rods
- Length: 7 feet
- Power/Action: Medium Heavy/Fast
- Rod Weight: 4.2 ounces
- Line Rating: 10 to 20 pounds
- Lure Weight: ⅜ to 1 ounce
If you like throwing jigs or heavy Texas rigs, this is the rod for you. I fell in love with the 7-foot, medium-heavy throughout my months of testing. It’s got an awesome backbone for fighting fish away from cover, but also a soft enough tip to ensure they stay pegged throughout the fight.
- Length: 7 feet, 3 inches
- Power/Action: Medium/Fast
- Rod Weight: 4.2 ounces
- Line Rating: 8 to 17 pounds
- Lure Weight: ¼ to 3/4 ounce
This rod was much more experimental for me from the get-go. I wanted a rod that might work well for shallow crankbaits or chatterbaits and settled on the 7-foot 3-inch, medium power with a fast action. While it didn’t turn out to be my favorite cranking rod, throughout my testing I found this to be the perfect spinnerbait rod. It allowed me to make long, accurate casts and feel the blades thumping as I brought it back to the boat.
Testing the Trika’s 6X Rods on the Water
In late April, I got my hands on four rods from Trika’s 6X line. I decided to go with two spinning rods and two casting rods that would work well for some of my favorite techniques. Since then, every time I hit the water I’ve had a Trika rod in my hand.
As a tournament bass angler, I’ll admit that I’m not gentle with my gear, rods especially. After months of casting, catching, and dropping them on the deck of my boat, these rods have held up to the torture I put them through.
Derek Horner
The sensitivity in the 6X line comes from a design feature called the EkkoChamber which amplifies vibrations in the rod. The EkkoChamber can be seen right where the reel attaches to the rod, and is different from other rods because the blank goes into the handle farther. This increased sensitivity really helped me dial in what was a bite and what was just underwater structure. With the 6X, each bite is unmistakable, it feels like the bass are hitting the lure with a baseball bat. Underwater structure typically feels spongier as the lure hangs up and the line tightens, but a bite just feels aggressive, even with finesse tactics. This was especially helpful when fishing deeper rock piles or submerged trees.
The lack of EVA or cork on this line of rods is also unique. The carbon weave handle is bonded to the rod blank which gives you even more sensitivity. Cork or EVA can cause you to miss subtle bites, but the carbon weave handle allows for increased sensitivity throughout the entire rod. The grip on the handle is also well designed, with the bottom of the handle widening out to prevent hand slippage in wet conditions when you’re trying to make long casts. Overall, the handle and grip were very well thought out and the fishing experience was better than I’ve had with traditional cork or EVA handle rods.
What the Trika 6X Does Best
Trika
If you can’t tell already, I thoroughly enjoyed using these rods over the past few months. They are incredibly lightweight, offer great sensitivity, and allowed me to make some impressively long casts, even with lightweight rigs. The EkkoChamber paired with the carbon Axial Weave truly sets the 6X lineup apart. The team at Trika has even run independent tests on the 6X series that have allowed them to claim 2X the sensitivity of their competitors.
Trika
While I won’t be claiming these rods were clearly two times more sensitive than other rods I have on my boat deck, I can admit the sensitivity in these rods compared to others was palpable.
Their independent testing also shows that the 6X line offers more castability, which I did notice while on the water. Trika claims a 26 percent increase in casting distance over the competitors, which again, I won’t be confirming or denying, but I will admit that in my on the water testing, there was a noticeable difference in castability and the distance I was able to achieve during a normal casting cycle.
Derek Horner
Fishing is all about feel, so putting exact percentages for sensitivity, castability, and durability can be really tough to understand as an angler. What I can tell you is that I noticed a true difference when on the water, whether that’s to their exact measurements or not. I was very impressed that the 6X line truly did feel lighter, more sensitive, and allowed me to make longer casts.
There are plenty of rods available with the 6X line as well, five spinning rods and seven casting rods. These offerings cover a wide range of techniques you can fish with them, and I plan to add more to my lineup before the summer ends.
What the Trika 6X Can Improve
Derek Horner
While I do love fishing these rods, there’s always something that can be improved upon. Frankly, I’d love to see more rods added to their offerings. I was hopeful that the 7-foot 3-inch casting rod would be a decent shallow crankbait rod, but the fast tip didn’t allow for the crankbaits to run with their full potential. Practically the entire lineup offers fast or extra fast tips, which makes fishing moving baits more difficult. As this is a newer lineup, I’m hopeful that moderate action rods will be added in the future.
Final Thoughts on the Trika 6X Rods
Overall, if you’re in the market for a new rod, you won’t be disappointed with any of the Trika 6X options. The durability these rods offer is hard to find with some competitor options, and when you tack on the extra sensitivity the EkkoChamber offers, it’s a deadly combination. While the 6X may not be a budget option, it’s worth every penny. At $299, the 6X series is fairly priced based on the materials, design, and overall fishability you’ll receive. The durability of these rods can’t be understated either, there’s nothing worse than paying top dollar for a rod and having it break when you boat flip a bass, with the 6X series, I’m much less concerned that will happen.
I’m excited to continue putting these rods through their paces throughout the rest of the summer and fall, I’m sure they won’t let me down.
