Trika 6X rods review | Outdoor living

Fishermen are always looking for the next best thing to catch more fish. Bass anglers are especially susceptible to this and after having caught a few too many myself, I have become quite skeptical when I hear about the next “game changer”.

The Trika 6X has proven itself to be a truly groundbreaking rod, at least for me. It’s everything it promised to be: lightweight, durable, and responsive. Trika, a newer company, has spent the last four years designing, building, and rigorously testing rods to achieve results that speak for themselves. I fished the following four rods throughout the spring and summer, focusing specifically on the techniques each rod was designed for. Let’s take a look at my tests and how they performed.

Trika 6X Specifications and Key Features

6X Spinning Rods

• Length: 6 feet, 10 inches
• Power/Action: Medium Lite/Extra Fast
• Weight of the rod: 3.7 ounces
• Line Rating: 4 to 10 pounds
• Bait Weight: 1/16 to ¼ ounce

I found this rod perfect for Ned rigs and heavier drop shots. The extra fast tip made the rod super sensitive for real finesse bites but it also gave a great backbone for when you set the hook and a big bass makes a hard run.

• Length: 7 feet
• Power/Action: Medium/Fast
• Weight of the rod: 3.8 ounces
• Line Rating: 6 to 12 pounds
• Bait 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 little harder to cast accurately because the tip didn’t load much.

6X Casting Rods

• Length: 7 feet
• Power/Action: Medium Heavy/Fast
• Weight of the rod: 4.2 ounces
• Line Rating: 10 to 20 pounds
• Bait Weight: ⅜ to 1 ounce

If you like to throw jigs or heavy Texas rigs, this is the rod for you. I fell in love with the 7-foot, medium-heavy during my months of testing. It has a great backbone to fight fish off cover, but also a soft enough point to keep them hooked the entire time.

• Length: 7 feet, 3 inches
• Power/Action: Medium/Fast
• Weight of the rod: 4.2 ounces
• Line Rating: 8 to 17 pounds
• Bait Weight: ¼ to 3/4 ounce

This rod was much more experimental for me from the start. I wanted a rod that would work well for shallow crankbaits or chatterbaits and chose the 7-foot 3-inch, medium power, fast action. While it wasn’t my favorite cranking rod, during my testing I found this to be the perfect spinnerbait rod. It allowed me to make long, accurate casts and feel the blades thump as I brought it back to the boat.

Testing the Trika 6X rods on the water

In late April I got my hands on four rods from Trika’s 6X line. I decided to use two spinning rods and two casting rods that would work well for some of my favorite techniques. Since then, every time I go out on the water, I have a Trika rod in my hand.

As a competitive bass angler I have to admit I don’t take kindly to my gear, especially rods. After months of casting, catching and dropping them on the deck of my boat these rods have withstood the torture I put them through.

The sensitivity in the 6X line comes from a design feature called the EkkoChamber, which amplifies vibrations in the rod. The EkkoChamber is visible right where the reel is attached to the rod and is different from other rods because the blank extends further into the handle. This increased sensitivity really helped me determine what was a bite and what was just underwater structure. With the 6X, every bite is unmistakable, it feels like the bass is hitting the lure with a baseball bat. Underwater structure tends to feel spongier as the lure gets hung 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 rod line 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 gives you increased sensitivity across the entire rod. The grip on the handle is also well designed, with the bottom of the handle widening to prevent your hand from slipping in wet conditions when trying to make long casts. Overall the handle and grip were very well thought out and the fishing experience was better than I have had with traditional cork or EVA handle rods.

What the Trika 6X does best

If you haven’t already figured it out, I’ve been really enjoying using these rods over the last few months. They’re incredibly light, offer great sensitivity and have allowed me to make some impressively long casts, even with lightweight rigs. The EkkoChamber combined with the carbon Axial Weave really sets the 6X series apart. The team at Trika have even carried out independent tests on the 6X series, allowing them to claim that they are 2x more sensitive than their competitors.

I’m not claiming that these rods are noticeably twice as sensitive as other rods on the deck of my boat, but I can admit that the sensitivity of these rods compared to other rods was noticeable.

Their independent testing also shows that the 6X line offers more castability, which I did notice when I was out on the water. Trika claims a 26 percent increase in casting distance over the competition, which again I will neither confirm nor deny, but I will admit that during my on-water testing there was a noticeable difference in castability and the distance I could achieve during a normal casting cycle.

Fishing is all about feel, so it can be hard for an angler to give exact percentages for sensitivity, castability and durability. What I can tell you is that I really felt a difference on the water, whether or not it was according to their exact measurements. I was very impressed that the 6X line really felt lighter, more sensitive and allowed me to cast further.

There are also plenty of rods available in the 6X line, 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 range before the summer is over.

What the Trika 6X can improve

While I love fishing these rods, there is always room for improvement. Honestly, I would like to see more rods added to their lineup. I was hoping the 7-foot 3-inch casting rod would be a decent shallow crankbait rod, but the fast tip didn’t allow the crankbaits to spin to their full potential. Virtually the entire lineup features fast or extra fast tips, which makes fishing moving baits more difficult. Since this is a newer lineup, I hope to see more moderate action rods added in the future.

Final Thoughts on the Trika 6X Rods

Overall if you are in the market for a new rod you will not be disappointed with any of the Trika 6X options. The durability of these rods is hard to find in some competing options and when you add in the added sensitivity of the EkkoChamber it is a deadly combination. While the 6X may not be a budget option it is worth every penny. At $299 the 6X series is reasonably priced for the materials, design and overall fishability you are getting. The durability of these rods cannot be understated either, there is nothing worse than paying top dollar for a rod and having it snap when you flip a bass over, with the 6X series I am much less afraid of that happening.

I look forward to testing these rods further over the rest of the summer and autumn, I am sure they will not let me down.