Ron Thompson Axellerator Rod - Gear Review

The Ron Thompson Axcellerator is a Beach caster now with a cult following among certain crowds in the sea fishing domain and with good reason! So taking the rod out the sleeve and you instantly get when the sun hits it a grey snakeskin like effect of the carbon of the extremely strong IM7 Blank underneath the high build with the graphics saying Axellerator in yellow just above the Japanese shrink wrap which runs down to the butt cap. Looking up the rod which is 13ft 6 inches you have black whippings with metallic red edging whips which set off a lovely look, the high build is even and well done too. You have at the bottom a rubber butt cap with little studs on the bottom for grip and working up there is strong sliding screw winch reel seat which will take multiplier or fixed spool and holds it solid with no wiggle, although it is very chunky it will certainly last and not fail you easily.

The rod guides are all black genuine Fuji BMNAG guides. The rod is rated to cast 4-8 ounces The rod has a price tag of around £149.99 depending on the trader. The 2 piece rod goes together faultlessly and shows plenty of spigot it’s very thick at the bottom end and this rod is a bit of a poker it seems but that being said the cult following are a lot of Rock anglers and real rough ground fishermen, I’ve had one for years and can certainly certify that when the going gets tough no rod will compare to this one for the money it’s A LOT of bang for your buck in strength and casting if you can bend it upon casting. Heading over the field with it and I have a Penn battle 2 teamed up with 20 mono and 80 shock leader. I don’t bother putting a smaller weight on I’m diving straight in with 6oz of lead and give it an off the ground thump and instantly hit 136 meters with it. Upon reeling it back in you can see it’s definitely a bit of a poker as the tip doesn’t flex much but on the upside of things that will bring your gear up quicker out of the rough stuff, the blank is incredibly strong and I look at the camera playback and it didn’t even really put a bend into the rod. Strapping on a 7 oz I wound it up in a pendulum cast and tried to get a bit of a bend in it and it flew out to the horizon I knew it was a better cast and when measured out it went to 164.2 meters which is one of my best casts I’ve done. Having the confidence now and watching again on the play back I put a small bend in it and it would obviously take a lot more! So pulled out the 8oz lead clicked it on and wound it up with another pendulum and it..... cracked off went high and landed with the leader about 80 meters away, I collected lead and leader and changed the leader to 100lb in case it was that. All set again and I wound it up and same thing another crack off this time I knew it was me and my technique it’s not always that smooth so retying the leader again I decide to remove the aerial part and do a off the ground cast. I do it with some power and I think it was close to cracking off again the rod bites harshly when I add power and it is very unforgiving but the lead flew and was in the field and measuring out it was 147 meters... user error? Most likely! I’m sure in the right hands this rod will put a lead well in excess of 200m I have used my Axcellerator for fishing locally at Bossington and some rough & rock marks too and there isn’t a rod that will do it better that costs more or in the same bracket as this rod! It is a lot of rod for the money you pay, you will need to add some reflective tape to the ends as it doesn’t come with any. People often say about the bite detection being terrible... Yes ok it’s not the best but its not a match rod and it’s not so bad! Yes it isn’t as pronounced as a tip tornado super match or a tournament rod but then this rod will see you through the rough stuff that the others won’t! This rod will let you see dog and whiting bites with no issues yes they are not as pronounced but you won’t miss them either. This rod is made with a certain job in mind and it does brilliantly, I bought one originally and sold it when I got a WR300 and TTGSM and then I ended up regretting it and bought another one of a friend Darren that had one going cheap. So all in all if you are looking for a rod that will fish mixed ground through to the roughest and kelpiest ground this is the rod you want. If you want a rod that will bully large Huss, conger, cod through the roughest marks, launch large baits and weights then again this is your rod. I will be taking this rod with me when I go skate fishing this year along with the WR300. All in all it’s a fantastic rod with a deserved reputation and following I also recommend watching sandmans tackle time on Youtube where he reviews one and lifts a engine block head with one where all others smash in half this takes it well and demonstrates just how strong and well made the blank really is! It is a lot of rod for £149.99 Overall I think this rod is Marmite you will either love it or hate it! I will always have one in my arsenal for a set job as I don’t think there is a better rod to do the job! Pros: - Strong rod will handle any fish and grounds. - 4-8oz casting weight. - Aesthetically pleasing. - Well made. - Punish the rod and it will keep going it will see you through the “roughest stuff” - Only £149.99! sometimes a bit cheaper Bad points: - Although Fuji eyes they are quite brittle and break easy if you’re not careful. - Bite sensitivity isn’t the best. - Large chunky rod and not the lightest. - Unforgiving when casting with power. - No reflective tape on tip.