Comments: I purchased a thunderbird to fish medium sized moving baits and top water walking baits. I am in sales and my territory has quite a few ponds to hit on the way home. I took the rod out for a quick test shortly after it arrived and noticed my shimano bantam was loose. I check the lock down ring and it was tight. I discovered the reel was moving from side to side not forward and backward. I removed the reel and found the reel seat has a slight drop cut into it ( its made of wood) and where the wood meets the threads for the lock down ring, there is a slight hump that my shimano reel would not sit on and created a pivot point that allowed the reel to move. I tried my shimano chronarch mgl150 and had the same issue. I tried my old shimano core same issue. Took the rod to a local store and tried a daiwa tatula 80 and everything tightened up. Tried the daiwa zillion and it was tight also. I did not try a lews or abu garcia. So far it looks like I can only use a daiwa reel with this rod. I HATE daiwa reels because i have never had one last more than a season. I will be searching for an alternative. Side note I have a dragoon and shimanos work fine on it because it has a slightly different reel seat. If the stym palides has the same reel seat as the thunderbird, it will be a hard pass on that one as well. Fit and finish was good, the rod was light and sensitive but having to use a daiwa reel is a deal breaker for me. - tight lines

From: Andrew : Greenwood In 7/21/23

Comments: I finally got some time behind my Triza DRAGOON. by time, I mean i casted about several thousand times with it. I flew in, so I grabbed a Shimano SLX DC reel, just because it had the freshest braid in the correct poundage. i was casting 5/8-3/4oz baits against the wind. some days it was gusty. the rod would slingshot the baits very very well. when the wind slowed down, I could empty what seemed like half the spool. I was bank fishing. the Dragoon is surprisinly light. oh, I only used the REGULAR taper tip. when i got a Striper to bite, it was "Fish on!" the rod worked the fish awesome. never felt like a multi-piece rod on the fight. from what I could tell, the fish hated the rod. only one time after countless cast did I notice the tip had turned clockwise a tiny bit. probably user error. I popped it apart and reinserted with a twist. no more movement after that. i could walk the dog pretty well. a slightly softer tip would have helped but once I calibrated my movments, I got it done. one thing. pay attention to the reel tightening nut. it can come off during a turbulent plane ride, and since it is a multi piece rod, and there is no line guide in the butt section..that reel nut can go MIA. easily!! on the flight home, I turned it all the way down and slighly snugged it. it would SUCK if you get to some far away destination and that part went missing. I might go as far as putting a piece of gaffers tape on it, on very important trips. like BRAZIL. anyways, just something to think about and be aware of.

From: c: L 4/24/23

Comments: This is a phenomenal three-piece casting rod. It is lightweight, sensitive, and is NOT fragile. Blindfold your friends, hand them this set up, and they will think its a one-piece. Pair it with lightweight reel and you're in business. I've caught a lot of fish on the rod since picking it up three weeks ago and it is a machine. If you need a travel rod with a lure weight rating of 1/4oz to 5/8oz, then this is the rod for you.

From: Remington: Minot, ND 8/8/21

Comments:  I purchased the grilz very light - very sensitive - the attention to detail spent on this rod is unlike any other . It's truly a rod you'll want in your Arsenal for life . It's nothing like a typical 3 piece rod we have in mind or grew up with .. once linked you can't even tell it's a travel rod .. the rod line up dots were a nice touch . Have mine paired with a shimano aldebaron ( light meets light ) and it's a rod you'll want to cast all day - highly recommend.

From: Dean: Las Vegas 12/3/20