I have a lot of Shimano rods and reels because I’ve found them to be of high-quality right out of the box and exceptionally durable over the long haul. While I do own one travel rod from G.Loomis, which exists under the Shimano brands umbrella, I don’t have any with an actual “Shimano” decal on them. That’s likely because their three- and four-piece selections in the U.S. market are limited. Their Japanese lineup, on the other hand, is absolutely LOADED with multi-piece options.

I’m just about certain that the first largemouth bass I ever caught on an artificial lure came on the Original Rapala Floating Minnow, probably a size 5 or 7. I still throw a lot of their products, like the DT Series, and of course the Shad Rap, but until I saw them in a Brazilian tackle shop I had no idea that Rapala made rods, too.

Wisconsin’s St. Croix Rods is one of the few American companies that has shown a long term commitment to travel series at various price points, and for a wide range of situations. My friend Jesse Simpkins at St. Croix set me up to talk to two of his engineers: Jason Brunner, Director Operations; and Gavin Falk, Engineering Supervisor.

As I’ve tirelessly researched the Japanese travel rod market, I’ve continued to unearth new brands and products – some exceptionally purposeful, some decidedly odd.

If you’re going to the Andamans or Christmas Island or the Galapagos, there’s not a Tackle Warehouse next to your your lodging, and some outfitters require you to bring your own gear. You’ll need more than one rod, too, not just because you might be using varying techniques, but also because otherwise if you break your rod early in the trip you may be out of luck.

Multiple manufacturers have developed complete, self-contained kits for fishing on the go. They all contain at least a rod and reel. Some contain a protective case as well. Still others include line, terminal tackle, and/or a few lures. They’re great if you’re going on a business trip and there might be a small lake or river behind your hotel. They’re exceptional if you take long bike rides or hikes and might like to make a few casts along the way.

Swimbaits require special gear. When it comes to truly big baits, you can’t depend on most lodge/outfitter sticks, nor are they likely to provide the lures themselves. That means you have to come up with strategies to get your stuff to where the bass live. Full-sized rod tubes are an increasingly difficult proposition, and when you’re talking about rods 8 feet or longer, the odds get slimmer, so you need to find alternatives. That may mean three- or four-piece sticks.

Because the travel rods we already own are mostly from mainstream manufacturers, we’ve yet to try or embrace what we’d characterize as “enthusiast” versions. We owe a debt of gratitude for the term “enthusiast” to our friends at the Tackle Tour media empire. Even if they didn’t introduce it, they certainly popularized it in fishing circles.

I know that the one-piece purists among you will shudder, because I used to be one of you, but I’ve started to come around and I’ve amassed a selection of travel rods, but most of them are pretty generic in terms of action: 6- to 7-foot medium action spinning rods, and 6’6” to 7’6” medium-heavy baitcasters. This is the first one that has a specific purpose, in this case throwing big baits. It might not handle true giants like the Mother Chaser, but it’ll handle anything up to about 4 ounces exceptionally.