SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (Feb 21, 2017) - While Lew's has been busy getting production started on the new Mark Rose "Ledge" rods after months of developing the unique series, Rose has been feverishly putting a stamp of approval on his signature models with back-to-back wins along the FLW Tour.
Rose kicked off February and his 2017 tournament season with a $125,000 first place check for his prowess at fishing shallow grass lines and wood and rock relevant to pre-spawn staging areas on Alabama's Lake Guntersville.
He followed that victory with another February big payday by relying on his well-known offshore structure fishing skills to catch bass as deep as 50 feet for the win on Lake Travis in Texas.
The contrasting winning styles showcase Rose's versatility and validate the logic behind his Ledge series that became possible when his relationship with Lew's was expanded a few months back to include rods as well as reels.
The Rose selection features six casting models and one spinning, with his namesake Ledge lineup becoming part of Lew's top-of-the-line Team Lew's Custom Pro rod series.
"I've relied on Lew's reels for years, but I can assure you there's been nothing on the market like these rods until now," said Rose, who has long been recognized as one of the best open-water anglers in the country.
"Targeting ledges and other offshore structure require different rod blank and tip actions for certain baits ... it's all about lure control and the feel of what's happening down there.
"Lew's allowed me the opportunity to get these rods exactly the way I wanted for these types of applications. The resulting seven models represent my countless hours spent fine-tuning blank diameters, lengths, actions and number of guides to get everything about each rod just right."
Rose's casting rods range in length from 7 feet, 2 inches, to 9 feet, with actions varying from medium to heavy. Each model is named according to its intended purpose: Jig & Worm, Swimbait, Small Crankbaits, Big Crankbaits, Magnum Crankbaits and Long-Range Crankbaits.
The 9-footer is designed for long distance casting with big baits, and is collapsible for storage convenience.
The Rose series spinning option is a 6 feet, 10 inch all-purpose ledge rod.
"For examples of lure sizes in mind for the small, medium and magnum crankbait rod actions, think Strike King's 1.5, 6XD and 10XD. And the spinning action is ideal for bigger shaky head offerings, Ned Rig-type baits and such," added Rose.
Like all Team Lew's Custom Pro rods, Rose's models are manufactured using Lew's exclusive Nano technology. The process features an internal multi-layering of resins and graphite to deliver a lightweight blank with superior strength and maximum sensitivity, made possible by an outer core of 85-modulus graphite.
The new Rose casting rods are easily distinguishable from other Team Lew's series by having full-grip handles instead of split grips.
All grips are constructed from A-Grade cork with EVA and Duracork inlays. Rod guides are Tangle Free stainless frames with zirconium inserts to afford smooth line flow for long-distance casting. Reel seats are Lew's exclusive SoftTouch graphite skeletal seats.
"I've been involved in the design of thousands of rods throughout my career and I agree with Mark that these are unique models for their intended applications," said Bob Brown, Lew's rod development specialist.
"His actions were developed especially with fishing the ledges of the Tennessee River system in mind, but we knew even before his Lake Travis win that they had much broader application. Mark's models were rigorously tested on a number of well-known open-water bass fishing venues, including Rayburn, Toledo Bend, Falcon, Table Rock, Bull Shoals, Grand, Okeechobee and Lake of the Ozarks. Their performance is unsurpassed."
Rose's 20-year professional fishing career includes participation in FLW, B.A.S.S. and Major League Fishing events. His recent FLW win was his eighth, and the first time that any angler has recorded back-to-back FLW major tournament wins. Rose now has 47 Top 10 finishes and more than $2 million in winnings to his credit.
The Lew's Mark Rose Ledge rods will be sold through a variety of fishing tackle retail outlets, with MSRPs ranging from $209 - $249, depending on model. The anticipated availability for retail purchase is early May.