Grip It n' Rip It

By Grayson Fong

It has been a long standing debate amongst the fishing fraternity that has been discussed over many a beer or campfire over time.

Cork V EVA....which is better?

Many long standing anglers have grown up with their first fishing quiver having cork grips which was often accompanied by a shiny metal reel seat that could withstand the hardest of knocks but weighed enough to leave you at the end of your fishing session feeling like you had just had a bicep workout with The Rock! The advantages that laid within this combination showed anglers you can have a degree of comfort during your fishing time and while you battled fish, the feel of the cork grip gave you the sensation that you were really getting into the action.

EVA Has Arrived

Then came along the pretty boy of the rod building world… firm, pert and great in the hand, this ‘robust’ revolution turned the fraternity upside down, changing the impenetrable minds of many an old timer over from the dark side.

EVA rod grips have showed the fishing industry you can have the best of both worlds, light weight, mouldable, durable with a great feeling in the hand.

This product takes up the lion's share of today’s rod making due to its cost efficiency, but some rod builders and high end brands (Like us!) still give many diehard cork grip fans the option which has always been received with open hands showing it is possible to please both teams. 

Can You Feel It?

Sensitivity differences are truly up to the individual and due to the availability of a gaggle of fantastic modern reel seats many of today’s piscatorial hunters choose to have one, if not both options in their arsenal. 

Personally, I love the option of both giving me a broader scope when doing different angling applications. For my breaming, I love the EVA lightness of the Infeet Z range, if I’m feathering plastics down rocky banks or cranking weed flats, the reduced weight helps when doing a high cast volume session.

On the flip side, I love the cork feel of the TD Commander in spin and the Tatula in baitcaster when fishing for bass or mangrove jack as the comfort of using cork gripped rods act like a cushion for my hands when casting heavier baits and loading harder fighting fish.

In conclusion, the choice is really up to the angler but for the seasoned ones, never rule out the possibility that revolution can provide lightness and a breath of freshness to your fishing and for the youthful eager beaver anglers out there I’ll keep it simple, get cork, grip it and rip it!! You might just love it.