Shimano is a brand that covers a couple of different markets with extremely high-end componentry, so it makes some sense to apply this specialty to fishing rods that are basically a blank with various bits of componentry.
Because of this approach, the Shimano Convergence “Musky” Casting Rod offers some excellent features.
However, Shimano doesn’t aim to just offer excellent components, wanting to provide a complete rod– despite the lack of decades of experience like most of their competitors.
Of course, starting the race late requires some secondary benefits, and Shimano accomplishes this by offering a good value.
The question is: does the Shimano Convergence “Musky” Casting Rod provide enough value both in terms of cost to capability as well as the overall floor and ceiling?
This review breaks down the baitcasting fishing rod to identify what it does well, where it might fall a bit short, and who should use the Shimano Convergence.
Contents
Review
Construction (craftsmanship, make quality)
Unlike some of the other models made by the brand, the Shimano Convergence “Musky” fishing pole blank is made entirely from graphite which heavily impacts its overall craftsmanship.
However, the “Musky” version of this lineup is meant for far larger fish than your average casting pole as evidenced by the line test that goes up to 100 lbs.
This means that the choice to only use graphite for the blank will heavily depend on the quality of the graphite (which is covered later) in terms of whether the rod is strong enough to handle the fight.
The good news is, handling salmon and steelheads means you should be able to avoid some of the nastier debris and vegetation– just be careful not to snagged and pull too hard on a rock.
Length
Because the Shimano Convergence “Musky” fishes larger quarry in trickier waters, you need to be able to accurately hit a target from a distant spot.
As such, the length of this rod is a bit longer than normal which provides a bit more casting distance while the various specs help maintain solid accuracy.
Material
This is one area where the Shimano Convergence “Musky” baitcasting rod would normally hit all of the right marks for almost any other kind of casting rod.
However, when you’re fishing salmon and steelhead like this rod is meant to do, you generally want something with a little bit more substance to it than just graphite– especially when the graphite is bare without an additional reinforcing cover or wrap.
Beyond the totally graphite blank, the Shimano Convergence “Musky” fishing pole uses solid materials across the board.
The aluminum oxide guides help prevent tangles while the cork handle may be pretty unspectacular but is still solid.
The real highlight of this group is the Carboloy tip.
Action
The Shimano Convergence “Musky” baitcasting pole may only come in the solitary action of fast, but this is actually a benefit for this type of pole.
For starters, salmon and steelhead generally tend to congregate in specific pools which require a fair degree of accuracy when casting to hit.
However, steelhead and salmon are also notorious for being nibblers as much as biters which is another area where this action comes in handy.
The ability to not only set the hook quickly but also set deep in their thicker jaws is invaluable for fishing both of these species when they might not be the most active.
Power
The power of the Shimano Convergence “Musky” casting fishing rod is fairly narrow, hovering around the heavier end of the spectrum with just extra-heavy and medium-heavy offerings.
However, when you consider the kind of fight you’re liable to encounter against steelheads, you’ll be thankful for every bit of strength you can get– especially out of the entirely graphite blank.
That said, the moderate modulus afforded by the IM6 graphite at least prevents the extremely long pole from bending to an unwieldy degree.
Just be sure to apply proper technique when reeling the fish in to prevent the rod’s blank from giving in if the fish is near the weight limit or is behind obstacles.
Weight
The Shimano Convergence “Musky’s” weight needs to be understood in relative terms given that it’s designed to catch larger fish.
That said, all of the different materials used for this rod are as light as they can be, so even the larger size should still equal out to about the average weight of your standard, smaller freshwater casting rod.
Sensitivity
This is definitely one of the most important considerations of any rod, but as mentioned prior, a rod’s sensitivity can be vital for fishing salmon and steelhead, in particular.
This is also almost certainly the reason that the Shimano Convergence “Musky” fishing rod only uses graphite for the blank.
This material provides far more natural sensitivity than any other commonly used blank material.
When you combine this with the fast action, the only thing that puts even the slightest damper on this rod’s sensitivity is the fact that the graphite is made with a moderate modulus instead of a high modulus.
Taper
The Shimano Convergence “Musky” baitcasting fishing rod has a well-shaped taper that bends at the appropriate point without any significant hitch.
A big part of this has to do with the use of IM6 graphite, both in terms of the flexibility of the graphite as well as the moderate modulus provided by the IM6 tempering process.
Rod Guides
The Shimano Convergence “Musky” fishing rod shows its brand’s roots at this point with excellent componentry, though it’s still somewhat specialized.
For instance, the Fuji aluminum-oxide guides are great at preventing your line from getting tangled, but not suitable for braided lines which will eventually cut through the guides.
Even better, the Shimano Convergence “Musky” also comes with a Pac Bay Carboloy titanium carbide tip to prevent the most common break.
Handle (material, shape, etc)
The Shimano Convergence “Musky” baitcasting rod comes with your standard, classic cork construction.
While this may not be special, it’s reliable and incredibly common, and Shimano’s cork seems to be just as good as anyone else’s.
The split design and trigger grip also provide for a quick hookset.
Type of Rod
The Shimano Convergence “Musky” fishing pole is a baitcasting rod which means the guides and reel seat sits at the top.
This arrangement places all of the stress on the blank which is not ideal for this pole given its IM6 graphite composition, especially when pulling the fish out of the water.
Uses (Who is this good for)
The Shimano Convergence “Musky” baitcasting fishing pole is priced as a mid-tier casting pole which prices it a bit out of the beginner range.
Though, the casting design means that you could always still attach a spincast rod to it.
Still, this is a rod for intermediate and advanced fishermen trying to catch salmon and steelhead specifically.
That said, this rod is probably a good enough value that virtually anyone trying to catch large, strong fish in rocky waters should give it a go.
This recommendation, of course, assumes you already have your primary fishing pole and are just looking for something easy that you don’t have to fuss with too much.
Reel and Real Seat Compatibility
As a baitcasting rod, the Shimano Convergence “Musky” fishing pole has a reel seat that sits at the top of the blank.
This means you can use a simple spincast reel if you’re a beginner or a baitcast reel if you’re an expert or intermediate fisherman.
It’s worth noting that this rod uses a custom reel seat.
Warranty
By and large, the Shimano brand doesn’t offer one of the better warranties with a 30-day money-back guarantee on the entire product and a 1-year warranty on the blank.
This sits at the extreme low end, and it also doesn’t help that the shipping process often results in the blank breaking.
Customer Service
The Shimano brand is decent, but it’s nothing to write home about.
You shouldn’t necessarily avoid this brand, but Shimano shouldn’t necessarily fill you with some sense of extreme security.
If the blank breaks, the company responds as you would expect, though there’s a reasonable chance you’ll have to use it.
Conclusion
As we can see, the choice to use graphite exclusively without further reinforcement is somewhat disappointing as it can make the biggest, toughest steelheads potentially out of reach.
Granted, excellent technique can make up for a minor lack of strength and durability, but you still need to be careful not to push the pole too far.
That said, for your average fish– even salmon and steelhead– the Shimano Convergence “Musky” is more than capable and even offers plenty of additional features.
That’s where this fishing rod definitely sets itself apart from a lot of the other mid-tier competition: excellent materials contributing to high-end componentry– much as you might expect from the brand.
However, its design means that it’s not going to be for every fisherman, especially if you are a beginner who doesn’t yet have a firm grasp on casting.
But for virtually any intermediate or expert fisherman who fishes for salmon and steelhead, this is a great value option for when you don’t want to have to struggle and just fish.
