Tom On The MAP TKS 725 Professional
Having heard my good friend and MAP consultant James Dent waxing lyrical about this pole, I was really keen to get out on the bank and have a play with one. It is billed as an all-rounder, light and stiff enough to be used for silver-fish work but strong enough to be used for carp fishing. Our chosen venue of Peatling Pools was certainly going to test its strength to the limit because I could see several very large, dark shapes cruising under the surface before I even got to my peg!
The first thing that struck me was how well packaged the pole is. It took me the best part of five minutes to get into it! All of the major sections boast their own hard plastic tube, with more tubes full of spare sections, match kits and power kits, of which there are plenty! The pole is currently supplied with three match top threes, two match top fours, three power kits and two short No4 sections, which must be one of the most comprehensive spares packages in its price range.
All of the kits include MAP’s unique TKS (Top Kit Solution) system, which means that the top tip sections are marked where appropriate bushes can be fitted, making it nigh-on impossible to cut top kits back too much, and maximising the length of pole that you get for your money.
I fitted one of the match kits with the No12 elastic that it is recommended up to, and threaded a No14 elastic through a power kit. My first punt was to ship out to the full length of 16 metres and have a try at dobbing for one of the numerous dark shapes that were lurking just beneath the water’s surface. The pole was stiff, light and responsive and I would have been happy to fish with it at its full length with a match kit on all day. There cannot be a better complement for a pole in this price band!
It wasn’t long before a large portion of carp intercepted my pellet and an angry lump of muscle headed off up the lake! Never once did it feel as if the pole was in any danger of snapping and a feisty 8lb common was soon in the net.
Jon was also doing battle with a lump, and having thrown a couple of handfuls of corn in down the edge I could already see a couple of tails waving at me. This meant that I had to draft the power kit, complete with margin rig, into action!
There isn’t a better test for the all-important top six sections of a pole than short-range margin fishing, especially if, like me, you are not a fan of adding sections and following carp out!
It wasn’t long before it faced its first test and yards of strong latex were streaming out. As anyone who has watched me margin fish will tell you, I don’t take any prisoners, but this pole stood up quite easily to everything that I could throw at it. I had to fish as quickly as possible just to keep up with Jon, however, because he looked to be getting one a bung as well!
The pole was ticking all the right boxes but the final thing that I wanted to try was fishing the pole at a long length with a short No4 section instead of a standard one. This made a big difference at 14.5 and 16 metres, making it feel quite a bit stiffer.
After three hours I was unsure who was in front and, given my recent form in our head-to-heads, I expected Jon to pip me! On this occasion I had the upper hand and my four weighs totalled 126-14-0, eclipsing Jon’s 112-0-0 effort. Get in!
I had enjoyed a great day fishing with a class pole that I would wholeheartedly recommend. If you are in the market for a mid to top-end pole, then this is well worth a look.
Jon on the TKS 725
A great pole with great recovery that’s impressive at 14 and 16 metres. The package is excellent and it’s a true all-rounder. The TKS 725 is just one more reason why MAP is now such a force to be reckoned with.
| TECH SPEC MAP TKS 725 Professional Stated length: 16m Actual length: 16.11m Closed length: 1.79m Top-two length: 1.91m Top-three length: 3.29m Top-four length: 4.7m Top-five length: 6.28m Top-three length with No1 removed: 2.61m Power-kit length: 2.7m Standard-kit elastic rating: No12 Power-kit elastic rating: No20 12.7m butt diameter: 49mm 14.45m butt diameter: 49mm 16.11m butt diameter: 49mm Weight at 12.7m: 868g Weight at 14.45m: 1,213g Weight at 16.11m: 1,560g Other features: Top Kit Solution System, ASG Finish, Ultra Stratification Technology, MMS Technology, 12-month guarantee RRP: £2,300 SSP: £1,499.99 Package: 16m pole, two match top four kits, three match top three kits, three power kits, two short No4s,cupping kit, tubes, holdall Spares: Match top three £79.99; Match top four £190; Power kit £59.99; No4 £110; short No4 £59.99 |
