Ontario smallmouth guru Nick Cousvis is picky about his bass tackle, and while he knows there are a wide range of premium rods with top-shelf components available, few of them fit his specialized needs. That’s why he’s integrated multiple models of the DESTROYER P5 lineup into his arsenal – they allow him to put more fish in the boat and to feel more firmly aware of what’s going on beneath the water’s surface.
“If I had to describe simply what makes them different from all of the other rods out there, it’s the adaptive taper,” he said. “Throughout the cast there is connectivity in everything that you’re supposed to feel, from the cast to the retrieve to the hook set to the fight. It allows the angler to be precise in everything that he does.”
Here are four of his favorites:
Spinning – DESTROYER P5 (USA) F2.5-76XS FLYSSA
MSRP: $499 USD Length: 7’6” | Lure: 1/16 – 3/8oz | Line: 4 – 10lb | Power: Light+ | Action: Fast
Cousvis realized that the FLYSSA was a different beast altogether while fishing with a tournament partner on Lake St. Clair, using the same basic lures, in the same weights, except that he could cast further and more accurately.
“I was outcasting him by 15-20 yards,” he recalled. “It was almost like taking a bow, loading the arrow and shooting it. I was just so much more efficient.”
This is the rod that he typically uses for 1/8 to 1/4 ounce moving lures, like the OKASHIRA SCREWHEAD paired with HAZEDONG or SPARK SHAD swimbaits. When he wants to go a little bit deeper, he won’t hesitate to employ 3/8 ounce lures on it.
“What’s really special about this rod is that you stay connected to very light baits when they’re moving,” he explained. “With many other rods you lose that feeling. I always know where the bait is in the water column, whether it’s high or low. And that taper is the key to keeping the fish hooked. On long casts I don’t even need to set the hook. I just pull up and reel a couple of times. One the lure is in their mouth, the deeper bend allows the fish to suck it in and keeps them pinned.”
It’s also his summertime deep water dropshot rod. The 7’6” length may be more than some finesse anglers are accustomed to, but Cousvis again believes those few extra inches make a monumental difference. “You don’t have to whack them on the hook set, but the fish is still pinned,” he said. “With the extra length a reeling hook set is all you need, and with a real light hook you’ll never straighten it out.”
Casting – DESTROYER P5 (JDM) F5.5-72X X-BITES
MSRP: $499 USD Length: 7’2” | Lure: ¼-1oz | Line:10-25lb | Power: Heavy | Action: Ex-Fast
Even in smallmouth country, Cousvis likes to use traditional tactics to coax bigger bites, and a jig is a key tool, but sometimes a smaller, light-wire finesse jig is the path to success. He can’t employ a heavy broomstick when that’s the path forward, so the X-BITES fills a valuable niche.
“It’s the best finesse jig rod I’ve ever used,” he said. “It’s extra fast, ultra-lightweight and ultra-sensitive. The sweet spot is 3/8 and ½ ounce lures, and although you can go lighter, I wouldn’t recommend you go heavier, because you risk overpowering the blank. I used it for flipping light lures in relatively open water, around outside grass lines, scattered rock and docks.”
He believes that the 7’2” length is perfect for this application, allowing him to make long casts when needed, but also to operate in tight quarters. Either way, it’s sensitive enough to feel subtle bites on a slack line and then to drive the steel home.
“Ninety nine percent of the time it’s a smallmouth thing for me, fishing from 8 to 15 or even 20 feet deep,” he said. “What makes it special all goes back to that taper. You’re in constant contact no matter which way the rod is bent and then because of the way it’s constructed you simply don’t lose fish on it.”
Casting – DESTROYER P5 (USA) F4.5-611X ONETEN SPECIAL
MSRP: $499 USD Length: 6’11” | Lure: 3/8-3/4oz | Line:8-20lb | Power: Medium | Action: Fast
While this rod is named after one of the most productive jerkbaits in bass fishing, Cousvis was surprised that it also works exceptionally well with lures like the ITO SHINER, which is the same weight but requires more of ripping action to maximize its effectiveness.
For jerkbaits, where the lure is manipulated almost exclusively by the rod on a slack or semi-slack line, the taper of the rod can enhance or deaden the lure’s action. If you end up with the latter, the lure won’t perform as intended.
“Some blanks get dead at a certain point,” Cousvis said. “So they’ll work OK with one jerkbait, but not with another that requires a different action. You also want a rod that flexes fairly deep or you’ll end up overworking the bait. You need it to bend further down so that the rod snaps and makes the bait kick off to the left or to the right, but not too much that you wear yourself out. The VISION ONETEN does not need as much input as the ITO SHINER to kick off to the left or right, but what’s amazing about this rod is that it bends exactly to where it needs to.”
The ”crispy” quality of the graphite also allows him to detect soft biters to get them to the boat.
“Not only do you get quicker hooksets, but you stay connected to the fish when it’s hooked,” he said. “You don’t know when the bite is coming to happen. That’s why people typically lose so many fish on these three-hooked lures. With this rod, the hooks connect quicker. Each of these rods is built to do a few things well, to excel at a particular technique, and this one is a shining example of that.”
Spinning – DESTROYER P5 (JDM) F3.5-72XS WIND BUSTER
MSRP: $475 USD Length: 7’2” | Lure: ¼-5/8oz | Line:6-16lb | Power: Medium | Action: Med-Fast
On the big northern lakes, wind is the name of the game, and when it’s blowing hard, or in the wrong direction, it can take baitcasting gear out of the equation. That’s when Cousvis locks the DESTROYER P5 WIND BUSTER in his hands for moving baits – typically swimbaits and small hardbaits.
“When using a swimbait, one of the most important features of a rod is to be connected to the bait during the retrieve,” he said. “Speed and depth control are everything and the WIND BUSTER does it perfectly. Its sweet spot is 3/8 to1/2oz, but will effectively control up to 5/8oz.”
One of his favorite techniques for tempting and taming trophy smallmouths in the fall involves casting midweight swimbaits, and depth control is key. Once he dials in where the fish are in the water column, he works diligently to keep the lure exactly right. “The rod transmits the right amount of information back to me, so I can maintain a steady depth, which gives the bait a very realistic swim,” he said. “Trophy fish love to track it and it doesn’t take much that’s wrong to get them to turn up their noses at it. Missing the mark by a foot or less can mean the difference between a tournament winning personal best and an empty livewell.
This constant connection to the bait also helps detect super light bites which are very common with this style of fishing.” The distinctively crisp, medium-fast taper of the WIND BUSTER keeps him in contact with his lure at all times and still uncoils promptly to take over the headshakes of bulldogging fish.
