Kenney inks rod deal with HALO

J.T. Kenney of Palm Bay, Fla., holds up his catch at Lake Hartwell. Photo by Gary Mortenson. Angler: Jt Kenney.

April 12, 2012 • MLF • Archives

Straight Talk pro JT Kenney recently entered into an agreement with HALO Fishing to become his exclusive rod supplier for the 2012 season. Kenney has worked with HALO Fishing in recent months to fine tune its full line of bass fishing rods including their signature flipping stick. In the last decade, the Palm Bay, Fla., resident has worked closely with two other major rod manufacturers and has custom built more than 200 rods of his own. Kenney joins EverStart pro Randall Tharp on the HALO pro staff, who joined in late February.

“This isn’t just another rod sponsor to me,” said Kenney. “They’ve really given me reigns over the design, so I’m excited about it.”

The most unconventional aspect of HALO’s 7-foot, 11-inch Extra Heavy Flipping Stick is its parabolic bend. This is something unique to the flipping stick world and exemplifies the innovation that HALO Fishing wants to bring to the bass-fishing market.

“There are a lot of cranking rods out there with a parabolic bend but you don’t see any strong, heavy-duty flipping sticks where the whole rod bends,” said Kenney. “If you set the hook on a flipping fish expecting it to be an 8?pounder and it turns out to be a 2?pounder, you’ll jerk slack in your line using a flipping stick with a fast tip and the fish will come unhooked. If the whole rod bends, it keeps your line tight and that gives you time to reel back down and never lose contact with the fish.”

HALO Fishing co-founders Alex Pappas and Lionel Botha are using Kenney’s enthusiasm and experience to their advantage.

“We are thankful to have someone of JT’s experience working with us on the design of our rods,” said Pappas. “He is as excited about constantly improving the product as we are and we believe his experience on the water is a huge asset in creating the best rod available.”

The Twilight Series retails for $139.00 to $149.00 and is available in a range of sizes from 6′ 6″ spinning rods to 7′ 11″ flipping sticks. For more information on Halo Fishing please visit their website at www.halofishing.com.