Premium fishing rod grip manufacturer Winn Inc. has named five-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier Russ Lane to its pro staff.
“I am definitely excited to be working with Winn,” Lane said. “A lot of people know my reputation for getting maximum performance out of all of my equipment. And Winn grips bring advantages in performance and comfort that you just can’t get from other materials.”
Winn’s handsome multi-textured rod grips emerged from the patented design and polymer technologies of Dr. Ben Huang, who worked under “the father of rocket science,” Dr. Wernher Von Braun, in the development of the Saturn V rocket that took Apollo astronauts to the moon. Winn, a world leader in golf and tennis products, introduced its first full line of high-tech rod grips made from the patented WinnDry polymer in 2014.
“Russ Lane’s love of Winn products comes from his passion for tackle improvements that add to his fishing performance,” said Dr. Ben Huang, Winn founder. “He was one of the first fishermen in the Bassmaster Elite ranks to recognize the new high-tech benefits that Winn has put in the angler’s hand.”
Lane’s first introduction to Winn came through his rod sponsor, CastAway Rods, which introduced the premium Invicta rod line with Winn grips in late 2013.
“I absolutely fell in love with the Winn grips on those rods,” Lane said. “I noticed, first, that the grips feel tacky and give me more control. The Winn grips really shine when they get moist…I also found that my hand feels less fatigued at the end of a day of fishing. I don’t have to grip the Winn rod handles quite as firmly to maintain control.”
Now Lane has retrofitted other tools in his rod arsenal with Winn grips as well.
Lane installed the grips himself to learn as much as he could about the product. He made a pleasant discovery along the way.
“I figured it out quickly that replacing grips is really easy to do,” Lane said. “After I did the first one, it took me no more than 10 minutes to install each grip after that. It just takes several steps and a couple of small, inexpensive tools.”
