Testing Conditions:

I fished on a section of the Tennessee River targeting largemouth and smallmouth bass.  Weather was stable and very hot.  I’m a jig fisherman so I was using a half ounce football jigs with 4” craw trailer.   I paired the rod with a Daiwa baitcasting reel spooled with 12 lb fluorocarbon.  (same setup as I used with the EliteTech rod)

Casting:

The one nice part about the tip being a bit on the softer side was that it made it easier to cast.  Generally speaking and when compared to other rods of similar power and action, I think this rod cast very well.

Sensitivity:

The rod has good sensitivity for the price range.  I was able to feel bottom cover as well as detect strikes from bass without a problem.

Power:

I felt the rod was fairly true to the MH-F specifications, although it actually felt a little more on the heavy side, and the tip being slightly more on the medium side.  It is my feeling that the tip should be stiffer on a true medium-heavy power rod with  a fast action.

Durability:

The rod seems well designed and durable.  Over the past few months, I have not noticed any degradation of the TAC handle material and the blank, guides and finish have not lost their luster.  I can see this rod lasting for several years.

Design/Comfort:

This rod also incorporates the TAC material instead of cork, which Fenwick claims to be more durable and provides enhanced grip over cork.  The rod comes with Fuji Alconite guides that do a great job and hold up extremely well.  On the water, the rod did a phenomenal job.  It was extremely hot and humid during my test and the TAC seemed to make a difference in keeping the rod firmly in place in my drenched hands.

I did have to make a slight adjustment on my hook sets, taking a little more aggressive hook set which I feel was due to the tip being a tad slower than fast, but after the adjustment I had no problems hooking up.

Applications:

After fishing with this rod a few hours, figuring out how it performed, I really enjoyed this rod.  I would call this rod a workhorse, there is really nothing fancy about it, but it just gets the job done.  I would call it a good “all purpose rod” although the tip was a bit lit for jig fishing.

Overall Thoughts:

This rod is a great all purpose rod for the money.  If you’re a jig fishermen like me, it may take a few trips to get the hang of fishing with this rod.  Overall I feel that most anglers will be very satisfied with this all purpose rod and the price will not break the bank!!

Ratings

Construction/Quality 8.00
Performance 8.00
Price 9.00
Features 7.00
Design/Comfort 8.00
Application 8.00

Total Score 8.00