Guides are Fuji Hardloys, with rollers at the tip and the foot. The ring guides in-between are spaced very closely together, which is good in a stand-up rig like this, which may well get put into a “U” if you hook up with a honkin’ big pelagic that dives straight down, like a bluefin tuna. The reel seat has stainless-steel parts, a necessity for a rig that’ll take a salty bath every time you leave the dock. Bottom line: construction is exactly where it needs to be to hold up for the long run.
The tip section has enough give to take a bend from the fourth eye up with minimal pressure, while the middle section of the rod offers some serious power and won’t even begin to arc until you have six or eight pounds of pressure on the line. That means you’ll be able to maintain tension easily as you do the pump-and-crank, with a little room for error on the angler’s part. Aft of the last guide, you’ll be thumbing the spool to get a bend in it. This gives you some great lifting ability, even with the short length of the rod, before a horizontal line gets close to the hull of the boat. There’s also a lot more sensitivity in this stick then you’ll expect, and I could easily feel the turns and head-shakes of yellowfin and mahi-mahi. Chunker Bonus: the rod’s just the right length for pulling line from the tip when the butt’s in a gunwale holder, so you can easily run stripper lines off this rig. I know—it seems down-right weird for Fenwick to be building an offshore rod on this level. Like I said, handling it was the biggest surprise of the entire season for me, and it gets a huge thumbs-up.
Price: $250.
The Highs: Great lifting power with enough give at the tip to be forgiving. Built to survive serious offshore conditions.
The Lows: Too short to even think about using in a chair; it’s dedicated to stand-up, only.
Who Wants It: Serious stand-up guys on the hunt for big pelagics.
Contact: http://www.fenwickfishing.com
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