A couple of months ago I posted a question on here asking about a good rod to pitch light (1/4-3/8) Texas rigs with. I was using an older G Loomis 844C MBR rod and just didn't like how it performed for that application. I received a few suggestions, including the Daiwa Steez SVF AGS 7'1" MH XF rod. Gary from The Tackle Trap recommended this rod and so did one or two other people. I couldn't find much for reviews of this particular rod online, but I know The Tackle Trap is very highly regarded for their knowledge of rods and reels. Gary gave me a great deal on the rod, so I pulled the trigger and bought it. After using the rod over the last 6-8 weeks, I thought I'd throw out my thoughts on the rod just in case someone else is looking at possibly purchasing it. Here are my honest takeaways from using this rod:
First, a little about this rod. It features the AGS (Air Guide System) guides. The guide frames (except the tip) are made of carbon instead of titanium or stainless steel. The guides are tilted forward as well. I'm assuming they do this so that the line has less chance to wrap around a guide by accident. The guides are very rigid. I've been very careful not to hit them on something or to step on the rod because I'm afraid that because of their rigidity they are also somewhat brittle. Maybe I'm wrong about this, but I'm not willing to test that theory. The guides are much lighter than stainless steel, and because they are rigid as well, they are supposed to transmit vibrations much better, which aides in sensitivity. In addition to the guides, the rod features Daiwa's Air Foam handle material. I will say that it is very comfortable to grip and use all day and I haven't felt the grip getting slick with sweat or rain. The reel seat is not a blank through design, so you have no direct contact with the blank. I would think that this would lessen the sensitivity of a rod, but based off of more professional opinions (Tackle Tour), it really doesn't. I can say from my experience with the rod that sensitivity is not a problem at all. Lastly, the rod is very light and balances very well. One thing I didn't like about the G Loomis I was using before was that it seemed quite tip heavy. The Daiwa Steez rod has balanced well with both a Daiwa Steez SV 103 reel and also with a Daiwa Tatula SV TW. I currently am using the Tatula reel because of the 8.1:1 gear ratio (my Steez currently has a 6.3:1 ratio, which I don't like for pitching baits), and I feel it balances really well.
Now on to the performance. So far I have tried using this rod for the following applications: T-Rigs (1/4-3/8 oz), jigs (3/8-1/2 oz), weightless T-rigged Senko's and Fat Ika's, shakey heads (3/16 oz), swinging jigheads (1/2 oz), and hollow-bellied topwater frogs. This is NOT a frog rod. It casts a frog really well, but the extra-fast tip is just not made for trying to walk a frog. Can it be done...yes. Does it do it well...not really. But I wanted to try. Even though this rod is rated for baits up to 1 oz, I feel like it excels mostly with lighter baits. My favorite bait to use with this rod so far has been a T-rigged Yamamoto Fat Ika. This rod does a fantastic job of letting me place the bait where I want it while also keeping the bait low to the water for soft landings. I also have really enjoyed the pitching performance with 1/4 oz T-rigs and 3/16 oz shakey heads. For me at least, once I get past the 3/8 oz weights for jigs and T-rigs, the pitching performance dips drastically. Accuracy and landing the bait softly becomes much harder and much less consistent. Again, maybe that's just me...I'll certainly never be mistaken for a pro bass fisherman. If I'm going to use a 1/2 oz or heavier bait, I'd rather roll cast or overhead cast with this rod. Regardless of weight, the sensitivity of this rod is fantastic (as it should be for the price). There have been a couple of times where I believe I have actually missed fish because I have set the hook too fast after feeling the bite due to the increased sensitivity. I don't have experience fishing the rod in deeper water since all of the areas I fish are generally 8 feet of water or less, but I do think the rod would excel fishing deep brushpiles or other cover. The rod always feels very crisp in hand, which is great most of the time. However, because of the extra fast tip and the crispness of the rod, there are times where I don't feel in control of the fish. I have a Shimano Expride 7'2" MH glass composite rod that I also love. When I hook a fish on that rod using a chatterbait or crankbait, I never feel like the rod is overpowered. I feel like the rod is taking the surges and fight of the fish and absorbing it. With the Steez rod, the extra fast tip means there's not a bend very deep into the rod. And because the rod is so light and crisp I sometimes feel like I'm not in control as much during the fight. Has this translated into lost fish...no, I don't believe it has. It's just a different feeling than I'm used to, since I've generally used fast or moderate fast tips on rods in the past. I think the longer I have the rod, the more I'll get accustomed to the way it feels when battling a bass. It's just something I've noticed that I think some others might experience if they get this rod.
The main deterrent for a lot of people to getting this rod is the price. It retails for $580, but I got a great deal at The Tackle Trap and wanted to try something high end for a bottom-contact rod to see if it would be worth the extra money. I also sold my G Loomis to help pay for the Steez, so it didn't hurt the wallet quite as bad. So is it worth it...maybe. For me, since I only get to fish weekends, am not a tournament angler, and don't rely on my equipment to make a living, I'm sure I could have been happy with a good but cheaper rod. But I'd also be lying if I said that it doesn't make me smile every time I pull the rod out and know I'm using one of the upper echelon rods available today. For those who enjoy enthusiast level tackle, I finally know how you feel. But will I buy another $500+ rod...doubtful. I've been very pleased with a couple of my other rods (Shimano Expride, Megabass Levante) that I know won't break the bank if I should need to replace them. But if money isn't a problem and you want a rod that is extremely sensitive, light, and well balanced, I'd certainly put the Steez on the short list of rods to try.
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Originally Posted by freelancer27
