Sensitivity: Abu Garcia doesn't advertise the grade of graphite used in their Fantasista Premier rods, but whatever blend they are using results in a stick with very good sensitivity giving more reinforcement to the rod's suitability as something dedicated for jigs and soft plastic baits. The company makes it perfectly clear that they are making use of 3M's Powerlux 500 resin system in this rod, but the resin is what serves to hold the graphite together. 3M's material in particular makes use of nano particles to help increase the durability of rods built with their resin.

Fig 1 : The chart above illustrates the deflection characteristics of our Abu Garcia Fantasista Premier FNPC70-6 Casting Rod against two of our baseline heavy powered bass rods.

Power: Back to the power discussion as we all know each and every manufacturer has a different interpretation of what the words medium, medium heavy, heavy, etc. means to them. This is why we started our RoD Deflection Charts to begin with to serve as a basis of comparison when discussing a rod's power.

Checking out that tip.

In the case of the FNPC70-6, I wasn't just imagining the rod felt more like a heavy powered rod, back in the lab, these suspicious were reinforced by how well this rod compared to both a G.Loomis MBR844C GLX and a Daiwa Tatula TAT721HFB. So if you're looking for something more versatile from the Fantastista Premier line, we'd suggest looking at their 5 or 4 powered sticks instead of the 6.

The reel seat is designed by Abu Garcia ...

... but fulfilled by Fuji.

Design & Ergonomics: As mentioned earlier, the FNPC70-6 has a really nice feel to it in hand and that's thanks in large part to how well the rod is balanced - just five and a half inches above the midline of the reel seat. It's overall weight is not impressive at all for a medium heavy powered stick, but the excellent balance makes it feel lighter than it actually is. The rod's minimalist reel seat only adds to its comfort in your hand and the rear handle is just long enough to enable two handed casting without getting in the way when fishing more aggressive baits.

The handle's butt end is sculpted for comfortable, two handed casting.

One blank technology feature the manufacturer labels on the blank is the use of "tetra-axial" carbon composite. We're assuming they are referring to the cross weave pattern on the blank. Trouble is, this pattern only shows up in the bottom quarter of the rod so the reinforcement is not very extensive - or at least not quite as extensive as we've seen in other sticks. There's no doubt more and more manufacturers are turning to this cross weave technology though.

The rod features an open ended hook keeper.

Cork in the handle is good quality but not the best. There is still a good amount of fill in the material.

Price & Applications: The FNPC70-6 is priced at $299.99 and while I preferred it for vertical bait presentations, it's also quite suitable for heavier jerkbaits and some paddletail swimbait type baits fished on a single jig-style hook as well. But fishing jigs and soft plastic baits is definitely this rod's strong points.

One angler's mid-line rod is another's high end stick and the FNPC70-6 is comfortable with either label.

Conclusion: One angler's mid-line rod is another's high end stick. This is the dilemma many a $300 rod series faces and such is the case with Abu Garcia's Fantasista Premier line. Whichever category this rod series fits for your personal budget and perspective, know that the FNPC70-6 has the refinement of an upper tier stick yet is still obtainable thanks to its more utilitarian components (i.e. guides). More importantly, beyond how the stick is put together is the fact it performs inline with other rods in its price range making it a solid decision for your lineup if you're in the market. I personally enjoy the rod's crisp feel, comfortable reel seat, and excellent pitching performance. It makes an excellent partner to my Scorpion 70 reel. Thank you Abu Garcia for another solid rod series.

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