Lab Tests:
First stop for our STZ701MRBA was actually the boat
because we were so excited to fish this rod, but shortly thereafter, we strapped
it up to the RoD WRACK where we took note of the rod's deflection
characteristics in comparison to other similarly powered sticks. The following
list of rods includes previously reviewed sticks as well as other members of our
2009 Crankbait Rod Wars
|
Lab Results for Daiwa Steez STZ701MRBA-FL |
|
Model |
Avg RoD (2-32 oz) |
Taper |
Measured Weight |
Balance Point |
Balancing Torque (ftlbs) |
| Daiwa STZ701MRBA-FL |
2.4 |
M-Fast |
4.2 oz |
8.5" |
|
| Phenix X-10 700 |
2.42 |
Fast |
4.2 oz |
8" |
.190 |
| Kistler MgCBCGGM66 |
2.4 |
M-Fast |
4.8 oz |
8.5" |
.211 |
| Falcon CCB-5-174DR |
2.25 |
M-Fast |
4.7 oz |
5.5" |
.118 |
The Fle-X-Lite uses air-foam grips
which are lighter than cork or ordinary EVA
What we found is the STZ701MRBA-FL is pretty similar to the
previously reviewed Phenix Rods X-10, with respect to deflection under a
constant load. In fact, both rods have nearly identical RoD ratings, weights,
balance points, and balancing torque numbers.
Are you sure that isn't a glass
tip?
The fact our STZ701MRBA-FL tested out so closely to the
Phenix X-10 700, we were quite interested to see how the two sticks compared to
one another on the water.
The Fle-X-Lite features a brown
and gold motif
Real World Tests: Once
done with the tests we could once again get the rod back on the water, over the
long term tests we paired the rod both with a Steez 103SHA as well as a Zillion
100SHA, as expected the rod balanced out perfectly with the Steez reel. We
fished the Fle-X-Lite for a seven month period with majority of testing
conducted on Clear Lake and the California Delta, and during this period we also
compared the Fle-X-Lite side by side with other rods in our rod wars lineup.
The machined aluminum fore-nut is
anodized to match the blank
