The rod under load

 
Durability: Though the rod felt a bit under powered when battling a significant sized fish, I never felt that the rod would snap on me. It did arc nicely with the six pound black bass, but like I said, I was still able to control her. Not once during the field test did the rod feel near breaking point thanks to the Carbon Veil Technology used throughout the HMG blank. The HMG blank is pure graphite but has the feel and durability of a graphite-fiberglass composite rod, which again, makes this rod a pleasure to fish for even deep running crankbaits.

In terms of components, we experienced no issues. The soft-touch coated reel seat didn’t wear off after months of field testing, but we’re still skeptical as to what one or two years of heavy use may reveal. The guides on the rod are marvelous. They are Berkley’s SS304 stainless steel guide frames with titanium coated inserts. The inserts are well mated with the frame and will not pop out as easy as some competitor offerings. These guides are a solid design and we’re now seeing other manufacturers making use of these components in their builds.

Check out the Berkley SS304 tip guide. These guide inserts are designed so as not to accidentally pop out even under duress

Ergonomics: The rod weighs in at a light 4.2 ounces and felt quite balanced at the hands. Fenwick’s exclusive soft-touch coated reel seat was comfortable and provides a solid grip even when wet. In addition, as we mentioned earlier, I really like the extended seat especially when palming the reel as it really helped to support my hands – an added bonus when fighting a fish or ripping jerkbaits.

Fenwick's HMG GT66M makes a great cranking stick, as these two Delta bass discovered firsthand

Application: Though the Fenwick HMG GT66M can be used for almost any bass fishing technique, it excels at working crankbaits and spinnerbaits. It has the right characteristics of a cranking stick, almost feeling like a fiberglass rod but still lighter and more sensitive than glass.

Zander's Take: Its been a long time since we have taken a look at a Fenwick offering, and after fishing with this rod...probably too long. The company has a lot to offer anglers, and with all the recent competition from overseas rod companies I think we ought to take a step back and once again take a serious look at what Fenwick has to offer. The HMG is a excellent mainstream rod, one that delivers on its promises, and unlike so many rods out there these days, won't break the bank to own. My favorite thing about this particular product is the soft forgiving feel the rod exhibits when jerking Pointers. The rod makes it easy to deliver instant feedback to slack lines, and when fish hit the lures they stay on as the rod isn't so stiff that it rips the lures out of their mouths prematurely. All in all a quality rod, one that certainly deserves consideration by anglers looking for a cranking stick at the 100 dollar price point. Perhaps best of all is that this rod is readily available at major sports superstores like Sports Authority and Oshmans, where anglers can take advantages of seasonal sales to pocket this rod for even less.