Megabass of America Destroyer X7 Aaron Martens 71 F7-71X7 Product Review

Enthusiast Review

Megabass's Destroyer X7 Aaron Martens 71!

Date:	12/21/14
Tackle Type:	Enthusiast
Manufacturer:	Megabass of America
Reviewer:	Cal

Total Score: 7.63 - GOOD

Introduction: By all accounts, Megabass's strategy of introducing in an entirely new audience to the experience of their product with the debut of their "budget" series, the Orochi Double X over two years ago was a success. However, established fans were less than enthused. Last year, the company addressed these fans and upped the ante with a revamp of their base destroyer line. We've been fishing these sticks since their introduction and here now is our first detailed look at the line. Introducing our take on the F7-71X7 Aaron Martens 71 by Megabass.

Destroyer F7-71X7 Aaron Martens 71 Specifications
Material	Core Implex X7 Graphite
Length	7'-1"
Line Wt.	12-30lb
Lure Wt.	3/8-2oz
Pieces	1
Guides	9+tip
Rear Handle Length	10"
Power Rating	Heavy
Taper	Fast
Rod Weight	5 ounces
Origin	Mixed Origins, final assembly in Japan
MSRP	$685

Introducing Megabass's F7-71X7 Aaron Martens 71.

Quality/Construction: Every Megabass stick comes with high expectations for a clean, precise build, but how did our test model stack up? Well, in true Megabass fashion, despite all the different materials, joints, etc., our F7-71X7 was put together very nicely. The rod's blank feels unfinished or maybe it has a very thin matte coating. It's hard to tell with the Yoloy wrap around the blank.

Quality Ratings for Destroyer F7-71X7 Aaron Martens 71
Finish (1-5)	Grip (1-5)	Epoxy (1-5)	Blank (1-2)	Guides (1-2)	Total	Possible	Rating (= Tot/Pos * 10)
5	4	5	1	2	17	19	8.95

Rod's rear grip is split and made of cork. The cork itself is clean, but there's still a good amount of filler in the material. Epoxy around the perfectly aligned guides is in great shape, but the blank on our test model has an ever so slight curvature to one side. Admittedly, we're knit picking here, but this is a Megabass.

The F7-71X is part of Megabass's relatively new Destroyer X7 lineup.

Performance: I initially paired the F7-71X7 with a Shimano Metanium reel paying homage to Aaron Martens (this is his current favorite reel). While I did enjoy this rod with that reel, the Metanium wasn't quite exotic enough for the stick, so I eventually switched things up pulling my Abu Garcia Morrum AE74 out of retirement to compliment this lovely stick.

"F7" translates to extra-heavy in rod-speak.

Casting: The F7-71X7 is a heavy powered stick with a relatively stout tip, so don't expect it to be a casting wonder like the F6-72X4 Destruction. Having said that, this stick will hold its own in both casting and pitching duties for baits within its recommended ratings (3/8oz - 2oz). I cast and pitched everything from jigs, to crankbaits, and smaller glide baits with this stick and it handled all of them quite well. Just don't expect to load up with this stick and break any distance records - it's not built for that type of casting.

A look at how Megabass handles adornment of the split real seat.

Sensitivity: This is actually my second Destroyer X7 stick - the other I'm still in the process of testing, but the blanks for these rods rate very well in terms of sensitivity. In addition, Megabass makes use of the smallish guides on this stick - especially towards the tip -so the rod behaves very efficiently in terms of transmitting feel back to your hands all the way down at the reel seat and handle. In other words, this is a sensitive stick!

The real seat locking mechanism is transformed to decorative piece while still serving its primary function.

Next Section: Let's talk about "Power"