Creature Fever Double Feature... Megabass!

Total Score: 8.17 - GREAT

Introduction: Megabass continues to churn out new and exciting models faster than we can procure, measure, fish, and evaluate. Case in point, we were all set with our testing and ready to write up the Orochi FX-711X4 when we caught wind of a new offering in the very popular X4 lineup, the Black Python. Knowing full well what the F7-76RSDti White Python was about, I had to procure the Black Python to see if it was an X4 counterpart. The only trouble was the Black Python's ratings did not coincide. Instead, the Black Python's ratings were the same as the X4 Seven Eleven? But why? So I held back on writing up the FX-711X4 until I had a chance to put the Black Python through some paces. Here now is what I found.

Impressions: The FX-711X4 is very much a toned down version of the very first Megabass stick we reviewed here on TackleTour, The F7-711X Seven Eleven from the Destroyer lineup. It has the prototypical thin handles of the X4 lineup, but made of cork to tie back to the Destroyer line. Further, and again reminiscent of the original, the X4 Seven Eleven has spiral wrapped guides (turning to the left). It's interesting to see customers walk into a store and pick up the FX-711X4 only to put it back down again because of their confusion over the spiral wrapped guides.

Introducing Megabass's Orochi X4 FX-711X Seven Eleven ...

Lab Tests: Given the rods' identical ratings the next stop for our newly acquired Black Python was at TT HQ and an appointment with the RoD WRACK. What we discovered? The FX-711X and FX-81X4 are indeed the same blank but built two different ways. Their RoD curves are nearly identical but weight and balance points are different because of the different builds. It appears Megabass was quite aware of the confusion that spiral wrapped guides on a rod sitting in a rack within a US tackle shop can cause consumers, but instead of discontinuing the FX-711X4, they provided a different option in the Black Python.

In our April 2011 review of the F6-72X4 Destruction, we introduced the X4 lineup with a look at lab results from two other Orochi X4 models. One of these was the FX-711X4, so if you remember that review, you'll recall this chart below only this time, we've added a couple of rods: Naturally the FX-81X4 is charted, but we also included Daiwa's STZ802HFBA as another similarly powered finesse flipping stick. None of these rods should be your first choice for punching or super heavy cover applications, but they all compare rather favorably to one another in terms of feel.

Fig 1: This chart illustrates the deflection characteristics of the Orochi X4 FX-711X4 (red curve) & the FX-81X4 (yellow curve) versus the original F7-711X (blue) and Daiwa's Steez STZ802HFBA (green). Note first that the two Orochi X4 sticks are nearly identical suggesting very strongly that they are the same blank. Second, both sticks fall somewhere between the Original 711 and the Daiwa Steez in terms of actual backbone power.

The FX-711X4 is an Orochi X4 interpretation of the base Destroyer Seven Eleven.

But the Black Python shares the same ratings.