The Search for One... When "Good Enough" Isn't - Paraizo by Megabass

Total Score: 7.17 - ULTIMATE ENTHUSIAST AWARD!

Introduction: Unlike previously discussed Evergreen International, who had to win our attention after several lackluster rod reviews, Megabass started off with a good initial impression here at TackleTour evidenced by our first Enthusiast rod review on the F7-711 back in 2004. That favorable review was followed by another good impression in 2005 when the Super Destroyer III received TackleTour's very first Ultimate Enthusiast Award. Megabass almost always seems to have the right mix of performance and styling to keep us grinning from ear to ear both on and off the water and that is, afterall, what the enthusiast appeal is all about. So when it came time to decide upon a Megabass stick for our 2010 theme, this challenge was met with eager anticipation.

The ARMS series of rods by Megabass feature left and right hand contoured wood handles.

That anticipation was rewarded and then some when we got a look at the ARMS series of rods featuring carved wood handles sculpted specifically for a right or left hand grip. Anticipation turned to pure anxiety when we caught the price tag of these sticks - roughly one thousand, one hundred dollars ($1,100)! Then, anxiety turned to pure desire. The result? Naturally, here is our review of the Megabass ARMS A6505X Paraizo.

A look at the A6505X Paraizo handle assembly.

Megabass labels these blanks as "Hi Impact Multiplex Graphite".

Impressions: So first things first, what's up with these left or right hand grip specific rods? Thanks to the counter-intuitive design of baitcasting reels, I'm sure many are wondering does a left grip ARMS rod mean that the grip is contoured for your left or right hand? I mean, really, a right handed reel is held in your left and a left handed reel is held in your right, so where does a left handed or right handed rod go? Confused? Well, we are happy to report, that a left grip ARMS rod means the grip is indeed contoured to be held in your left hand. Likewise, if you typically hold the rod in your right hand and retrieve with your left (as I do), then you're going to want a right hand grip ARMS rod.

A look at the Paraizo's finger side on the Right Grip handle.

The reel seat is made of polished aluminum.

With that out of the way, as one might expect, with all the wood in its handle and even a surprising amount of metal in its reel seat, the Paraizo is no flyweight. Though it has decent balance, the stick does weigh in at a total of 5.9 ounces for a six foot, five inch rod. That's pretty hefty and even then, its balance point is still roughly six inches above the midline of the reel seat. Somehow, with the exquisite nature of this rod's handle however, most of this can be overlooked.

Lab Tests: Off to the lab and an appointment with the RoD WRACK reveals the A6505X Paraizo is true to its line and lure ratings charting out at roughly a full power heavier than our baseline rod, the GLX2000 MBR783C GLX. This is a bit surprising as Megabass, and most other Japanese rod manufacturers, typically over rate their rods as compared to their US counterparts. So, if you're looking for a more medium heavy ARMS rod, you may want to look into the A6604X Bronx instead.

Fig 1. The chart above illustrates the Paraizo's deflection characteristics as compared to that of our TSFO baseline. As you can see, the Paraizo is a full step higher in power than our GLX2000 making it a "heavy" powered rod instead of a "medium heavy".