Real World Tests: I paired the F7.5-76X Mark-56 with my 2020 Shimano Japan Exsence SS DC HG outfitted with a new handle and dragstar from Gomexus USA. It's been a long time since I played the handle swap game, because, as far as I'm concerned, the pricing has gotten out of hand. I'm not prepared to spend more money on a handle than what I paid for a reel. However, I really didn't care for the handle and knobs that came stock on the Exsence (the reel is designed for saltwater applications), and I found the Gomexus options were reasonably priced, so I dove in. So far so good.

The Mark-56 paired with Shimano Japan's Exsence SS DC HG - similar to the '21 Scorpion DC but with a DC module tuned to throw baits used in pursuit of seabass

For line, I spooled the Exsence with my current go to line for big baits, and that's hollow braid. In this situation specifically, it was Seaguar's Threadlock in fifty pound (50lb) test. Top shot (leader) choice for this setup was Sunline's Saltimate Nylon leader in 30lb test. Given the Mark-56's ratings and taper, I had in mind to use it as a rat stick, so I wanted a nylon leader for flotation.

I found the Mark-56 performed extremely well during the cast

Casting: The first bait to have the honor of being fished on my Mark-56 was Illude Baits' Rad-10 Rat. This is the larger sibling to the original Rad Rat Zander wrote up in 2020. Weighing in at three ounces (3.0oz), the Rad-10 felt like the ideal bait to reveal what the Mark-56 was capable of doing. Given how light the rod's tip felt, I thought this bait might be pushing the stick's limits. Afterall, 3.0oz is very close to the Mark-56's max lure weight, but to my surprise, the Mark-56 handled the bait as if it were made for it. The rod's tip loads extremely well very reminiscent of some of the best Megabass has had to offer. There is zero reverberation in that tip. It just unloads all of the built up energy from your back cast into the forward casting motion launching your bait very efficiently.

It can handle baits above its rated range including this 4.5 oz glidebait from Sly Guy Lures, the 9.5" Replica Trout.

But the tale of a good big bait stick is more than how it handles what's expected of it, so the next bait I tied on was the brand new glide bait from Toxic Baits, the Juke. This is a three and a half ounce gill profile glide bait with a similar, thick body style to the previously reviewed WhipperSnapper, just a little bit longer in length and without a bill. Toxic's Juke weighs in at three and a half ounces - right at the Mark-56's rated upper limit. The results? The Mark-56 handled the Juke as if to say to me, what else you got?

The handle features a split rear grip made of cork

From there, I continued to move up in weight with baits like GanCraft's Jointed Claw 230 (4.0oz) and finally Sly Guy's 9.5" Replica Trout, a bait that tips our scales at four and a half ounces (4.5oz). The Mark-56 was able to handle each of these baits relatively easily - it can definitely handle more than what the manufacturer has laid out. The tip on the Mark-56 has the makings of something special the way in which it loads during a cast and unloads once you launch your bait. All it takes is a flick of the wrist to get your bait flying. The rod's efficiency during a cast is really quite remarkable.

But that handle is short measuring just 13" from the back of the reel seat to the butt end

The one downside to the Mark-56 during this part of its tests? Its handle length. At only thirteen inches (13") from the butt to the back of the reel seat, that handle is a less than ideal length. On my swimbait sticks, I prefer a length of at least fifteen inches (15") but preferably more. At the same time, when used with baits within the Mark-56's rated range, that shorter handle is not as bothersome as I thought it would be. That softer tip actually makes up for the lack in handle length. Ergonomically, it is designed just right for baits within its rated lure range.

The Mark-56 matches well with Megabass's Vatalion

Next Section: Hitting that "magic" spec?