Casting: The first thing I noticed out in the field when casting the 711H was the inclusion of a cork foregrip. The other Powell rods we have tested to date all had the foregrip completely removed, something which benefits both sensitivity and weight reduction. So why does the 711H bring back the habitual cork foregrip?

 

A close-up of the Maxumfiber, notice the clear coat of gloss that covers the entire rod

There are two reasons why the cork foregrip make good sense on this particular rod. First, because the rod is so long and requires so much muscle in the backbone the 711H requires more material, making it a heavier rod throughout.

The 711H's graphite reel seat

The cork foregrip adds that extra weight to properly balance the rod out. Second, when throwing large lures like massive swimbaits some anglers like to place one hand above the reel for two handed casts. The Cork foregrip can also be held when fishing large fish, or when the rod is used in a saltwater application.

A look from the side

The 711H may be rated for bigger baits but it features an astonishingly lively tip for a rod of this size. We found this attribute very attractive for fishing even smaller 3oz swimbaits, making this one extremely versatile rod. When it comes time to tie on those big heavy swimbaits the Powell stick doesn’t even break a sweat. In fact we were able to cast the 4.5oz Spro BBZ with single handed lobs a very good distance!

Throughout our tests we threw baits like the Spro BBZ1

Throwing swimbaits requires patience, as it is definitely a big fish technique and requires many more casts per fish than most lures. Yet they continue to grow in popularity because not only are they fun to fish, but when you do finally get a hit chances are you have a decent fish on the line. Swimbait fishermen typically are all about quality fish over quantity.