Power Tackle The One 04MH Product Review

Rod Review

Does Power Tackle Deliver with "The One" Rod?

Date:	12/21/20
Tackle Type:	Rod
Manufacturer:	Power Tackle
Reviewer:	Cal

Total Score: 8.08 - GREAT

Introduction: Power Tackle Rods out of Richland Springs, Texas has been building fishing rods with serious minded anglers in mind since 2007. They have a relatively new series that caught our attention for the name they chose to dub the lineup. According to the company's website, this series, features a high grade blank developed in association with Fuji Tackle. It is dubbed, The One. Naturally, with a series name like that, how could we not acquire a stick (or two) to and judge for ourselves? Here's our look at Power Tackle's The One 04MH.

Power Tackle The One 04MH Specifications
Material	Proprietary Blank developed in association with Fuji
Length	7'-3"
Line Wt.	12-20lb
Lure Wt.	1/4-1oz
Pieces	One
Guides	11+tip (Black Nickel Recoil)
Rear Handle Length	11"
Power Rating	Medium Heavy
Taper	Moderate
Rod Weight	4.8oz
Origin	Made in USA
MSRP	$399

Power Tackle Rods out of Richland Springs, Texas has been building fishing rods with serious minded anglers in mind since 2007

Impressions: Power Tackle offers their The One series in a sort of build to order configuration through their website. You select the model number, in our case, 04MH, and then within the page for that model, you select the reel seat, length, and position of the hook keeper. My selections were made on a phone conversation with the owners, Judy and Tim with subsequent confirmation via email.

Their new, The One, series in a sort of build to order configuration through their website

My 04MH arrived as a one piece, seven foot, three inch (7'-3") casting rod with a split, carbon rear grip, no foregrip, and a full array of black nickel Recoil guides. The rod's reel seat is the latest trend, a Fuji Tackle PTS, low profile seat with an accompanying lock nut. The rod comes sheathed in a custom rod sleeve made from woven, rigid nylon thread ala The Rod Glove.

My 04MH arrived as a one piece, seven foot, three inch (7'-3") casting rod with a split, carbon rear grip, no foregrip, and a full array of black nickel Recoil guides

Real World Tests: Power Tackle's The One 04MH is their all purpose, medium heavy spec. I fished it with a few different reels, but primarily with the brand new 13 Fishing Concept C2. I spooled the reel with 40lb PowerPro Super8Slick and tied on a leader of Sunline Super Natural monofilament in sixteen pound (16lb) test using an FG Knot tied with the assistance of the Daiichi Seiko Knot Assist Tool 2.0.

I paired it with a 13 Fishing Concept C2 casting reel

Casting: Power Tackle's website mistakenly lists 04MH with a lure rating of 1/2-3oz. It arrives with a 1/4-1oz lure rating on the stick which is much more in line with its medium heavy specification and what I experienced while fishing it. It is more than competent within this range and has a nice, crisp feel during a cast with minimal to no reverberation. The rod's tip loads smoothly and is very responsive in all manner of casts whether you're pitching, slinging side arm, launching overhand, or gently lobbing a bait towards your intended target.

Love them or hate them, Recoil guides offer enhanced sensitivity

Sensitivity: Whether it's the build, blank, or both, the 04MH scores very well in the sensitivity department. That light, crisp feel during a cast transitions to very good sensitivity letting you feel what's going on at the end of your line. Jigs and Texas rigged soft plastics are a forte of this rod but where I had best success was during a test run with Z-Man's new Jack Hammer Stealth Blade Chatterbait. This non-traditional vibrating jig is made for more high pressure situations in clear water, and I tied it on just to check out during one trip. The vibration it puts out is much more subtle than the original, metal bladed version, but you can easily feel every shake, shimmy, and bump into weeds through the 04MH.

Fig 1 : The chart above illustrates the deflection characteristics of our Power Tackle The One 04MH against the historical averages of similarly powered rods we've tested over the past twenty years

Power: This is where the 04MH distinguishes itself, not for its sheer power, but in how that power is derived. Traditionally, here in the US, anglers favor faster tapered rods for vertical bait presentations. The reassurance of that solid hookset and ability to move a fish out of cover are paramount.

Next Section: More power than we expected...