Goin' Long With the Lamiglas
Excel XL7116C (continued)
 Power:
The XL7116C is
a competent heavy duty tool. With the power rating at a 6, it is the heaviest
power rating available within the Excel lineup. I was unfortunately never able
to tangle with a big fish during testing, but the stout mid and butt sections
should provide ample power to move a big fish. While it is not as stiff as the
average flipping or swimbait stick, it will easily get the job done within it's
intended purposes and ratings.

The FUJI butt cap provides basic protection for the end of the handle.
Application:
With more of a “useable”
action than the standard super-stiff flipping or swimbait stick, it is well
suited for several applications. I preferred the rod mainly for
flipping/pitching, swimbaits, big jigs, large plastics, and heavy spinnerbaits.
On the other hand, when used with several varieties of frogs, the rod just
didn't feel right to me. The long handle and blank coupled with modest tip
heaviness hurt the accuracy when trying to cast the frog into tight spots. It
was ok for casting onto large mats, but walking a frog in open water areas was a
challenge. With it's length and action, the XL7116C would also make an excellent
shorter rod for beach surf casting. This rod would not even break a sweat
casting big bucktails, spoons, and swimbaits to Stripers, Bluefish, and the
like!

This Bass fell victim to a 5” hollow body swimbait; one of my favorite baits to
throw on this rod!
Price, Warranty:
The pricing on this
stick is a bit confusing. It is all over the place! I have seen it as cheap as
$119 at one online retailer, all the way up to $172 on the Lamiglas website
itself. I guess the best advice here is shop around! All Excel rods feature a
standard Limited Lifetime Warranty against defects in materials and workmanship
for the original owner. Another available option is the no questions asked Fast
Track Warranty program. This applies only to rods manufactured after January 1,
2007. Just send in $50 along with a section of the rod that shows the whole
logo area including model number, and manufacture date code, and Lamiglas will
send you a brand new rod. Check the warranty section at
www.Lamiglas.com
for more information on both programs.
Ratings:
(We've
re-calibrated our
ratings standard for
2008 and have
included a key at
the bottom of the
following matrix as
a guide):
Lamiglas
XL7116C
Ratings
(?/10)
|
Construction/Quality |
Build
quality
and
components
were
fine for
this
price
point.
No
issues
were
noted.
|
8.5 |
Performance |
Good
sensitivity
and
power.
The
blank
loads
well and
is not
overly
stiff. |
8 |
Price |
A very
fair
price
for what
you get! |
8.5 |
Features |
Good
standard
components.
I really
liked
the huge
hook
keeper. |
7.5 |
Design
(Ergonomics) |
A bit
tip
heavy,
and the
handle
may be a
bit too
long for
some
people
when
flipping
and
pitching. |
7 |
Application |
A
relatively
versatile
rod for
it's
length
and
power. |
8 |
Total
Score
|
7.91 |
Ratings
Key:
1 =
terrible
: 2 =
poor : 3
=
lacking
: 4 =
sub par
: 5 =
mediocre
: 6 =
fair : 7
= good :
8 =
great :
9 =
excellent
: 10 =
unbelievable!
For More
Details
of the
updated
rating
system
visit
our
explanation
here |
Pluses and Minuses:
Plus
Minus
|
+
Made in
the USA |
-
A bit
tip
heavy |
+
Modern
design
and
quality
construction |
-
Handle
may be
too long
for some |
+
Good
sensitivity |
|
+
2
Warranty
options |
|
+
Large
hook
keeper |
|

Made in the
USA, the Lamiglas Excel exhibits a quality design at a great price
Conclusion:
With an attractive price
and nice build quality, the Lamiglas Excel XL7116C is a worthy competitor.
Throw in the additional fact that the rods are made and assembled 100% in the
USA, and they will be even more attractive to some anglers! While I typically
enjoy both owning and fishing high end tackle, I am often very impressed by how
good more affordably priced rods have become. For the price of one top tier
stick, an angler can purchase this Lamiglas along with a nice reel and have a
great combo. With a lack of made in the USA rods these days, it is nice to see
an American company continue to produce a quality product at a price that
appeals to everybody.
Looking for the Lamiglas Excel rods? Try
Tackle Warehouse

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