Megabass Valkyrie Rods Take Flight with New Shielz Hybrid Construction (continued)

Each of the Megabass Valkyrie rods is finished with piano-black gloss finished reel seats stainless steel SiC guides. The blanks of the rods look deep brown, but under bright light some of the paint in the lower half of the rod lights up brilliantly while the upper half is left matte and showcases the natural beauty of the Shielz construction.

No matter the reel the Valkyrie rod can help create a better balance

Price: If you thought the Megabass Destroyer rods were a costly investment then brace yourself, the Valkyrie rods are positioned as a premium series and will set you back up to 100 dollars more at around $499 dollars per rod.

A look at the beautiful machined aluminum fore-nut

There is a wide variety of rod options, 11 total in Japan, and a limited selection here in the U.S. that are the most applicable for domestic fishing applications. The rods are still not widely available but there are a few e-tailers that have a limited number of these rods in stock including The Hook Up Tackle and The Tackle Trap.

Detail in design. The classic metal Megabass badge is a very nice touch

Oliver finds the bait and we get into the fish

How they feel: I was able to fish almost all of these Valkyrie rods, but only for the span of a single day, with Oliver on Lake Berryessa in Northern California. It is difficult to form very strong opinions on certain models in such a short span of time, and my goal was to simply get a feel for the overall series design and the character of the blanks.

It is pretty clear when casting the Valkyrie rods that they are different than the Orochi and Destroyer rods. I don't think that they necessarily feel higher-end or more responsive than the Destroyer rods, but they do feel very powerful, and surprisingly so for how light they feel in hand as well as how thin the blank diameters are.

Even before Oliver told me that there was any glass construction in the rods I could immediately tell that the blanks consisted of a hybrid of materials. The Medium and Medium-Heavy models are more forgiving than most Megabass rods, and are more like traditional glass rods, which is a plus in cranking applications.

Oliver catches a few Spots with various Valkyrie rods. In the process we are able to compare Orochi, Destroyer a Valkyrie rods side by side. The Valkyrie rods definitely have a unique character due to the Shielz construction

The rods that made the biggest impressions on me were the VKC72H for frogging and VKC76XXH for punching applications. Both of these power rods felt light in hand yet were capable of slinging a lot of weight, and never felt burdened under pressure. The other notable thing about these two rods in particular is that they are both spiral wrapped, a configuration that is definitely making a big comeback. It is interesting how things come full circle and preferences go in and out of style over time.

Some of the more powerful Valkyrie feature a spiral wrap!

The ability to change handle lengths is a nice plus, though once I found a good balance with the reel on the rod I didn't find the need to constantly make adjustments for changing applications. It is that freedom to adjust the length for balance and personal preference at the start of the day that is a welcome differentiator. 

I enjoyed my short time with Oliver and the Valkyrie rods on the water. We didn't catch any giants on this day, maybe we should have been targeting the crappie instead, but from the casts I did log with the Valkyrie rods it left me wanting more.

As always I had a great time on the water with Oliver, and it was made even better with the opportunity to learn more about, and fish, the Valkyrie rods. This series offers anglers few unique features and I was impressed with the casting and overall power profile of the rods. The ability to alter grip length for balance and applications is also a very intriguing feature

These rods exhibit the attention to detail and enthusiast look and feel that Megabass rods are known for, and like so many other rods from the company they just seem to have a way of infusing both artistry with technology. While I don't have enough time logged for a full blown review or recommendation the Valkyrie rods have certainly peaked my interest. Enthusiasts that were the first to put down the five hundred dollar price of admission are already reporting positive feedback about how well the rods cast and manhandle fish during retrieves. Perhaps we will see the Shielz technology extend to more affordable lines, but for now if you are looking for the most customizable hybrid Megabass rod available the Valkyrie Series is it.