Rogue Rods Magnum Bass Casting Rod

• Heath Anderson

Product: Rogue Rods Magnum Bass Casting Rod
Model: 6’6’’ Medium-Heavy (664C)
Manufacturer: Rogue Rods
Sizes: 6’6” Medium, 6’6” Medium-Heavy, 6’6” Heavy, 7’0” Medium, 7’0” Medium-Heavy, 7’0” Heavy, 7’6” Medium-Heavy
MSRP: $219
Sent from Rogue Rods

Introduction
Rogue Rods is an American rod manufacturer that started in 2005. This fairly new company focuses on making the best rods they can build at the most affordable prices. They feature a tournament-grade line of bass rods built in the U.S.A., including Magnum Bass Casting Rods, Magnum Bass Crank Bait Rods, Magnum Bass Swim Bait Sticks, Drop Shot Rods with Recoil Guides, Split Shot Rods, and Spinning Jigging & Finesse Rods. Rogue Rods develops their bass rods to specifically fit each different technique of bass fishing to provide the best possible match for your chosen lure presentation. We had the opportunity to test out one of the 6’6’’ Medium-Heavy Magnum Bass Casting Rods suited specifically for Spinnerbaits, Senkos, and Texas Rigs. Without a doubt you can tell that the rod has a lot to offer even from the initial whip everyone gives a rod when they first pick it up. The Magnum Bass features a strong graphite core with a fast action tip, and the quality of the rod is undeniable.

Features

• Rod Blank Construction: The blanks for Rogue Rods are made in Oregon and are composed of premium aerospace-grade graphite and resin. Part of the construction of the rod is to leave it as a natural graphite rod with no paint to ensure maximum action and sensitivity. The rod is incredibly lightweight.
• Handle: The handle is composed of quality Portuguese cork that works well in summer and winter. The material was selected by Rogue Rods after comparing all possible materials, including graphite and foam, they decided that nature wins. The rear cork grip on the rod is 8’’ and the fore cork grip is 2’’. The premium cork grip is paired with a plastic butt-cap for abrasion resistance. In addition, there is open access to the rod blank in the trigger grip to let your index finger rest on the rod; ultimately increasing the amount of sensitivity that is transferred through the rod.
• Guides: The Magnum Bass Rods feature a correct number of carefully placed Batson Forecast Guides that utilize SS304 stainless steel guide frames with a ceramic center eyelet ring engineered to provide more durability and prevent rings from popping out of the frame. Bottom line… your rings will not pop out of the guide frame. In addition, the frames of the Batson guides have been put through 20 straight days of salt spray fishing tests without any corrosion due to the exposure.
• Rod Wrap: Rogue Rods uses a black thread with gold trim wraps with two coats of Flex Coat UV proof epoxy to provide the best attachment to the premium graphite rod blank.
• Manufacturing: The rods are 100% American made, manufactured in White City, Oregon.
• Warranty: All Rogue Rods feature a limited warranty that covers defects in materials and workmanship for the original owner. It does not cover accidental breakage or normal wear and tear. There is a $40 fee for all rods to cover warranty repairs. Fairly expensive for warranty costs plus shipping costs to get it there.

Actual Testing/Use
Without a doubt, the very first thing that you will notice about the Magnum Bass Casting Rod is that it weighs almost nothing. The superior graphite construction makes the rod ultra-light as well as ultra-sensitive; two of the most important aspects of a bass rod. Rogue Rods has done an excellent job designing the rod in terms of length, power, action, and materials, to be perfectly suited for Spinnerbaits, Senkos, and Texas rigs. One of my favorite lures to work with this rod is a Zoom Junebug Worm Texas-rigged with a 3/16 oz bullet weight. The rig casts very well and the fast tip helps give it plenty of action along the bottom.

The rod was tested in both freshwater and saltwater settings, an usual twist for BassGrab testing, however, I wanted to put the Batson Forecast guides to the test in saltwater, and I was planning on going fishing for reds. The reels used consisted of a Lew’s Speed Spool SS1H Reel and a Daiwa TD Zillion Type R Reel. The rod does not have much give since it is Medium-Heavy power, however, it feels very strong. While down in South Florida working through the inshore mangroves I landed a bull on a different rod I was using at the time, however, I wish I had hooked it on the Magnum Bass Rod, because I am sure this rod would have been up to the challenge. The Magnum Bass Casting rod held up to all that I threw at it in the inshore setting. While fishing in freshwater, I found that the rod definitely gives you the advantage for casting. The tip really whips your lure further through the air, and it is designed to be fished with ¼ oz – ¾ oz lures. This is really the ultimate rod for casting Texas rigged plastics.

I have already emphasized this point, but it is really amazing how lightweight Rogue Rods has made their Magnum Bass Casting Rod. The light weight makes everything about the rod so much more fine tuned and sensitive. Every small bump on the line is echoed tenfold throughout the entire rod. In addition, Rogue Rods has kept the premium graphite blank free of paint or other materials to increase the rod’s sensitivity. The rod has a fast action tip, however it definitely gives you the feeling that you are controlling the fish during the fight because of the unrivaled power that just emulates from the rod, especially the Medium-Heavy and Heavy models. One other aspect of the construction is the quality eyelets and guides that Rogue Rods has included in the Magnum Bass Casting Rod. The Batson Forecast guides are very heavy duty and secure and they allow the line to fly out of them.

There are only a few minor parts of the design of the rod that could be improved. The hook lock on the rod is mounted sideways, which is not a huge deal, but it makes securing the hook on the rod very awkward. There are several other hook locks that I have used that have been much easier to work with. In addition, the butt-cap on the rod definitely protects it from normal wear and tail on the handle; however, the material used for a butt-cap appears to be cheap compared to the rest of the high quality rod.

Pros

• Variety of rod lengths and powers offered for specific fishing techniques
• Quality Portuguese cork handle with butt-cap to reduce wear and tear
• Incorporates durable Batson Forecast Guides
• Handle provides access to the rod blank for your finger to transfer vibrations through the rod
• Very strong and unbelievably lightweight

Cons

• Hook lock and butt-cap construction
• Price, most likely not suited for a beginner rod
• Warranty fees, although it is not likely you will need to use the warranty

Overall
It is hard to recommend rods to users when they start to cross the several hundred dollar barrier because they all tend to have the same general characteristics with variances in sensitivity, strength, or weight. Will the rod make a difference in landing bass? Most likely not, but as any angler who has fished both bottom-of-the-barrel and top-of-the-line rods can tell you, quality rods do provide extra sensitivity that you can really feel in the rod when working your lure through underwater terrain and around obstacles. This lets you create a mental map of the lake bed, ultimately allowing you to fish more efficiently and effectively. In the case of the Magnum Bass Casting Rod, it has such a great level of sensitivity from the premium graphite construction, that I would recommend spending the extra money to make it your go-to rod for mapping out the bottom. Feel the bite, feel the fish, feel the difference.