Real World Tests: As mentioned in this article's introduction, I acquired this stick with the intent of matching it up with the new Beast Rocket casting reel. So once the VRCTYC79-7 arrived, I spooled the reel up with some 50lb Spiderwire Stealth Camo and the combo was ready to roll.

This stick's rating speaks to big bait duty

Casting: Abu's VRCTYC79-7 sits between being an all purpose type of big bait stick and being one that's more suited for the lighter stuff. In other words, with a lure rating of up to four ounces, it's not a stick you're going to be chucking baits like Roman Made's Mother. Within that range, it's a perfectly capable caster and does so with a very buttery feel.

The ease by which this rod enables you to chuck baits like the Negotiator, Megabass's Magdraft Freestyle and Vatallion, Jackall's Gantarel Jr, and Gan Craft's Jointed Claw 178 easily made this my favorite aspect of this rod.

It only took a couple of casts to reveal the rod's appeal

Sensitivity: When tossing baits like I mentioned above, sensitivity in your rod of choice isn't paramount. In fact, it's a lot like working oversized crankbaits and jerkbaits. Most hits are unmistakable, but there are a small percentage that occur as if you're sensing a small disturbance in the force and you know something's just not - SWING! Yeah, you get the idea. Thanks to its graphite construction, the VRCTY78-7 performs well in these situations as well.

Fig 1 : The chart above illustrates the deflection characteristics of our Abu Garcia Veracity VRCTYC79-7 against the historical averages of similarly powered rods we've tested over the past twenty years

Power: If you can launch a big, heavy lure using heavy line, chances are you're going to be in good position to wrestle something hitting that bait at the end of the line. Pretty much all big bait sticks are going to have enough power to subdue your catch. What separates one big bait stick from another in this department is actually how well that rod receives that massive hit and whether or not that power curve gives at the right moments while allowing you to maintain pressure.

Because it loads so nicely during a cast, it's easy to forget this still a pretty stout stick

Too stiff, and you risk pulling the hooks out of the fish's mouth. Too soft, and you give the fish the opportunity to gain leverage and throw the hooks. The VRCTYC79-7 strikes that delicate balance very well. It has plenty of power to enable a good hookset, but is not overpowering to the point you risk ripping those hooks out of the fish's mouth. Back to my earlier analogy, this stick behaves like a big, powerful cranking rod.

Some may prefer cork, I really like the EVA foam grip of the VRCTYC79-7

Next Section: Design and Ergonomics...