HOME | TACKLETOUR FORUMS  | EDITOR'S CHOICE | REVIEW ARCHIVE | ABOUT US | 

Reels | Rods | Lures | SwimbaitsBFS Lines | Term. Tackle | Tools | Storage | Apparel | Enthusiast | Watercraft | Interviews | Events | Autopsy


 


 

 


Rod Review

 

Another Standout Build from Legit Design, the SOC70H (continued)

 

Power: When under load, Legit Design's Standout SOC70H feels every bit the heavy powered stick it is rated as and even charts out as such on our RoD WRACK. Where some might take pause with this stick's specifications, however, is in its listed taper. Mod-Fast has traditionally been a taper for moving baits, but has grown in popularity with those in the know for heavy cover situations.


Fig 1 : The chart above illustrates the deflection characteristics of our Legit Design StandOut SOC70H against the historical averages of similarly powered rods we've tested over the past twenty years

 Namely when probing weed beds with heavy Texas rig presentations. Traditionally fished with fast or extra-fast tapered rods for surer hooksets, slower tapered rods have gained in popularity for their effectiveness at keeping fish pinned while buried beneath the weeds.


Checking out that tip

In these situations, with faster tapered sticks, you run the risk of pulling that hook out of the fish's mouth - similar to when fishing treble hooked baits - if too much pressure is applied. A more forgiving stick (i.e. slower taper) allows you to keep just enough pressure on the fish with less risk of pulling that hook out. The SOC70H has an ideal taper for the more contemporary strategy of fighting fish in these situations, and of course, has plenty of power for that initial hookset.


The detail at the top of the reel seat locking mechanism is very JDM

Design & Ergonomics: Another plus for this stick is its overall weight and balance. It is almost a full ounce lighter than our twenty year average for rods of similar power rating yet it has similar balance and better tip weight than this same average. I mentioned earlier the SOC70H feels more like a medium heavy rod in some situations - weight and balance is another area where this is true. Yet, once you swing to set hook and have a feisty fish at the other end of the line, you realize right away you're dealing with a stick with good power. The SOC70H is a surprising and fun little build.

Lab Results for Legit Design StandOut SOC70H

Model
Avg RoD
Taper
Measured Weight (oz)
Balance Point (inches)
Balancing Torque (ftlbs)
Legit Design StandOut SOC70H
1.41
Mod Fast
4.2
8.5
0.19
Heavy Power Avg
1.39
--
5.1
8.2
0.23

In terms of style, the SOC70H benefits from a more conservative approach Legit Design has taken with their Stand Out series. Where the Wild Side is highly detailed and traditional JDM, the Stand Out series is a little more understated with a simple black and gold motif. However, that's not to say the series has a simple or boring look. These sticks come with a fit and finish that is still better than average and sufficient to inspire the enthusiast in most of us.


A closer look at the name brand Fuji guides

Price & Applications: Legit Design's Stand Out series of rods are universally priced at $226, and include 5 casting, 2 spinning, and 3 actual travel models that separate mid-length. Thanks to its taper, the SOC70H is an excellent choice in an all purpose model to handle a variety of techniques from vertical to horizontal presentations. Though I didn't get a chance to fish this stick there, the SOC70H is an ideal candidate for the California Delta to handle a variety of techniques from some light punching to slinging buzzbaits, spinnerbaits, paddletails, large squarebill cranks, and more. I cannot stress enough the versatility that results from this rod's power and taper.

Ratings:

Legit Design StandOut SOC70H Ratings (?/10)

Construction/Quality Just enough detail to keep things interesting in a super clean build 8
Performance Much more capable than one might think thanks to a versatile taper 8.5
Price Excellent value given its JDM roots 8
Features Solid components throughout including Fuji SS/Alconite guides 7.5
Design (Ergonomics) Light for its power and length and well balanced to boot 8
Application A sneaky versatile heavy powered rod 8

Total Score

8.00
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
+ Sneaky versatile thanks to its taper - No bait keeper but par for the course with JDM style rods
+ Light AND balanced  
+ Solid level of components  
+ Won't break your enthusiast budget  

 

Conclusion: When a series of rods designed and built for a market outside of North America comes to our shores, the first thing I look at are the lengths, specifications and tapers. It's quite common two out of those three characteristics in most of these sticks is off - length and taper. These sticks are usually too short and too slow in taper. Rods built for the USDM tend to be over seven feet in length, and for the most part, have faster tapers compared to their JDM counterparts. However, there's something in that intermediate taper between fast and moderate/slow that, depending on the rod's power, can result in a super versatile stick.

 


Legit Design's SOC70H is a simple, clean, detailed, yet understated build bordering on being one of those sticks with the "it" factor

 

Legit Design's Stand Out SOC70H is one such result and is the second stick in this series to surprise me with its fishability and performance. At 7'-0" in length, it's just long enough to be suitable for a variety of applications and thanks to that taper, can handle both horizontal and vertical bait techniques with single or treble hooked baits. It is a simple, clean, detailed, yet understated build bordering on being one of those sticks with the "it" factor. Its price is not outrageous and thanks to a US distribution agreement with Arundel Tackle, the SOC70H is available at places like TackleWarehouse. This review may be complete, but my time with this stick will continue.

 

Looking for a Legit Design StandOut SOC70H?

Try TackleWarehouse


 

   

Google
  Web
  TackleTour

 

 

 
 





 

 



Copyright © 2000-2024 TackleTour LLC All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy information