Megabass Levante F5-72C Diablo Spec-R Casting Rod Product Review

Rod Review

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Date:	4/3/16
Tackle Type:	Rod
Manufacturer:	Megabass of America
Reviewer:	Cal

Total Score: 8.18 - GREAT

Introduction: Several years ago Megabass of America introduced Orochi XX as an entry level series of rods to their brand. By all accounts, the series has been a success, but with an average price of $300 for each rod in the series, they're still what many consider higher end and out of their realistic price range. Enter ICAST 2015 where the manufacturer took yet another step towards affordability in Levante - a series of rods priced at $199 and with more JDM styling than Orochi XX! Today, we take our first look at a rod from this series with our review of the F5-72C Diablo Spec R.

Megabass Levante F5-72C Diablo Spec-R Specifications
Material	Mitsubishi Pyrofil
Length	7'-2"
Line Wt.	10-25lb
Lure Wt.	3/8-1oz
Pieces	One
Guides	9+Tip (Fuji KSeries Semi-Micro SS/Alconite)
Rear Handle Length	10
Power Rating	Medium Heavy
Taper	Fast
Rod Weight	4.5oz
Origin	Made in China
MSRP	$199

Quality/Construction: The Levante F5-72C Diablo Spec-R is a seven foot, two inch (7'-2") stick built on a graphite blank rolled from Mitsubishi's Pyrofil material. It features a satin black painted finish and dense EVA foam split rear grip with one very thin, subtle, black aluminum band in the butt section.

Introducing Megabass's Levante F5-72C Diablo Spec-R.

Looking down the length of the rod reveals a straight blank with perfectly aligned guides. Putting on my reading glasses and taking a very close look at the epoxy work around the thread wraps reveals very precise work with no excess material trailing off the ends of the wraps like we've seen in some recent builds. Even at $199, Megabass delivers a clean, precise build.

Quality Ratings for Megabass Levante F5-72C Diablo Spec-R
Finish (1-5)	Grip (1-5)	Epoxy (1-5)	Blank (1-2)	Guides (1-2)	Total	Possible	Rating (= Tot/Pos * 10)
5	5	5	2	2	19	19	10

The Diablo Spec-R is an all purpose candidate.

Performance: I paired the Levante Diablo Spec-R with a Daiwa SS casting reel spooled with Sunline Defier Armilo Monofilament and brought the combo along for some testing on a trip up to Clear Lake, CA.

This stick loads nice and easy with each cast and pitch.

Casting: If there's one thing I've enjoyed about the majority of Megabass rods I've had the pleasure of fishing, it's how effortless they perform at the task of casting your bait. The Orochi X4 series was particularly adept in this department, but the Levante F5-72C returns me to this memory with Megabass. Rated between three eighths of an ounce to one full ounce (3/8oz - 1oz), it loads really well with baits in this range for both casting and pitching presentations. Normally, on a rod of this length, I'd prefer to pitch rather than cast, but the Levante Diablo Spec-R is fun to use in both cases.

The reel seat is designed by Yuki Ito but built by Fuji for Megabass.

Sensitivity: It's tough to beat the sensitivity of Megabass's own Orochi XX lineup, but the Levante series is $100 less with a much more stealthy and JDM-like aesthetic. Sensitivity wise, I'd say the Diablo Spec-R is better than average, but I've fished both better and worse in this price point.

Checking out the Diablo Spec-R's taper.

Power: Power scales, even within the same manufacturer, are constantly evolving. There was a time I equated Megabass F5 with a G.Loomis 4 power, but as the "Diablo" grew in length (It used to be a 6'9" rod), its overall power has seemed to lend itself better to a more all purpose application. Something we equate here at TackleTour as a G.Loomis 3 power. Referencing the Levante F5-72C's RoD Deflection chart below, we see that this stick's curve lines up almost exactly with our data from our former G.Loomis MBR843C GLX.

Fig 1 : The chart above illustrates the deflection characteristics of our Megabass Levante F5-72C Diablo Spec-R against our 2010, The Search for One baseline rods.

Out on the water, the Levante Diablo Spec-R has good hook setting power and together with its length and power, it affords you good control over any fish you are fortunate enough to catch. This stick has a very familiar and predictable power curve.

Performance Ratings for Megabass Levante F5-72C Diablo Spec-R
Pitch (1-5)	Cast (1-5)	Sensitivity (1-5)	Hook Set (1-5)	Control (1-5)	Total	Possible	Rating (= Tot/Pos * 10)
5	5	4	4	4	22	25	8.8

See the subtle and stylish, not garish, highlight colors in the thread wrap?

Features: The Levante F5-72C comes with a split rear grip molded from a dense EVA foam. The guides are Fuji brand KSeries, Semi-Micros with stainless steel frames and Alconite inserts. The reel seat is a standard Megabass design built by Fuji for the manufacturer. Levante sticks from Megabass come with no hook keepers or rod sleeves.

Features Ratings for Megabass Levante F5-72C Diablo Spec-R
Grip (1-5)	Guides (1-5)	Reel Seat (1-5)	Hook Keeper (1-5)	Rod Sleeve (1-5)	Total	Possible	Rating (= Tot/Pos * 10)
5	4	4	1	1	15	25	6.0

No other manufacturer pays as close attention to how the forenut is finished off both aesthetically and ergonomically as Megabass.

Next Section: Megabass design and ergonomics for $200?