Impressions: We have taken a look at a number of Powell Max rods in the past including the 754CB which was a very capable cranking rod, and one of my personal choices to bring down to Lake El Salto in Mexico for some serious deep cranking. The 754CB was constructed out of light S-Glass and while I loved the way the rod felt with a lure in tow it did feel a bit heavy after a long day of cranking. Identifying the need for a more powerful cranking rod to handle the biggest and deepest diving crankbaits Powell introduced the 806 CB which is an 8 foot Mod-Fast action rod designed for tossing big deep diving crankbaits.

While Powell does make cranking rods out of glass the 806CB is constructed out of graphite for a more responsive feel and improved sensitivity

The 806CB sports Powell’s recognizable maxumfiber graphite blank sandwiched in between a cork split grip design. The rod features attractive blue threading to hold the Fuji Alconite guides and overall the rod looks straightforward yet cleanly designed.

The 806CB features a Fuji ECS reel seat

While Powell’s 806CB is as clean looking as they come the fact remains that the look and feel of the series has not changed since the rods were originally introduced.

A sweeping action gets lures to dive even further down with this surprisingly responsive long rod
 

That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but we do look forward to new additions to the brand’s lineup that up the ante in both look and feel. With such a long and storied history Powell certainly has the expertise to build rods, whether it is fly or bass the company is above all.... consistent.

 

Like other Powell rods the 806CB has no foregrip

Next Section: On to the numbers in the lab test