|
Toss the
biggest swimbaits with
the new Powell SB711H
rod
|
Date: |
2/28/07 |
|
Tackle type: |
Rod |
|
Manufacturer: |
Powell |
|
Reviewer: |
Zander |
Total Score:
9.00
Introduction:
With the arrival of so
many new and exciting
swimbaits to fish these
days rod manufacturers
are stepping up to the
plate with their own
individual takes on the
ideal rod. Powell
releases the new 711H
Swimbait rod which is
designed to toss even
the biggest and baddest
trout imitating baits.
|
Powell
SB711H
Swimbait
Rod
Specifications
|
|
Material |
Maxum Fiber
TM |
|
Length |
7'11" |
|
Length from
Back of Reel
Seat to Base |
11.5" |
|
Line Wt. |
15 - 30 lb |
|
Lure Rating |
5 - 8 inch
swimbaits |
|
Pieces |
one |
|
Guides |
9 guides +
tip |
|
Power Rating |
Heavy |
|
Taper |
Moderate-Fast |
|
Rod Weight |
7.4 ounces |
|
Manufacturing
Country |
China |
|
MSRP |
$199.99 |
Impressions:
Powell’s MAX series
took the bass rod
market by storm not
too long ago. The
company successfully
transitioned from
one of the most
established fly rod
manufacturers to a
serious player in
the bass rod space.
Since the original
rods were released
Keith Bryan has
continued to improve
and increase the
total number of rod
offerings, and has
released new
application specific
rods including their
new swimbait and
drop shot rods.
The Powell 711H is
one long rod
The first time I
held the new 711H in
my hands I remarked
how light the rod
was for such a
lengthy stick.
Powell has tweaked
the blank to make it
even more balanced
on this latest
generation of rods,
and the 711H doesn’t
suffer from the same
tip heavy feel that
many competitors
with split grip cork
handles exhibit.
The new swimbait rod
is the newest member
of the Powell MAX
Series
In terms of aesthetics the
711H carries on the same
clean look as the existing
Powell rods, and features
blue threading in the base
of the rod, and simple
transitions throughout.
Where this rod differs from
the other ones is that it
features a clear coat of
gloss over the entire rod,
whereas the lighter rods in
the MAX series feature a
matte finish free of gloss.
I must say that the Powell
rods are among the cleanest
rods on the market. They are
clean in design and yet
sport a custom rod feel with
the well implemented split
grip design.
Even though this is a big rod it
still features the split grip
design...and we are glad it does
Lab Tests:
|
Lab Results for Powell SB711H Swimbait Rod
|
|
Model
|
Avg RoD (2-32 oz)
|
Rated Action
|
Spine
|
Measured Weight
|
Balance Point
|
| SB711H |
1.55
|
H
|
Top
|
7.4 oz
|
13.5"
|
| 765MH Flip |
1.40
|
MH
|
Top
|
5.1 oz
|
13"
|
| 766H Flip |
1.09
|
H
|
Top
|
5.6 oz
|
12.5"
|
| G.Loomis BB964 GL2 (Custom) |
1.60
|
-
|
Top
|
7.0 oz
|
6"
|
Rate of Deflection (RoD):
The 711H tests
out similar to that of
our custom Loomis BB964
GL2 until we hit 32
ounces at which point,
the SB711H stiffened up
quite a bit by
comparison. The lab
tests show a rod with a
surprisingly agile tip
for such a robust blank.
The rod loads much
higher up than most
sticks allowing anglers
to have a rod that will
load quickly and still
allow anglers to throw a
wide range of baits
ranging from quite light
to extremely heavy.
This RoD
Deflection Chart shows
the deflection
characteristics of our
Powell SB711H against
that of two Powell
Flipping sticks and a
custom stick built off
of a G.Loomis BackBounce
blank.
Spine,
Weight,
and
Balance
Point:
The
Powell
711H
weighed
in at
7.4oz,
which is
right in
the
middle
of where
most
swimbait
rods
come in.
In our
lab the
lightest
swimbait
rated
sticks
were all
import
rods.
The
balance
point
was
13.5"
measured
from the
center
of the
reel
seat
towards
the tip
of the
rod, and
during
our
tests
the line
never
once
came in
contact
with the
blank
during
load
tests.
The
spine on
this
rod,
just
like all
our
other
swimbait
test
subjects,
came out
on top.
For day
1 of our
tests we
paired
the rod
with a
Calcutta
TE
Real World Test: So where to
properly test a swimbait rod?
While we had to hit our backyard
water in the Delta we knew that
we had to go somewhere special
to justify throwing swimbaits
all day for two days. It didn’t
take long for Cal and me to pack
our gear and head north to Clear
Lake, the largest natural lake
entirely in California. Clear
Lake has a surface area of
nearly 44 thousand acres and yet
has an average depth of only 27
feet, making it a prime location
to fish suspended lures. We
hoped that here we could get
into some quality fish to truly
test the capabilities of the
Powell 711H.
Unlike the other MAX rods the
711H does have a cork foregrip
Next Section: Our first
casts with the Powell
711H
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