10 years of Tatula: It is hard to believe that the Tatula family has already been around for a decade. This year the Tatula reels and rods will get updates and on the rod side this includes the introduction of new Daiwa AGS rods that are engineered with more pro angler input and testing than ever before.

“With its ‘TATULA – We’ve Got Your Bass Covered’ tagline for all Tatula-branded rods and reels, we’re able to highlight DAIWA’s manufacturing capabilities and technology developed over the years in our Tatula casting and spinning reels, and now our best in brand Tatula Elite AGS bass rods,” said DAIWA’s senior marketing director Marc Mills. “Bass anglers know the dedication DAIWA has for the sport, and the success we’ve have with the Tatula brand over the past 10 years shows it.”

Lightweight and sensitivity are the key focus points that Daiwa wants bass anglers to experience with the TATULA Elite AGS rods, where DAIWA relied on noted professional anglers including Brent Ehrler, Seth Feider, Randy Howell, Chris Johnston, Cory Johnston, Cody Meyer, Ish Monroe, Takahiro Omori, and Patrick Walters in developing the actions and powers.

At the core of the TATULA Elite AGS rods are lightweight SVF Nano Plus blanks that are designed to provide each rod with its crisp action, along with X45 Bias construction to prevent blank twisting for greater strength, excellent sensitivity, and hook-setting power.

The new rods feature Daiwa X45 Bias Construction and AGS guides

Daiwa also includes its exclusive Air Guide System (AGS), which is a huge differentiator for Daiwa's rods and are among the lightest and most sensitive guides on the market, which dampen vibrations during the cast to provide anglers with a quicker response and feel for increased lure action sensitivity. The carbon frame AGS guides are up to 40% lighter and more rigid than those made from titanium and have proven their effectiveness in reducing overall rod weight and added sensitivity.

The Daiwa AGS guides are the single biggest reason why these rods look and feel so unique, and high-end versus the competition. Once reserved only for Daiwa's halo rods these guides are a very enthusiast class feature at this price point.

Daiwa's proprietary AGS guides are constructed from carbon

The rods also feature Daiwa's proprietary Air Sensor reel seats, built with carbon fiber, provide anglers with a further increase in sensitivity throughout the entire rod. The AGS guides and Air Sensor reel seats are trickle down enthusiast features originally found on the company's flagship Steez AGS bass rod series.

All the new rods feature carbon fiber Airsensor reel seats

All 16 new rods in the series (10 casting and six spinning) are designed for specific bass fishing techniques. Within the series, for those who prefer more power fishing situations will like fishing frogs, ‘long cast’ frog and punchin’/flippin’ rods were designed with input from Ish Monroe, and Tak Omori’s expertise in a cranking rod lead to added fiberglass incorporated into the blank along with an extra-heavy power 7’3” pitching rod. Patrick Walters helped create a 6’10” Tatula Elite AGS jerkbait rod, while Cory Johnston brings his Canadian roots background to the medium-heavy power, 7’5” soft stickbait/football jig rod.

For those bass fishing situations where finesse techniques are needed, Daiwa relied on the ‘from above the Mason-Dixon Line’ expertise to design the 7’6” Seth Feider hair jig/Neko rig and Chris Johnston split cork grip hair jig spinning rods, with Chris also contributing to his 7’11” Ned rig spinning rod also featuring a split cork grip.

A look at the specs on Cody's new rod

Bass anglers can rely on Cody Meyer’s finesse expertise on the Tatula Elite AGS 7’4” Neko/wacky rig/tube spinning rod, and when the situation calls for shakey head/drop shot and even small swimbait techniques, Randy Howell provides his knowledge on a TATULA Elite AGS 7’3” spinning rod.

One of the rods we are mist excited about is Brent Ehrler's rod designed for ‘power finesse’ techniques. We just started fishing this rod prior to ICAST and Daiwa and Brent Ehrler have created a very fun and versatile rod with a 7’ rod that handles 1/8- to 1-ounce lures, and Brent also rounds out the Tatula Elite AGS lineup with a 7’3” casting rod.

Some of the new Daiwa Elite AGS rods have started shipping already and retail from $299.99 to $319.99 depending on the rod size and configuration. All the rods come backed with a limited 5 year warranty.

Our Quick Take: Nobody does "enthusiast" like Daiwa and the latest generation of Tatula Elite AGS rods bring not only enthusiast styling but actual features and technologies that were once only available in rods retailing for twice as much. These new Tatula Elite AGS rods look and feel great in hand and the fact that Daiwa has so much proprietary technology in blanks and components means that they really do stand out from other rods on the market. This is only magnified with rods designed with so much input from the team's talented pro anglers. If you want to fish in the style of finesse guru Cody Meyer for example, Daiwa has you covered.

Paired with the current Tatula at our lab. A newly refreshed Tatula reel gets refreshed tomorrow. It is looking like a big year for Tatula!

The X45 Bias construction gives these rods a really good mix of strength and sensitivity, and hooksets feel lightning quick. I had the opportunity to fish both Cody's new Neko/Wacky spinning rod and Brent's Power Finesse sticks and found them both to be very lightweight and response. These are rods that feel very advanced and ones that you just want to pick up and fish. With a Tatula series reel refresh launching as well it is looking like Daiwa is ready to party to celebrate 10 years of Tatula.