Real World Tests: There is, of course, no better way to indulge in that intrigue than to get them out on the water. For these tests, I paired the 4 power moving bait stick (ZENBFCW71-4) with Abu Garcia's Zenon MG-LTX BF6 and the 5 power, vertical bait stick (ZENBFC71-5) with the Zenon MG-LTX BF8 - the sole difference between the reels being their retrieve ratios. To keep the combos straight, I used different colored lines on the reels. For the BF6 I chose YGK's G-Soul Upgrade PE X8 #2 in chartreuse, topping it with a leader of 8lb Seaguar Gold Label FC, and for the BF8, I used Varivas's Super Trout Advance Double Cross X8 in #0.8 with a leader of 6lb Gold Label FC.

A look at the grip design

Casting: I found it odd that the 4 power Zenon BFS stick had a higher suggested lure rating than the 5 (5/8oz vs 3/8oz). Nevertheless, I began fishing with the 5 power casting a ned rig setup that included a 3/32 ounce Brian Schmidt Ned Dred head paired with a Z-Man Finesse TRD. Total weight of this lure combo (7.5g / ~1/4oz) was right in the ZENBFC71-5's wheelhouse and together with the Zenon LTX-BF8, I was slinging my Ned rig with little difficulty very good distances. In fact, I was a little surprised at how effortless it was to cast this bait setup until I thought about the actual combined weight of both components.

The ZENBFCW71-4 is a wonderful stick for jerkbaits

I started the ZENBFCW71-4 out with some BFS hardbaits from Megabass, notably the Griffon SR-X BFS crankbait and X-80 Jr. BFS Jerkbait. Contrary to the previous combo, I was expecting easier casting results, but what I found was tiny lures like this are actually very difficult to present with casting gear. I took it for granted, but considering baits' profiles and the resistance to wind they present, it actually makes sense it'd be more difficult to cast these tiny plugs. That having been said, with the combo I was using those issues are easily mitigated. You can feel how the plugs resist flying through the air as compared to a compact, lead headed bait, but the ZENBFCW71-4 loads so easily, it stores just enough energy to release lures like this fishable distances. Of note, I really enjoyed working the X-80 Jr. with the ZENBFCW71-4 and tried to force feed a bite because the ensemble was just ideal. Unfortunately, the fish did not cooperate.

I enjoyed fishing the ZENBFC71-5 as a stick for Ned rigs

Thanks to its recommended max lure range, I actually took things a step further with the ZENBFCW71-4. I liked its behavior as a jerkbait stick so much, I clipped on a standard sized lure, Megabass's Vision 110 +1 (rated weight 1/2 oz). Despite the ZENBFCW71-4's rating, I fully expected the need to employ the lob cast as if I were big bait fishing, because the rod is so light in power. Thing is, the stick handled the 110 +1 with zero difficulty. Its lure rating is spot on. Honestly, with both sticks, had it not been for the super light line I was using, I'd have thought I was fishing conventionally sized lures. After one or two casts with each combo, the experience was that familiar.

The blanks are built with Abu Garcia's exclusive Powerlux 1000 composite with a 40T graphite base

Next Section: Sensitivity and Power Zenon style