Sensitivity: So whenever I hear the claim from a rod company that their rods are durable, my immediate thought is that it comes at the sacrifice of sensitivity. That's just the way the scales of balance work with rod blanks - most of the time. Other contributing factors are taper and power. The faster the taper, typically, the more sensitive, and the lighter the power, the more feel you have as well. For Abu Garcia's Zenon BFS sticks and their Powerlux 1000 composite construction, the mitigating factor definitely lies with their power rating. Granted, I've not fished other sticks in the Zenon lineup, so I cannot speak to their performance, but with both the ZENBFCW71-4 and ZENBFCW71-5, there's plenty of feel transmitted through these rods. This shouldn't be surprising given their 40T graphite base, and I've really not done anything to test durability (I'm not here to intentionally break sticks), but there's no issue with sensitivity with these rods.

Fig 1 : The chart above illustrates the deflection characteristics of our ZENBFCW71-4 against the historical averages of finesse powered rods we've tested over the past twenty plus years

Fig 1 : The chart above illustrates the deflection characteristics of our ZENBFC71-5 against the historical averages of medium, medium heavy, and heavy powered bass rods we've tested over the past twenty plus years

Power: On the other hand if lip ripping power is what you want, BFS, in general, is not your game. With light powered rods comes a more delicate approach, and with that delicate approach comes more uncertain and anxiety driven battles with fish - especially when you're using super thin line! So, while I cannot report that I had total control battling fish on these sticks, I can say that their power curves are very smooth and with some patience, that pressure you're able to exert through that smooth bend will result in more successes than failures. Just be sure to monitor your blood pressure.

First photo above is the ZENBFCW71-4, second photo is the tip action on the ZENBFC71-5

Design & Ergonomics: Referencing our historical data, these two Zenon sticks are light, but right in line with the average of other sticks we've tested at similar strengths. Balance is slightly above average which will make the sticks feel lighter than they actually are. This all bodes well for ergonomics and when matched with their super light casting reel counterparts, the Zenon BFS combos take the idea of similar pre-packaged offerings to a level I'm not certain the bass fishing world is prepared.

Carbon grips are smooth yet not slippery

Titanium framed guides with SiN inserts

The rods' hook keepers are by Fuji

Price & Applications: Of course, accolades such as this come at a price. In the specific case of Abu Garcia's BFS sticks, that's a $449.95 tag that won't help the majority of bass angler population prepare. On the other hand, if you're searching for some capable, intentionally built sticks to cover both vertical and horizontal bait techniques in the finesse realm, these Zenon BFS sticks support that need quite successfully.

If you're on the hunt for something just a tad more technique specific in the BFS realm, these Zenon BFS sticks should be taken under serious consideration

Conclusion: For me, the thought of pre-packaged rod and reel combos elicit images of spincast and spinning outfits targeted at children. Even the options tailored for a more mature audience barely move my enthusiast needle. While Abu Garcia's Zenon BFS rods and reels are not pre-packaged, there's little doubt putting them together truly unlocks their potential - at least with the rods. In part 2 of this series, we take a closer look at those reels, but for now, if you're on the hunt for something just a tad more technique specific in the BFS realm, these Zenon BFS sticks should be taken under serious consideration.

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