Sensitivity: This stick's performance sensitivity wise is not very good with mono or fluorocarbon line. If feel is important to you, I recommend using braid as your connection to the lure. This is a good choice in line for this stick and there's little worry about the no stretch characteristics of braid because the rod is forgiving enough to make up for it.

The reel seat resembles a popular and polarizing design

If feel is not as important to you with moving baits, I did prefer fluorocarbon to the nylon mono with this stick. Fluoro is the best compromise delivering both a little bit of stretch and good sensitivity. This rod's performance with nylon monofilament was uninspiring.

Fig 1 : The chart above illustrates the deflection characteristics of our Abu Garcia's IKE Delay Series MIKECW710-6 against the cranking rod averages over the past decade

Power: The MIKECW710-6 is rated as a medium heavy powered cranking stick and charts out against our cranking rod averages right in line with that rating. Out on the water, it feels more powerful than that and I would not hesitate to use this stick in heavy cover situations. It excels when fishing baits like vibrating jigs in grass and has plenty of power to coax even the most stubborn fish out of that stuff.

Checking out that tip

Design & Ergonomics: Going hand in hand with the rod's on the water power impressions are weight and balance numbers more in line with a stick built for deep cranks. The MIKECW710-6 tipped our scales at six point one ounces (6.1oz) and balances out at nine and a half inches (9.5") above the centerline of the reel seat. This is definitely a tip down fishing stick because it's quite tip heavy - which really is what you'd expect from a rod with this length.

I brought this bar code up in a separate review. I still find it unfortunate

Every time I look up these rods, I'm surprised at the price point

Price & Applications: Every time I look up these rods, I'm surprised at the price point. Not because I think they are worth more than their $149.99 price tag, but because the matching reels are at a more premium tier. The MIKECW710-6 is priced about right and is a really good choice to launch your moving baits as far from you as possible and power them back to the boat. You can fish a variety of baits from shallow running square bills to super deep diving cranks with it or use it to work grass beds with vibrating jigs.

Conclusion: Compared to the Power and Finesse sub-series from within Abu Garcia's Iaconelli Rod Suite, the Delay series, or at least this rod specifically, is a little heavy and slow. Of course, slow is what you want out of a moving bait stick and if there's glass involved, it's likely going to be heavy - especially if it's over seven feet in length.

This stick is capable of far more than what I was able to put it through

The MICKECW710-6 did everything I asked of it and kind of sat there asking me "is that it?" It's probably capable of far more than what I was able to put it through. Trouble is, it just didn't really inspire me. Yet I actually like the stick. It could just be its color scheme influencing that side of my brain, but really, this stick is a solid choice for moving bait applications from shallow to deep and it won't set you back very far in terms of cost. Matched with a Revo4 IKE reel, it's a pretty sporting combo on the deck of your boat. I know I'll continue to use it.

Looking for a Abu Garcia's IKE Delay Series MIKECW710-6?

Try TackleWarehouse