Sensitivity: What surprised me with the WES75MHFC was the rod's sensitivity. Granted, at the rod's price point ($159.99), I don't have very high expectations to begin with, but what I noticed while fishing the swim jig is the blank, in conjunction with ARK's new, proprietary guides with some kind of nano material insert (they're referring to it as their NanoForce Ring) is that the sound of the line coming through the guides is amplified through the blank. It's an unexpected side effect that makes the rod seem extra sensitive when fishing a reaction bait like the swim jig. In hindsight, I should have also tied on a vibrating jig, but I'm sure the feedback would be even more.

Fig 1 : The chart above illustrates the deflection characteristics of our ARK Fishing Wes Logan Signature WES75MHFC against the historical averages of similarly powered rods we've tested over the past twenty plus years

Power: I've been fishing heavy and extra-heavy powered rods so much recently, I've forgotten how forgiving a medium-heavy powered stick can be and yes, the WES75MHFC is forgiving, but in that buttery smooth kind of way sort of reminiscent of a glass rod. Of course, this is a graphite stick, but if you look at the deflection curve above, the 100K likes up almost exactly with our historical average for sticks with this classification. I found it just about ideal for swim jigs.

Checking out that tip

Design & Ergonomics: I think part of that reason may be due to the rod's length. It's a really nice length for launching jigs and while it is a tad tip heavy, its overall weight is very good for a stick that's close to seven and a half feet in length. I'm not a huge fan of the mixed materials in the handle (cork and Eva foam), but it works and ARK's proprietary guides held up fine for me with this stick. That'll be something to keep an eye on a year or two down the line, but so far so good.

ARK Fishing introduces proprietary guides for this series

The insert material is what the manufacturer is referring to as their NanoForce Ring

A look at the back end of the handle

Price & Applications: The best thing about this stick, as with most of ARK's product, is the price. Wes Logan's signature series rods retail for just $159.99. Given the grade of graphite and the overall handling of this stick, it is once again, quite the bargain. There are nine casting and two spinning rods in the lineup so even if the WES75MHFC doesn't match the spec for your intended application, there's likely a stick in the lineup that does.

The Wes Logan Signature Series is the latest in ARK's proven formula of delivering solid performance at a reasonable cost

Conclusion: ARK Fishing International has a knack for delivering solid performing fishing rods at reasonable price points and the new Wes Logan Signature series is the latest in their proven formula. The proprietary guide train leaves a small question in my mind only because they're new and somewhat unproven, but so far, so good. The plus here is these guides likely help keep the overall cost of the rod down and who doesn't like that perk? Otherwise, the WES75MHFC is a solid build that performed up to expectations - something I'd expect with both Wes Logan and ARKs' name attached.

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