Performance: Pairing the Ardito 763 with just the right reel proved to be an unusually difficult task. The first reel that came to mind was Daiwa's PX TypeR, but for some reason, I could not locate mine. The next option was the Tatula TypeR, but once mounted on this stick, the combo didn't feel right to me - the Tatula TypeR was too heavy. Finally, I gave up on matching the color scheme and went for a reel that felt good on this rod and ended up pairing it with a Quantum EXO PT.

Fully assembled, this feels like a one-piece stick.

Casting: The Ardito 763 comes with a lure rating of one quarter ounce up to one full ounce (1/4oz - 1oz). This rating feels very accurate for this stick though its sweet spot is probably more like three eighths on up to three quarters of an ounce (3/8 - 3/4 oz).

The Ardito 763's length make it a good platform for long casts as well as close-in pitches to target.

The rod is built with a fast taper that loads well through the cast and thanks to its seven foot, six inch (7'6") length, really serves as a good launching pad for when distance is the objective of your cast.

A look at the rod's custom split reel seat.

My favorite was pitching with this stick. I really like the feel of seven foot, six inch rods that are relatively light, with a tip that loads well for pitching jigs, Senkos, and Texas rigged plastics. The Ardito 763 is one such stick.

My one complaint about the rod's design is this overly attention grabbing fore-nut.

Sensitivity: Daiwa has proven with their capabilities with their proprietary SVF (Super Volume Fiber) graphite, a low resin, high pressure rolled blank. The Tatula, Zillion, and Steez rods all feature this graphite in their blanks. Daiwa's HVF (High Volume Fiber) is a step down from SVF but still built with less resin than traditional blanks. The end result is a lighter, crisper blank.

Guides are Fuji Aluminum Oxide - certainly not top end, but at least they don't look overly cheap.

This benefit is very tactile with the Ardito series of rods and in the Ardito 763 specifically, I was really surprised by the rod's sensitivity. My only wish was that this blank was left bare, with no gloss coat, so as not to slow the blank down any more than is necessary to complete its build.

The EVA foam grip is comfortable.

Power: With that multi-piece, light, crisp blank, comes the concern of whether or not the rod can withstand the rigors of fishing and hold up to hooksets, hungry rocks, and voracious, submerged trees. In other words, anything and everything that will catch the hooks and cause the rod to bend. Referencing the Ardito 763's RoD Deflection Chart below, we see it aligns perfectly with our Search For One baseline rods.

That baseline power curve feels different on a seven foot, six inch rod. The Ardito 763 feels more powerful than its curve would suggest, probably because of the extra leverage its length provides. While I wouldn't go seeking out heavy cover situations with this stick, I wouldn't hesitate to use it as a tool to pitch a Texas rigged plastic up under a dock battle a bass out from underneath that mess. The Ardito 763's length and power are a very nice combination.

Next Section: Three Pieces and Still Truly Fishable