Sensitivity: If this stick had a faster taper, I would not hesitate to use it for soft plastics. Despite being engineered for moving baits, it's actually quite sensitive and more than sufficient. Perhaps it's that kabt material, but the previously reviewed F4.5-74XXS Enforcer and this stick have left me with a very good impression of the series - a tradition, I'm glad Megabass has carried over from the original Orochi XX.

Fig 1 : The chart above illustrates the deflection characteristics of our Megabass 18 Orochi XX F5-75XX EMTF against the averages of our general purpose rods separated by power. Traditionally an F5 from Megabass is more of a medium heavy, but the EMTF charts out closer to a medium

Power: It's always a little difficult to determine true "power" of a stick designed for moving baits. It doesn't really take much to hook a fish when you're throwing something adorned with treble hooks, so I tied on an Owner Flashy Swimmer and tipped it with a Jackall Rhythm Wave swimbait. This "test" may very well have led me to my new favorite paddletail rod. The EMTF has more than enough power to drive those jig-style hooks home and of course and thanks to the rod's length, putting leverage on a fish and convincing it to go where you want is not much of an argument either.

The EMTF has a super light tip

Design & Ergonomics: The message I received from original Orochi XX aesthetic was the company was compromising so as to present the North American Marketplace something familiar and traditional.

This current generation Orochi XX exclaims, Megabass of America is tired of compromise and done with playing nice - it's time to get back to being Megabass. Case in point? That full rear grip on the EMTF tapers from either end to an off-center waist accented by a carbon fiber and aluminum belt.

Fuji stainless steel framed guides with SiC inserts

Gone is the standard, run of the mill reel seat, and in is the more traditional Spiral Architecture Reel Seat with winged sides and diagonal reinforcement. The actual kabt wrap extends from the handle up to the stripper guide beyond which the raw blank is exposed. The raw blank has raised ridges giving it a rough texture many equate to "high end" when really, it's simply an unsanded blank. The ridges are the result of material used to wrap the blank material and hold it together as it's cooked in the oven.

Price & Applications: I almost forgot to mention that even the rod sleeve on the new Orochi XX sticks has been upgraded borrowing on the design from the 2017 Destroyer series. Everything about this stick leaves me with the impression cost should have gone up, but Megabass of America has held steady at $299 for the new generation F5-75XX.

Looking for a new moving bait stick with a more refined look and feel? The F5-75XX EMTF is it

With all the tackle we have to test, sometimes I fish like I'm running out of time. The F5-75XX EMTF taught me how to think less, and fish more. Once I listened to what the rod was telling me rather than stick to my predisposition of what I thought the rod should be able to do, everything was fine. Megabass of America designed this as a graphite stick for moving baits and if you stick within its ratings, that's exactly what the EMTF does well. The upgraded aesthetic and rod sleeve are all bonus points to make the rod even more appealing, so if you're looking for a new moving bait stick with a more refined look and feel, the F5-75XX EMTF is it.

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