Sensitivity: The Novelty MNATC695MH is not built on the crispest of blank materials. Sensitivity for this stick is average at best and it really does lend itself better to moving bait presentations. Keep in mind, it was designed as a stick for targeting snakehead and while I've not yet had the pleasure of hooking, let alone landing one of these fish, something tells me they're not the most subtle of biters. They just look fierce.

Fig 1 : The chart above illustrates the deflection characteristics of our Monstar Novelty MNARTC695MH against the historical averages of similarly powered rods we've tested over the past twenty years

Power: This stick's power can be likened to a traditional heavy to extra-heavy rod. Its backbone is not immediately apparent, but there is a point, given enough load, where the rod kind of buckles down and stops giving way. You can see that in its deflection chart (Fig 1, above). The Novelty MNATC695MH flexes evenly through to about one pound of pressure, but then the curve flattens out and progresses less willingly beyond that point demonstrating how this stick has a point where it says enough is enough.

The top of this stick is pretty light then flattens out

Little details like this make the stick feel far more expensive than it is

Design & Ergonomics: The most intriguing aspect of this stick, obviously, is its 5-piece design. Not only that, but the fact it comes packed in a Meiho long case 500 and a spare nylon carrying bag to maximize your options on how to stow it when you travel. Additionally, what the MNARTC695MH lacks in terms of a crisp blank, it more than makes up for components (as mentioned earlier, Fuji SS/SiC). The stick itself has the eye catching faux-crackle finish on the lower third of the blank through the reel seat.

Guides are Fuji SS/SiC!

Assembled weight of the rod is a modest six ounces with a balance point six and a half inches up from the mid-line of the reel seat - also a modest number. Given the rod's overall power, it's a very comfortable stick to fish and something fun to carry around while on travel or even to keep in the back of your car for those "just in case" moments.

But the lack of alignment markers at the joints makes assembly a little more time consuming than it needs to be

One thing I almost forgot to bring up is the absence of alignment markers at the joints making it easier to ensure you're putting the stick together straight. Of course, it'd be super fun if the guides were arranged in a manner where you could decide to assemble the rod in conventional manner with all the guides on top of the stick, or assemble it with the guides spiraling around. Yes, I always ask for too much.

Included in the hard case is this soft carrying bag option

Price & Applications: Making it even easier to justify is the fact the MNARTC695MH retails for just $215. Given the recent difficulty in finding rod components in stock, the price of this stick is almost worth paying just so you can strip it for parts - almost. But in all seriousness, the reason Monstar offers the MNARTC695MH at such an attractive price is the company sells the stick with no warranty, so it is a literal purchase at your own risk scenario. For those who don't really care about rod warranties, this stick is a steal. For those who do, it's probably best to look elsewhere.

Not exactly what I was cranking for, but I'll take it. Monstar's Novelty MNARTC695MH lives up to its "all rounder" moniker

Conclusion: If you're in the market for a travel rod, there's a lot to like about Monstar's Novelty MNARTC695MH. If you're a stickler for things like warranty and sensitivity, maybe not so much. If you're somewhere in between, think long and hard about what you're getting with this stick for the price being asked and compare with other 5-piece travel rod options out there. I mean seriously are there even more than a handful of options worth considering? I've seen a few two and three piece options, but this five-piece stick from Monstar is a lot of fun to fish, features a playful color scheme, high end components, and two quality packing options in the hard case and nylon bag. All for just over $200. That is assuming of course, you can find where to purchase it. That's the final challenge. Fortunately, in today's age of the Internet, sometimes opportunities like that are just a quick direct message away.

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