Phenix Rods Virtus Red Diamond 77HMF Glide Product Review #phenixvirtusrod

Rod Review

Solid and Reliable, Phenix's Virtus Red Diamond (continued)

Power: The PHX-VRD77HFMG's power and taper combo is very well suited for hard bodied big baits equipped with treble hooks. I state that qualification in this manner because the stick's capabilities are not limited to glide baits. It can handle swimmers, topwater wakes, and yes, even some of your larger cranks and squarebills. It's a moving bait stick with good power to drive the hooks home for a reliable set and a smooth enough taper to keep them pinned and under control.

Fig 1 : The chart above illustrates the deflection characteristics of our Phenix Rods Virtus Red Diamond 77HMF Glide against the historical averages of medium, medium heavy, and heavy powered bass rods we've tested over the past twenty plus years

Design & Ergonomics: Phenix's Virtus Red Diamond Series has the same look and style as their Virtus Blue with the only real, visual difference being red thread wraps instead of blue. Makes sense, right? Otherwise the graphics, handle design and material, and even components are the same. As stated earlier, the one key difference is in the blank material - the Virtus Red is rolled with 40T graphite as opposed to the Virtus Blue's 30T.

Checking out the tip

Cork rear grip

If there's a downside to this stick specifically, it's in the area of ergonomics. Now one would expect a seven foot, seven inch rod featuring a minimalist build to be a little tip heavy, which the PHX-VRD77HFMG is, but it also weighs a little more than I expected.

Lab Results for Phenix Rods Virtus Red Diamond 77HMFG Glide
Model	Avg RoD	Taper	Measured Weight (oz)	Balance Point (inches)	Balancing Torque (ftlbs)
Phenix Rods Virtus Red Diamond 77HMF Glide	1.22	Mod Fast	6.0	10.75	0.36
Finesse SB Rod Avg	1.65	--	6.0	9.5	0.29
All Purpose SB Rod Avg	1.28	--	6.8	8.5	0.29
Heavy Hitters SB Rod Avg	0.95	--	7.7	10.2	0.44

A full set of double footed, Fuji SS/Alconite guides

It's only one inch longer than the PHX-VBD76HMG reviewed last year, but it's almost an ounce heavier (6.0oz vs 5.1oz). Good news for the PHX-VRD77HFMG is, this is still point eight ounces (0.8oz) less than the historical average for swimbait rods with a similar power rating.

Detail of the compressed cork accent and rubber winding check at the end of the forward rear grip

Detail at the butt end

Price & Applications: More good news for this stick is its made in the USA pedigree and a retail price of only $299. It's a very competitive price point especially given where the sticks are made. Phenix continues the tradition of keeping their sticks accessible - well, with the exception maybe of their K2 series. Application wise, as mentioned earlier, it's best to think of the PHX-VRD77HFMG as more than just a stick for glide baits. It's suitable for any big, hard bodied bait with trebles within its lure weight rating.

Like the Blue Diamond, the Virtus Red Diamond sticks are made in the USA

Ratings:

Phenix Rods Virtus Red Diamond 77HMFG Glide Ratings (?/10)
Construction/Quality	Simple, no frills build	7.5
Performance	Handles baits within its lure rating well and maybe even baits below that rating	8
Price	Competitively priced and especially so when you consider the rod is made right here in the USA	7.5
Features	Name brand components, blank rolled with relatively high grade of graphite	8
Design (Ergonomics)	Minimalist build, balance could be better	7.5
Application	A good choice for big bodied hard baits with treble hooks	8
Total Score		7.75
Ratings Key: 1 = terrible : 2 = poor : 3 = lacking : 4 = sub par : 5 = mediocre : 6 = fair : 7 = good : 8 = great : 9 = excellent : 10 = unbelievable! For More Details of the updated rating system visit our explanation here

Pluses and Minuses:

Plus	Minus
+ Higher end blank with good grade of components	- Ergonomics just a hair off for me
+ Very accurate lure rating
+ Good taper for big bodied baits with treble hooks
+ Made in USA

Conclusion: It's been a longer than usual journey with Phenix's Red Diamond series for me. At some point in the last couple of years, my swimbait mojo began to fade or at least down cycle, so getting those all important bites to properly christen and evaluate a stick like the PHX-VRD77HFMG has been difficult. I know, welcome to fishing, right?

If you're looking for a solid, reliable, made in the USA stick for big-ish, hard bodied, treble hooked baits, Phenix's Virtus Red Diamond PHX-VRD77HFMG is worth consideration.

With the PHX-VRD77HFMG's extended time on my deck, one thing became more clear each time I picked it up. My impression is this build is more of the original rod's DNA than it is Phenix at this point. Not to infer good or bad, just to point out that with mergers and acquisitions, and transition time, changes are usually on the horizon for the company and product being acquired. I'm curious to know if there are changes in store for the Virtus Blue and Red Diamond series and if so, what those changes might entail. Just look at how Phenix's own M1 series has evolved. Then of course, their Ultra MBX has seen very little change. Which path is in store for Virtus? Will the current gen become classic and coveted? Only time will tell, but knowing how the team at Phenix operates, and especially now with the additional resources of parent company GSM Outdoors, we certainly wouldn't bet against them.

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