SPRO Slayer B74MH Product Review #sproslayerrods #sprorods

Rod Review

SPRO Enters the Value Rod Market With Their Slayer Series (continued)

Power: Of course, detecting the strike is only half the challenge. Once you feel that take, you need to swing and set the hook. I'm happy to report hook up ratio with the Slayer B74MH is very good. That 7'-4" length picks up a lot of line on the swing, and the rod's backbone is very good at driving that hook point home.

Fig 1 : The chart above illustrates the deflection characteristics of our SPRO Slayer B74MH against the historical averages of medium, medium heavy, and heavy powered bass rods we've tested over the past twenty plus years

Once the fish is hooked, it's easy to see and feel the rod's taper as more on the mod-fast side than fast. This might dissuade a lot of anglers who prefer fast tapered rods, but really, a rod with a taper between moderate and fast (mod-fast) is better suited for a wider variety of techniques. You'll also find you lose fewer fish right at the side of the boat because the rod is better able to respond to last minute lunges.

Checking out that taper

Design & Ergonomics: SPRO's Slayer B74MH tipped our scales at four point eight ounces (4.8oz) which for a 7'-4" stick is pretty good. Balance point is a respectable nine and a half inches up from the mid-line of the reel seat resulting in a slightly tip heavy build but not to the point where it is bothersome. The EVA split rear grip is comfortable to hold and the rod comes with some bright green accent rings and graphics. The color really stands out, but fortunately, it is not overdone or garish in anyway.

Lab Results for SPRO Slayer B74MH
Model	Avg RoD	Taper	Measured Weight (oz)	Balance Point (inches)	Balancing Torque (ftlbs)
SPRO Slayer B74MH	1.87	Mod-Fast	4.8	9.5	0.24
TSFO >100 Rod Avg	1.76	--	4.6	8.0	0.19

Guides are Seaguide Atlas series

Price & Applications: SPRO retails their Slayer series of rods for $119.99, a price point that compliments their Vortex-E series of reels very well. If you like keeping your combos all in the same manufacturing family, you can put a SPRO combo together for right around $210 (excluding shipping and tax). That's a pretty attractive proposition. Application wise, the B74MH is a nice length, taper, and power for a variety of applications both vertical (bottom fishing and soft plastics) and horizontal (moving baits) in nature.

SPRO retails their Slayer Series rods for only $119.99

Ratings:

SPRO Slayer B74MH Ratings (?/10)
Construction/Quality	Simple build with more decorative elements normally found at this price point	7.5
Performance	An excellent entry point stick with just the right amount of performance to satisfy value-oriented and mainstream anglers and especially fans of the SPRO brand that can now keep it all the family including rod, reel, and lures	7.5
Price	Priced right for specification and performance. The sensitivity was pretty much what you expect at this price point but power is surprisingly good	8
Features	EVA foam grips, solid components	7
Design (Ergonomics)	Comfortable weight and balance	7
Application	A good power and taper for a variety of techniques. With a wide lure range of 3/8-1oz. this is a good option for many bass fishing baits and applications	8
Total Score		7.50
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
+ Really nice match with SPRO's Vortex-E Reel	- Rod's "Action" incorrectly labeled with power specification ("MH"), not taper
+ Simple, but sound build
+ Good performance and excellent entry point rod
+ Good power and taper for a variety of techniques

SPRO is making a strong push into the rod and reel market.

Conclusion: The gap between performance tiers in fishing rods has tightened over recent years. By specification, the B74MH is not very exciting, but out on the water, it actually performs quite well. Manufacturers are squeezing a lot of performance out of what I'd consider entry level tackle these days and that's a good thing because not everyone has an enthusiast budget to match their fervor for tackle. SPRO is making it fun by adding just enough flash to the Slayer series's look without going overboard while backing it all up with performance worthy of the price point. If you're looking for a rod or rod and reel combo to get started, this is a good place to begin.

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