Daiwa Steez AGS Universal Power

No experience here, but now we have you to follow up with the goods on it. Looking forward to your thoughts. 

I was able to put in a short 1 hour outing with the Steez AGS Universal Power, 7'9" heavy mod-fast + today.   With only one trip on the water with it, I am truly impressed. It balances about 1/2" in front of the locking fore nut with my Z2020H and has a lively and deeper loading tip that is very crisp. I was launching with excellent control today, a 3/4 oz Picasso DW spinnerbait with a 3.8 SIF paddletail and total weight of the spinnerbait is ~ 1.5 oz. I managed two bites from dinker 12" skinny bass in shallow water, but the strikes were a solid "THUMP" when they both hit. The sensitivity is excellent and I was using PLine CXX 15 lb.

I am really impressed thus far with this rod, excellent fit and finish, the guides are straight as an arrow and it is also very light at 4.80 oz. I know that I can fish a multitude of baits with this rod, to include off the top of my head: 5/8+ lipless, 1/2 - 1.5 oz wakebaits, bigger cranks, 5/16 + t-rigs, 1/2 - 1 oz c-rigs, 1/2 - 1 oz swing heads, lighter a-rigs, jigs/plastics, Magdraft 6" (not the Freestyle with a big 6/0-8/0 Beast Hook, I feel that needs a stiffer tip), 1/2 oz + buzzbaits, 1/2 + squarebills, 1/2 oz + chatters...this rod reminds me a lot of the OG MBR 844 GLX, but longer, more powerful and more sensitive (and much better craftsmanship). It is actually a mod-fast + and more crisp and a bit more powerful than the Gen II Evergreen Combat Stick 7'7" MH Moving Bait rod, but actually lighter. Also, the rod blank is beautiful as is the locking forenut, it's just missing a nicer butt cap on bottom to really set it off (like what Daiwa does on the BLX).

I am a junkie for longer power moving bait multi-purpose rods, and this one is a gem. 

Great to hear! How long is the handle on it?

I find it hard to find a rod that is good at both big treble baits and t-rig / beast hook swimbaits. For the latter, I like a fast / stout tip to drive the hook in, almost like a frog rod. For large trebles, I prefer a slower taper.

Have you found a jdm rod that you like for 6/0, 8/0, 10/0 beast hooks? They seem pretty elusive… The ones stout enough tend to have short handles as they seem more targeted at pictching and flipping.

And the rods labeled as “swimbait rods” tend to be more parabolic for treble baits, at least in my humble experience.

@saoulons 

On beast hooks...with rods I have owned/still own.

6/0 - 8/0: 

1.) Zenaq Spirado Blackart 72MH Biwa Special will drive these hooks well with braid + short stout leader like 17-20 fluoro.  And it's a very versatile rod for many other techs including even more so with non-braided line.  I just personally prefer a 7'6" or longer rod for baits in that 1.75-2 oz + range.

2.) Current Gen III(?) Phenix Ultra MBX Classic 707H...this rod is much more powerful and stiffer than the OG Gen I, and will drive 6/0-8/0 with a good low stretch fluoro no issues, and even does well with a stiffer copoly like CXX.  Shortcomings is that it's a heavy overall rod and very top heavy, but made very well with excellent fit and finish

3.) Luxxe Efreet B74XH-F and B76XH-RF...excellent rods in all aspects of weight, sensitivity, build quality, Made in Japan...although the B74XH-F isn't a great caster.  Both rods will easily do the job and the B76XH-RF is also very good with big wakes, swimbaits and other moving baits with large trebles or single hooks.

4.) Evergreen TKIC Super Stallion with braid + stiff low stretch fluoro leader.  This rod is legendary and doesn't need much introduction or description as to what it can handle and excel with.

10/0:

Of the rods I have owned, the Luxxe Efreet B74XH-F (rated to 2.5 oz) and B76XH-RF (rated up to 4 oz) would do it with a low stretch fluoro and easily with braid + short heavy fluoro leader.  And crazy enough, the Gen III Phenix Ultra MBX Classic 707H with braid + short stout leader, so long as the total weight is 2 oz or so.

Also, a few pics...the handle from the front of the trigger on the Universal Power is about 12" and just a tad longer than the overall handle on the BLX 7'4" MH Limber.

@dragon1 

Wow, amazing detailed reply, thank you!!

I second liking longer rods (7’4”+ for me) for heavier baits (2.5 oz+) unless I am throwing at close targets. For long casts, it’s nice to lob the bait using a nice parabolic bend and it’s easier to keep fish pinned if they bite far away from the boat. I will definitely have to check out the Efreet.

Do you remember if the handle length was similar to the Universal Power? I usually like my handles to be a bit longer, preferably 14”+ when heaving big baits. Personal preference.

Thank you!!

@saoulons 

I'll have to see if I have old pics of either rod as I sold them both...both models were too powerful for what techs I use.

Here are some pics from Goldrod on the B74XH-F:

https://tackleporn.com/community/baitcasting/gamakatsu-luxxe-efreet-baitcasting-b74xh-f/#post-780

@dragon1 

Awesome, thank you sir!