Jabberwock & Bandersnatch
Megabass Destroyer F4-68X THP and F5-68X - a powerful twin pack designed by Yuki Ito
Two days ago FedEx finally delivered these beautyful rods. They are not only enhancing my tiny, yet growing collection, but also bring a completely new feel and quality to my tackle “armory”. After some first basic testing, both arrivals made a solid and splendid impression on me and futher documentation ‘ll follow, as soon as I find the time to start with a detailed “survey”.
Main reason for buying two rods with exactly the same blank material and taper, was to find a pair of complementary sticks offering versatility and flexibility for most applications. Keeping in mind the different waters and fishing situations I have to face, it felt obvious to go for a light all-rounder and a counterpart thats is similarly versatile but equipped with plenty more backbone.
After already considering rods from Daiwa’s Steez and Zenaq’s Spirado line-up in recent weeks, I started from scratch and after weighting up the pros and cons again and again, I ended up with Megabass’ Destroyer series.
Besides purchasing/acquisition related motives the positive feedback from Jabberwock users and Yuki Ito’s admirably sense of design and aesthetics where the main reasons for this decision.
F4-68X THP “Jabberwock” Specs.
Length: 6′8″
Taper: Regular Taper
Lure Wt.: 1/4-3/4oz.
Line Lb.: 8-20Lb.
Blank Material: Hi-10X Graphite
F5-68X “Bandersnatch” Specs.
Length: 6′8″
Taper: Regular Taper
Lure Wt.: 3/8-1oz.
Line Lb.: 10-25Lb
Blank Material: Hi-10X Graphite
Just after a few hours testing, the breathtaking performance and sensitivity of the Jabberwock was conspicuous. From lightweight surface cranks up to deep diving minnows the powerful and inspiring stick was more than convincing. Paired with an Alphas Ito Ai (spooled with Toray’s Bawo Superhard Polyamide+ in 12lb), my favourite lures of the last two days where Imakatsu’s IS-100/200 and Megabass‘ own Bait-X cranks.
In comparison to it’s lightweight twin, the F5-68x’s blank has a slightly bigger diameter which results in a really robust and safe feel. It gives even confidence when fishing C+T-rigs through heavy cover. Unfortunately the Metanium MG that should pair the Bandersnatch is still on it’s way from Urayasu to Berlin, but I already made some first steps using the standard Alphas 103 (spooled with Sunline Machingun Cast). As I’m currently kind of addicted to fishing cranks in various sizes and weights my “top three” of yesterdays testing session are MB’s MR-X, MD-X Cyclone and Zip Bait’s B-Switcher 4.0.
While the F5-68x I got, is from the “classic” Destroyer series - the F4-68x Jabberwock comes from the relatively “new” THP (Technical Handling Package) line-up. As I read in the TackleTour forums the THP models are supposed to increase sensitivity and vibration transmission due to a “one-piece” design of the blank. Means that the blank does not end at the reel seat, but continues over the full length and is covered by a metal tube between for and back grip. The pictures below should illustrate this “real one-piece” approach even better.
On the design-side it was slightly disappointing to see that the THP reel-seats aren’t varnished anymore - really like the marbled surface of the original Destroyer models. But hey, lets face it… how often do you see this detail while fishing? At least from a handling and tactile aspect, I can’t see/feel a disadvantage of the matted surface.
Overall, high-qualitiy components, perfect execution right down to the last detail and the compelling, yet powerful beauty makes both import rods a valuable “add-on” to everyones tackle collection. More detailed reports on own experiences to follow…
Posted: February 25th, 2008 at 8:46 am
Welcome to the Megabass clan. Megabass USA told me when I ordered my first rod of their’s, the F3-610DGS Aaron Martens Ltd, I should be careful because `once I owned one Megabass rod I would want to won more and more’. I pass this warning on to you, because I now own 10 of them. You will want more and more.
They are superbly constructed, works of art and science. Their sensitivity is amazing, and not just because they are light rods. Forget just feeling a `tap’ when a bass puts the bait in its mouth; with these rods you will be able to feel what the bass is thinking about. Kidding aside, one thing you will notice immediately but truly appreciate with a little more time is the enjoyment of fishing with a Megabass rod. Everything handles better, everything reacts better. And, perhaps this is due to how well balanced the rods are, but they are extremely comfortable to fish with for hours at a time. It does not feel as though you are holding anything, it just feels as though your arm grew longer. Regardless of how well you fish with the rod or how many fish you catch, you will find that you will enjoy it thoroughly.
However. When you treasure rods like those as much as I am sure you will it is truly heartbreaking when you break one. My advice to you is break one immediately - get it over with. Just snap it so you can feel the pain without the surprise. Naturally, I am joking. But my point is, you can feel it in your stomach when you accidentally break one of these rods. When I broke my F4-610XDTi Elseil I felt like I could not breathe, I felt sick.
Because Megabass rods are not `just tools to get a job done’. They are excellent tools but they are also extraordinary works of craftsmanship. Much like a sword. There are ordinary swords just as there are ordinary fishing rods - tools, and they get a job done. But then there are also wonderously crafted samurai swords that are both far more effective at getting a job done and beautifully crafted. Many have said samurai swords had souls. If any fishing rod has a soul crafted into it, it’s a Megabass rod.
Regarding your crankbaits I am also a big fan of the Megabass Cyclone (if I could only have one crankbait it would be the Cyclone) and have only recently started using the Zip Bait B-Switcher.
Anyway, congratulations again on the Megabass rods. Rip some lips.
Posted: February 25th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Hey Chris,
thanks for the warm welcome to the Megabass “family”. Really enjoyed reading your poetic anthem about the soul and compelling beauty of MB’s rods. Would be great, if you could showcase one or two of your rods here on the blog some day. Which rods are currently in your collection?
To be honest, I already thought about useful extensions to my rod “collection” - and it’s just two days ago, that the “twin pack” arrived!
Currently the “dragon” - F4-610GT3/F4-66GT3R SHIRYU - is on top of my list, but I’m also looking for a ultra-light stick for topwater fishing. May be you have some recommendations for rods that I should focus during my research?
Take care… Christian
PS: Just got a message from a likeminded soul, asking about the advantages of the THP design. Would be great if you can write something about it as a true-born MB expert and “enthusiast”.
Posted: February 25th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
Christian,
I will get some pictures to you soon. Here is a lineup of the MB rods I own: F6-68X Rekkai, F7-72X Aaron Martens, F3-64XS Intimidator, F4 1/2-68XFTi Jabberwock Evolutition, F5 1/2-68XFTi Diablo, F4-65XDTi Cyclone Evolution, F4-610XDTi Elseil, F4ST-69RSDTi Orochi Evolution, F7-69DG Super Destroyer Mephisto, and F3-610DGS Aaron Martens Ltd.
You have good taste - the F4-610GT3 is the very next rod I will be adding to my collection over the next few months.
Regarding the request for a comparison between THP and standard Destroyer rods, I wish I could help but I cannot. I want to know the difference as well - when I started purchasing my MB rods I did not even know about THP and it only appeared on the Megabass USA website in the last year. So I do not own any THP rods with which to compare. I can tell that some of my rods incorporate some of the same features of the THP rods, such as the blank being one piece all the way to the butt of the rod. And some of my reel seats are painted/varnished and some are not. Yes the varnished surface looks much cooler but I really don’t think it matters in terms of sensitivity. I do prefer it though from a a comfort and ergonomic standpoint. Sorry I can’t help, I just don’t have two identical or similar rods yet one being THP with which to compare.
As for the `ultra-light stick for topwater fishing’ you are looking for, can you tell me what type of topwater fishing exactly you would like to do? Are you talking about buzzbaits, poppers, dog-walking bait? The most common topwater baits i throw are Zoom Super Flukes, Lucky Craft Sammy, Megabass Pop-Max, Deps buzzbait and Basirisky, and frogs (both hollow body and T-rig soft plastic). And I use a different rod for nearly each one… So tell me what you’re intending to use it for primarily and I’d be more than happy to offer any advice.
Oh, and by `ultra-light’ are you referring to the power of the rod or the actual weight? I ask simply because for top water rods I often like to have a rod that is extremely light, from a weight standpoint, but not light in terms of power. It’s entirely personal preference. But it really does depend on which bait or type of bait you intend to use with the rod because you want the length to be just right to bring enough line in with each twitch and lenth will obviously affect the overall weight and balance. For me, the lighter the rod in weight and balance the better - much easier on your wrist over the length of a day. My next consideration would be the taper of the rod. For certain topwater baits I like to have the rod be almost about 80% backbone but have that 20% left flex a great deal - for example, with hollow body frogs. I want that tip to bounce enough that the head of the frog bounces up and down crazily, but when the bass blows up on it I need to let him take the bait under for about 1 second before I set the hook; so then I need the rod to be 80% backbone, nearly a broomhandle to set the hook and pull the bass up out of the weeds. But i use an entirely different rod for say, a Megabass Pop-Max.
So tell me a little more and I’d be happy to see if I have any ideas.
Be well, Chris
Posted: February 25th, 2008 at 8:01 pm
Your MB line-up sounds breathtaking - I’m sure it’s a really unique experience fishing these stunning rods in all possible/different fields and conditions.
Two weeks ago I was really close to get a used F4-610GT3 in excelent+ condition, unfortunaltey it didn’t come off. I really love the design of the Shiryu and I’m sure it’s really special blank and characteristics would fit perfectly to my crank collection.
Back to the planned topwater stick… As I’m relatively new to topwater fishing, I’m really unsure in which direction to go. Currently my tackle boxes are holding just a handful of lures for topwater applications - like: Jackall Water Moccasin’s and Skitter Pop as well as MB’s Pop Max and Prop Darter 80.
The Jabberwock might already cover some of them - like Pop Max and Prop Darter, but I’m considering to add a few Buzz Baits for the coming season like Deps Mad Waver and Megabass’ V-4 Buzzbait.
I also just ordered some lightweight surface and topwater cranks with weights around 1/4oz - some of them also fitting for dog-walking with high speed retrieve. After first “test-casts” last weekend it felt a bit like some of them could need a rod with a slightly lower lure weight than the Jabberwock.
At all the “ultra-light” was more related to the overall weight of the rod and it’s lure specs.. Until now the F1-60X Elite and F2-57X Reservoir Dog are on top of my list.
I’m curious about your recommendations!
Posted: February 27th, 2008 at 12:46 am
Thanks to a post at a popular tackle forum, I came across this beautyful little combo.
The F2-57X Reservoir Dog paired with Daiwa’s Presso could be (as far as I can gauge) a spendid gain to my existing Destroyer setup. It’s a handy lightweight-combo and besides being of eye-catching grace it would cover the filed I described above perfectly.
F2-57X Specifications
Length: 5′7″
Taper: Slow Taper
Lure Wt.: 1/8-1/2oz.
Line Lb.: 5-14Lb.
Daiwa Presso Specifications
Line Capacity: 4/100 (lbs / yds)
Gear Ratio: 5.8:1 (22 inches per turn)
Measured Weight: 5.4 oz
Measured Max. Drag: 2lbs
Bearings: 6 + 1 roller
Features: Daiwa Air metal (magnesium alloy) frame, MagForce Cast Control System, 8+1 bearings
I’m not 100% sure about the Presso to be honest - mainly because of the 2lb max. drag. As possible “susbs” only the Pixy or Steez come to my mind, but may be an Alphas Ito or Met MG could do the job for first. Just wait and see…
Posted: February 27th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Allo,
Ok, first things first - it depends on where you are fishing from. If you are floating in a tube on a pond with water up to your elbows it’s a different scenario than if you are standing on a boat or an elevated bank and can hold the tip of the rod downward. If you’re floating in the pond, yes, a short rod would be better to manage. On the bank though I would go for the longest rod possible if you’re fishing light tackle.
In fact I just read the description on Megabass’s website and sure enough they say the F2-57X is short distance topwater. I guess I could see how that rod could work..The medium fast taper they rate it is what accounts for what they call a `sharper swing’ in their description; that’s a another way of saying it’s a little stiffer than their other F2 rods, which is fine, cause you don’t want a noodle for a rod.
It really comes down to personal preference - what you typically like, how tall you are, things like that. F2-57X would be too short for me to use, i would just get frustrated. But that is just me. Ok I can think of one case where i would be tempted to use that - some really tight, nasty dock situations where i had little to no room to cast. But, looking at what you want to do i would think about the F2-66X Chaparral - it looks similar to the F2-57X but is longer and less stiff (but for those lighter baits you’re going to want the rod to flex to get some casting power, and for the wake baits or surface cranks you want the rod to flex a bit on bites). Remember, if you are using a lure that weighs 3/16oz or less on a rod that is under 6ft long, that lure isn’t going very far on each cast. The other rod that really catches my eye for your situation is the F3-610X Hien. Perhaps if you are floating in a tube that is too long a rod to use, I don’t know what it is like to fish from a tube. But that rod looks perfect for the lighter topwater fishing you want to do…Again though it’s only an F3 rating, so I would not recommend it for heavier topwater baits (I think something like the Pop-Max would be too beefy for this rod, but i could be wrong, I would have to see the rod first).
Good luck, happy hunting, keep researching. Remember, you can never `buy a “bad” Megabass rod’ but you can spend a lot of money on a rod that is ideal for something it’s just not what you want to use it for, which of course makes it the wrong rod. Now that I have a few of these rods it’s a little easier for me to compare them and learn how their rating system works. For me, I find the F rating (Force) only tells you so much. At first I told myself `F stands for `Fat’ and the higher the F rating the `Fatter’ the base of the rod would be’. But that of course is silly, the thickness of the base of the rod is basically dictated by how long the rod is. Until you become familiar with several MB rods you won’t know how to infer what the combination of their rating system is trying to explain. But I find their taper rating is what tells you the most. Which reminds me, you have the F2-57X listed as `Slow Taper’ above, but I see it on their website as `medium fast’.
Chris
Posted: February 27th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
Hi Chris,
thanks again for your detailed feedback. At the (german only) tackle forum I’m attending, we currently discussing these aspects at length.
After sorting out all relevant factors (body height, angle & position to the water surface, …) I ended up with the F2-66X Chaparral you already mentioned above.
It’s still kind of confusing that Megabass Japan (Slow) and MB USA (Regular) are stating different taper ratings for the Chaparral (and other rods aswell).
The product description of the “Hien” sounds really promising. Even if I would prefer to stay with the black duplon grips (on the design side), it sounds like a powerful candidate for top-water fishing in difficult situations and areas. The only issue that pops up, is the Extra-Fast Taper, which makes this rod inappropriate for surface/shallow cranks.
The F1-60X Elite is also still on the list. If you take the product description as a reference (”Specially designed to get most out of top-water fishing, yet this rod is a perfect match for small crank-baits as well.”), this slightly shorter stick might fit as well.
Currently the only contra seems to be the Regular taper. As I already own two Regular sticks it would be nice to go for a rod that is more “stiff” to fit better for dog-walking and ‘popping’.
For sure not an easy decision to make, but it’s really helpful and kind of enlightening to go into the details and characteristics of each model, to find the one that suits best.
Take care… Christian
Posted: February 28th, 2008 at 3:29 am
Hi Christian,
Good point about the rating description differences between MB Japan and USA. Of course, always go with what is said on MB Japan. Remember also, as much as I like MB, their written descriptions are there to help but sometimes you have to disregard what they write. Sometimes they describe multiple uses for a rod, and you’ll find that you wouldn’t necessarily use it for those at all - and that’s fine. It adds color to the picture (what they write) but sometimes I know I would use a different one for T-rigging than they suggest. You can use any rod for any technique if it works for you, regardless of what they say. But of course use what they recommend to help build a visual understanding for what the ratings translate into.
Speaking of ratings, what exactly do you want the taper to do for your topwater rod, primarily surface cranks and dog-walking baits? If you’re concerned that an Extra-Fast taper rating won’t `give’ enough when you get a bite I wouldn’t worry. If on the other hand you’re looking for more delay with each twitch of the rod to enhance surface action (dog walk, etc.) then yes you’re probably right to stay away from a rod like the F3-610X Hien. Taper is the amount of time that it takes for the tip section of the rod to return to it’s original/natural state - straight. I give MB a lot of credit on their taper ratings - they usually say exactly what the upper portion of the rod does. So `Extra-Fast’ is accurate. But that does, necessarily, mean extra-stiff. It can still be very flexible (essentially soft) but move (return) very fast.
For example, I own an F4ST-69RSDti Orochi Evolution. That has an `Ultra Extra Fast ‘ taper. And that is because of the Stinger tip. By the way, that Stinger tip does everything MB promises it would do. That rod is so unique that there are only a few things I can see doing with it, but now that I have one, i wouldn’t use another rod in its place for those things. Such as drop-shotting. Anyway, the point is, that rod is rated F4. But it’s 6′9″ long. By the time that F4 rating is stretched all the way out 6+ feet there is no way the tip will be stiff. It has plenty of give - even if it moves/returns quickly. It is so flexible and sensitive that it is impossible for me to hold the rod out and the tip not be shaking a little. it’s no exeggeration when i say i can just about see my heartbeat in the rod tip. So. The F3-610 Hien, I would imagine is very similar - by the time you’re talking about 6′10″ of rod blank, and with a lower F rating (3) to begin with, i don’t think you’d have any problems at all with smaller surface cranks, etc. but again, to each his own, that’s just me.
Soeaking of the F4ST-69RSDti, it has a cork handle, and so does the F3-64XS Intimidator I own. I, like you, prefer the black duplon - hypalon, i don’t even know - grips over the cork. I just can’t imagine vibration transmits as well through the cork. BUT. The cork on those two rods is extremely dense, high quality cork. The shape and quality of the cork is extremely comfortable to hold, and I have no problem with the cork dampening vibration. I have caught several fish in several tournaments with both rods.
Hope it helps,
Chris
Posted: February 29th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
[...] with the MB’s F5-68X the Shimano still looks slightly oversized, but on the design side the reels sparse and subtle gold [...]
Posted: March 4th, 2008 at 2:13 am
[...] placing my orders at JapanProFishing.com today. It’s just two weeks ago that Megabass’ F4-68X and F5-68X arrived, but one thing was obvious after just 2 1/2 days of test fishing both rods. Besides the [...]
Posted: April 10th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
[...] the last blog, but several things happened and took shape behind the scenes. After putting together two rod&reel combos for ‘mid range’ applications a few weeks back, I just finalized another beautiful double set-up for ultra-light rigs as well as [...]