I’m going to let you in on a little secret—I’ve been around for a lot of years. I’ve been blessed to see a lot of new innovations in this industry, and although it’s harder now to get wowed with something new, every now and again I get super impressed and even amazed with a new product. I am totally impressed with the new Megabass Orochi XX Casting Rod.
I’ve been using the 7-foot, 2-inch, extra-heavy Orochi XX Perfect Pitch for a few months in almost every situation imaginable. There are a 4 specific characteristics that really blew me away.
- Very light
- Serious strength
- Sensitive regardless of application
- Quiet
Extremely light and strong
When I first removed the rod from its protective sleeve—yes, they even come with their own rod sleeves—I noticed the cross-mesh in the blank. The Orochi XX Casting Rod features a 4-axis carbon fiber core wrap at the butt, surrounded vertically by 2-axis braided bands of XX carbon layering, thus making it a 6-axis blank. That sounds fancy, but what’s it mean on the water?
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Plainly stated, this rod is extremely lightweight and strong. I’ve used it for flipping, pitching and even big crankbaits with the utmost satisfaction. It won’t wear you out after a long day on the water and it allows for some serious hooksets. I’ve been punching a lot of grass with it as of late and love how it rips the bass out of the thick stuff. Even with a salad bowl-full of vegetation along for the ride, the Orochi XX handled it with ease.
Amazing sensitivity
The true sensitivity of a rod can be difficult to detect in heavy cover. With many rods, you simply set the hook when you feel something pull back. That’s not the case with the Orochi XX Casting Rod.
You’ll be able to feel every stalk, leaf and bottom composition change with this rod. Whether I’ve flipped grass or wood cover with it, its sensitivity has also decreased my hang-ups. The Orochi XX makes it easy to detect the telltale signs of an imminent snag—your bait sliding down a limb, falling into a thick tree or becoming wedged under on a dock’s cross beam. This early detection has enabled me to easily finesse by baits out of thick, bass-holding cover.
Quietness leads to confidence
Believe it or not, one of the main things I look for in a rod is quietness. Fishing with a rod that snaps, crackles and pops during hooksets can lead to shattered rods, big-time frustration and money down the drain. Even when snatching big bass out of matted grass, I haven’t heard a single noise from this rod.
It’s allowed me to easily boat-swing bass up to 5-pounds without any worry of breakage or splitting. If you’re a heavy hitter when it comes to hooksets, this rod is for you—you can wail away without any negative repercussions.
Starting at $275, the Orochi XX Casting Rods may not be the cheapest rod on the block, but I don’t have any problem saying it’s one of the best I’ve ever laid hands on. I suggest saving your pennies and trying one—you’ll be just as impressed as I am.
Megabass Orochi XX Casting Rods are available at TackleWarehouse.com.
Review by Terry Brown
