My thoughts on the Phenix K2 714

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Okiekev
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My thoughts on the Phenix K2 714

Post by Okiekev » Mon Mar 07, 2016 5:46 am

I have been going back and forth on getting one of the new production Phenix K2s and finally decided to pull the trigger. I purchased the 7'1" MH (714) and put my Shimano Aldebaran on it. I went with this rod with anticipation of using it for light bottom contact applications up to 3/8 or so. My favorite rod for these applications so far has been my NRX 853 and just wanted another rod to play around with, absolutely love the NRX. So my thoughts on this new phenix may be more of a comparison to the 853.

Granted I haven't had a chance to take it to the lake to put it full through its full paces, but after purchasing it I took it to my neighborhood lake that I am very familiar with the bottom composition to try it out. I have 12# InvizX spooled on the Aldebaran and tied on a 3/8 ounce Strike King football jig with a small chunk style trailer. I wanted to offer some of my initial thoughts.

First off, fit, finish, and off the rack impressions. The rod is absolutely beautiful and insanely light! Without a lure tied on, the balance point with the Aldebaran is the front end of the reel seat. I love the wood accents around the handle. In comparison to the NRX this rod feels lighter, the grip is smaller and I like the Torzite micro guides better than the Recs. There is one guide (second from the reel) that was wrapped out of line by probably 5-10 degrees. Otherwise, the wraps look great and are trimmed nicely.

Next, my initial impressions of the action. The 714 Phenix seems to be a little less powerful than the NRX 853, almost like an 852.75 (if that makes sense) or so. Consistent feedback about the K2 indicated that the tip was too soft but I didn't feel that way at all. The tip seems a little softer than the NRX but still great for bottom contact applications. The 3/8 jig felt like a great size for the rod. I think a 5 in Senko would also be amazing with this rod.

Feel; I know this is a very subjective description so please don't bash me here. Keep in mind this is based on about 30 minutes casting around the local pond, and I will update more when I get on the lake. Gross impression is that the sensitivity is on par with the NRX, I really think we would be splitting hairs if I tried to say it was better or worse, so let's just say it is absolutely amazing! In my short time, I had 2 bites (hooked and landed both) and they both made the rod come alive. This first fish was maybe a pound to pound and a half and the second was nicer at 3 to 4 pounds. I know lots of times a bite on an FB jig is difficult to detect, but both of these were highly evident with a thump, not an aggressive strike but a subtle pick up. One of the bites was fairly close to shore so it should have been felt. The other was on an off shore rock pile at roughly 40-50 ft in 8 ft of water, This is where the value of a great rod pays off and is indicative of many situations I would encounter on a bigger lake such as the TN river lakes. Overall, I am very excited about the rod's sensitivity.

Hook setting and fighting power: I did not feel underpowered at all in setting the hook with this rod. The bigger fish off shore was hooked in the top of the mouth. He also tried to go under a dock, but I felt the rod had plenty of backbone to control him easily.

Overall, I am very happy with the rod. I feel it is just as sensitive as the NRX, the fit and finish of the rod is beautiful, and it is lighter than the NRX. If you are looking for a top of the line bottom contact rod, this one should be in your consideration. I won't be getting rid of my NRX's but this one will definitely get plenty of action in the mix.

I would be happy to upload pictures but my files are over the 100Kb limit (maybe I should have said the fish were bigger :lol: ), but I am sure you can all search online for pictures of this rod. If you want any pictures in particular or have any questions, feel free to let me know. Best of luck

Fishing4Fun
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Re: My thoughts on the Phenix K2 714

Post by Fishing4Fun » Mon Mar 07, 2016 8:47 am

A very nice thorough review! Thanks for taking the time to post it. ;)

Vince Borges
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Re: My thoughts on the Phenix K2 714

Post by Vince Borges » Sat Mar 12, 2016 11:29 am

That's a great and the thorough review! Hope ya enjoy the K2!

Okiekev
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Joined: Sun Feb 03, 2013 8:06 pm
Location: Birmingham, AL

Re: My thoughts on the Phenix K2 714

Post by Okiekev » Sun Mar 13, 2016 5:49 am

Thank you. Like I said if I ever get a chance to get on the lake I will update my thoughts.

bemo
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Re: My thoughts on the Phenix K2 714

Post by bemo » Sun Mar 13, 2016 8:07 am

Great information. Thank you.

Okiekev
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Re: My thoughts on the Phenix K2 714

Post by Okiekev » Sat Mar 19, 2016 12:05 am

OK, I finally got to go to the lake. I went to a lake on the Tennessee River in northern Alabama and found fish between 1 and 10 feet of water with the majority in 2-4. I stuck with the 3/8 oz Strike King baby structure jig with a baby rage craw trailer. Additionally, I continued using the Aldebaran with 12# InvizX. I had a great day catching 43 largemouth and 1 smallmouth over pea gravel, chunk rock and downed wood. Fish ranged from 1 pound to 5.8, with the top five going 16.2.

1. Granted, most of the fish were fairly shallow but Feel and sensitivity were amazing. Again, I put this rod up there with the best including my NRX. I usually struggle to detect bites on a jig until it just feels heavy. This usually results in a few fish hooked deep. I am confident that I felt 90% of the bites upon the fish first picking up the bait resulting in most fish hooked in the corner of the mouth or the top.
2. One unexpected bonus of this sensitivity, is that once I got used to it, I was actually able to prevent a lot of hang ups. I will try to make this make sense, so bear with me. I mentioned there was a lot of fallen wood on the lake bottom and it seemed to grab my jig pretty easily. As the day went on, I felt myself better learning what sticks and logs felt like on the line and could be careful as my jig got in the "danger zone". I could ease it up to the hang up and pop it over without sticking it. This is hard to explain, but I don't even recall having that level of connection with the NRXs.
3. Fish fighting power seemed adequate and I never felt out of control of a fish. The 3/8 ounce jig felt like a great match, but I would be hesitant to go any heavier.
4. Hook setting power was fine for close range such as within 45 ft or so. Beyond that it was difficult to tell. I will just say I wasn't completely confident at longer ranges. I would expect the 5 power to be a little better suited for this. I lost a nice fish at the end that I had set the hook at what I estimate at close to 60 feet. It felt solid when I set the hook, but the fish came off at the boat, (in all honesty this could have been a result of the hook making a big hole in the fishes mouth and falling out as the fish shook). All this being said, I lost very few fish over the course of the day. In comparison to the NRX, I would put the rod rating right around their 752.
5. I really enjoyed fishing this rod and I think that is what really matters. It truly felt like a finely built piece of equipment and over the course of the day, I really liked how small and finesse it felt.

I realize a lot of this info is extremely subjective, but I hope it helps someone. Feel free to let me know if I can clarify anything else for you. Thanks

Chode
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Re: My thoughts on the Phenix K2 714

Post by Chode » Sat Mar 19, 2016 1:51 am

great review. thx for all that

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