I’ve had the chance to fish the “Big Sexy” rod by Favorite Fishing the past few months. I chose the 7-foot, medium-heavy power rod because it’s an all-purpose rod most, if not all, bass anglers have in their arsenal.
The first thing I noticed about the rod is how light it is. It weighs in at mere ounces. After my initial reaction, I carefully inspected the rod and noted the quality craftsmanship. From the Kevlar wrapped base, graphite upper, and the Fuji components, it’s clear they put a lot of thought and engineering into the rod.
One feature I liked was the hook keeper design. It “locks” a lure in place. You snap the hook in the hook keeper. Viola! You’re done. It’s not a curved hook that the bait must be reeled up snug against to stay in place. It’s a spring, so it holds the bait in place during bumpy blast-offs come tournament time. No more tangled line in the rod box. I love that.
Another often-overlooked feature is the knob that tightens the reel to the reel seat. The knob juts out and rubs against my fingers as I fish on some rods I've used. By the end of the day, my fingers feel raw and sometimes start to blister on the spot where the knob hits my fingers. I was delighted to see a sleek and compact knob on the Favorite Big Sexy that sits completely flush against the reel seat. It’s unobtrusive as I fish yet is easy enough to grip when I need to use it.
The BSXC-701MHis an all-purpose rod that can be used for various purposes. It’s a medium-heavy action rod rated for 12- to 20-pound lines and 3/8- to ¾-ounce lures. It has a fast-action, sensitive tip with plenty of backbone to pull a lunker out of heavy cover. I’ve used this rod for spinnerbait fishing, pitching thick cover, and worm fishing along docks, but it’s versatile enough to use for many other techniques as well, making it an excellent choice for starting your arsenal or filling out your rod lineup with a proverbial “Swiss Army knife.”
I carefully inspected the rod and noted the quality craftsmanship. It utilizes a cork rear grip with an EVA butt sleek hood combination without a foregrip to minimize weight. Overall, the rod has a comfortable fit and feel.
A couple of features caught my eye include:
- The hood combination is designed, so the reel seat threads are not exposed
- The K-R Concept guides are smaller than average but larger than micro-guides, often called “mini-guides.” This allows for improved knot clearance.
- The hook keeper placement is located on the underside of the blank to prevent interference with my line when fishing.
I am thoroughly impressed with this rod. I could feel the slow swimming action of the lures as I fished them. I felt every pulse, twitch, and quiver. I could even tell when a blade of grass hung on the lure! The featherlight weight of the rod made it so I could fish with it for long periods without tiring. They’ve put a lot of thought and effort into the design, and it shows. At $199.99, this rod performs as you would expect, and it even comes with a rod sleeve. You won’t be disappointed.