I can’t even begin to count how many rods I’ve tested throughout my career. Regardless of price point, I consistently look for three very important characteristics before anything else: Weightlessness, sensitivity and durability. It’s quite difficult to find a rod that has all three.

I’ve spent a lot of time this year testing the Abu Garcia Fantasista Premier Casting Rods. It’s a high-end rod that’s priced at $299, so I had some lofty expectations once I saw the price tag. We all work hard for our money, so I needed to make sure that it was worth the extra Benjamins before I recommended it to any of our readers.

Here’s what I’ve learned about these rods.