H2O XPRESS Ethos Nano Rod By Bruce Callis
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I have had the pleasure to test the Academy Sports + Outdoors new H2O Xpress rod over the past few months. It is great for anglers who prefer a more responsive feel in their rod. The rod features a 1 piece IM8 graphite rod blank with Nano Resin technology and semi micro titanium guides with titanium inserts that promote a lightweight, balanced feel. It comes with Winn Grip split-grip Dri-Tac handle that lets you grip the rod comfortably, and the rubber-coated reel seat offers an exposed blank area for added sensitivity while you fish.
With the advanced Nano technology that Academy has built into this rod, it is super light and stronger. It is also extremely responsive. By pairing it with a a light reel, you get the best of all set ups. After throwing lures with it all day and fighting many bass, there was less stress in my arm and I was ready for the next day. The Winn Grip handle was something new for me, as I have always preferred cork, but I found it very comfortable. Something I may consider for future use.
I used the the Medium/Fast 6’6” baitcasting rod for my testing and put it through a lot of situations that tested it beyond it’s stated use. I used it with a Quantum EXO reel and Seaguar 10 pound fluorocarbon to attempt to get the most active results. I threw weightless straight worms, weightless fluke style baits, jerkbaits, and even small spinnerbaits. I pushed it further with small jigs, squarebills, and light Texas rigged creature baits. I managed to land quite a few bass, with a 5 pounder being the largest I hooked into. The rod performed beyond my expectations. The rod had plenty of backbone to fight even the largest bass, but yet sensitive enough to feel the slightest tic on my bait.
The H2O Xpress Ethos Nano baitcasting rod comes in 6 sizes. The Medium/Fast comes in 6’6” and 7 foot. The Medium Heavy/Fast comes in 3 lengths, 6’10”, 7’, and 7’3” offering the perfect fit. The Heavy/Fast comes in just a 7’6” length for now. The H2O Xpress spinning rod comes in Medium/Fast with 2 length of 6’8” and 7 foot. The best part is it is offered at very reasonable price at only $99.99, far less than you would expect for a rod of it’s quality.
You can find these rods only at Academy Sports + Outdoors website at www.academy.com and in their retail stores. Happy fishing!