I spotted the Abu Garcia Vengeance casting rod in a Big 5 Sporting Goods Store a while back and first noticed the sharp aesthetics and light weight. Then I noticed its affordable price point of $59.99. And you can’t beat high-quality and affordability at once. It felt like a perfect crankbait fishing rod. Once quick bend test to the floor and I established it had a good bend; it had to be part of my bass fishing arsenal. Low and behold, I now use it primarily as a flipping stick and run 30lb braided line to a fluorocarbon leader and it holds up nicely flipping texas rigs in grass and moderate cover. At any time, I can change out reels and switch to small moving baits and the parabolic bend is phenomenal for such an affordable rod. But it goes deeper as there are other features on this rod that stand out and feel pretty solid including its construction and weight.
Looks and Construction & Rod Power
As earlier stated, the looks on this rod are pretty solid. My version is the 7’0 medium heavy, which has a lure weight range of 3/8 -1oz. This is the older version. They’ve since upgraded. But it has solid split grip EVA handles, and stainless-steel guides. I’ve thrown this rod around over the years, threw it into the bed of a truck, scratched the ceilings, and still haven’t busted a guide. With that said, I’d still recommend rod and reel covers. The handles are durable and feel great in palm after a long day of fishing.
Similarly, the light weight and balance is achieved through a 24-ton high-modulus graphite blank. This allows for a seriously light weight rod that won’t have you fatigued by the end of the day. I paired it with the Shimano SLX 151 Casting Reel and together they make for a perfect, light-weight setup you can sling all day without any problems – its the lightest baitcasting setup I own, in fact. And the rod action is sensitive to where you can detect finicky bites.
One other feature is the texas rigged hook keeper that comes in handy when fishing grass. Lastly, the vengeance series reel seat is made with a solid construction that doesn’t allow slips. I’ve had issues with other rods – some of which are twice the price – that can’t hold a reel in the most crucial of moments. Over the years I haven’t experienced any looseness across multiple styles of fishing.
What I like about it Most
The Abu Garcia Vengeance Works well mostly as a crankbait rod. It doesn’t feel stiff at all. Rather, it has a spongy feeling as it loads up nicely. I’m pretty particular when it comes to height / weight ratio and how it all balances out when a big fish slams a lure. Even when running braid to leader and fishing light grass, the rod proportions hold up. In fact, I landed a solid 8lb bucket mouth last spring on the vengeance, and it all went down smoothly. The rod length balance well with the medium heavy power and fast action All of these features provide excellent performance. It has a great parabolic bend and whips even finesse lures a long distance. This allows me to throw shallow running crankbaits as well as deep divers in cold water scenarios and across different bait applications. Lastly, you can’t beat a fishing rod with a cool style. The Vengeance just has slick style and looks cool with a silver body and new updated white grips.
Final Thoughts
The Abu Garcia Vengeance is a solid rod for multiple functions. As a crankbait rod, it has a great back whip that allows long casting. And it holds up well running braid to leader and flipping in moderate cover with a 3/8 ox Texas rig. And trust me, I’ve done both – even in one day. It has a lightweight construction that allows anglers to fish it all day with no fatigue. Combined with the comfy split grips and lightweight and solid rod action, the Abu Garcia vengeance delivers insane performance for its price point. Check out the updated vengeance series.