Does Anyone Have A Villain Rod??

[TNBassin']

Just ordered my STX, and was looking at a Villain rod to stick it on. TW has them on sale now for a good price, and I've been impressed with the Vendetta and most recently the Veritas. It just seems like the Villain is the black sheep of the V series rods, as the reviews seem kind of under whelming. Most of these reviews center on the rod being stiff, which nearly all Abu rods are, and the lack of micro guides which isn't a deal breaker for me even though a micro guide series of the Villain is coming soon. So if you have this rod, any info that will help me decide on what to do is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[21farms]

i have two of them: the 7'1" MH/F and the 6'9" ML/MF. unfortunately, i bought them sight unseen and never having held one. i'm used to higher-dollar rods (loomis and dobyns) but i tried a 7'0" M/MF veritas and, lo and behold, really liked it. so, when the villains came out this spring, i thought they'd be sure winners. well, i've only fished the 7'1" one once and the 6'9" one twice and they haven't been out with me since as they're just not for me. i don't have gigantic hands but kind of medium-large and the handles are just too skinny for me. i thought about wrapping some grip tape around the handles but i decided it just wasn't worth the hassle since i have close to 30 other rods to choose from. the sensitivity is fine. the 6'9" ML/MF is a little stouter and faster than i was expecting too. the other reason i don't like them is that they're so blinged out...they just kind of shout "look at me!"...just too flashy for my tastes. anyway, if you want to buy both of mine together, i'll give you a great price.

[TNBassin']

I have smaller hands so it sounds like it will work well for me. How does the handle/reel seet compare to the Veritas? I like that rod, but the handle/reel seat was a tad uncomfortable until I got used to it.

[Diggy]

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/97950-villain-first-impressions/page__hl__%2Bvillain

[Arv]

I have one 7'1 MH/F and I like it. I do have to agree with 21farms, they are blinged out with the holograms and whatnot, but its not something you pick up on unless you actually look at the rod up close. Subtle bling if you will. I also think the handles are skinny but I actually like that about the rod. I feel like it gives me better control. Its sensitive and has a nice tip on it and handles a lot of lures I use very well in my opinion. Now, is it worth the 80 dollars more than the Veritas, I don't think so. The only reason I got mine is because it was already on sale and I got another discount on top of that which brought it down to around 110. I don't have many high end rods, most around the 100 dollar range. The only other rod that would be considered high end in my arsenal would be my Powell Endurance, and that's a cranking rod so I don't really feel like I can compare the two. Are there better rods in that $180 price range, probably. But I don't think you would want to throw it in the trash after fishing it either.

[Arv]

I have smaller hands so it sounds like it will work well for me. How does the handle/reel seet compare to the Veritas? I like that rod, but the handle/reel seat was a tad uncomfortable until I got used to it.

The reel see/handle is definitely better in my opinion. The trigger on the Veritas is a little uncomfortable on my hands after a while, not the case with the Villain.

[TNBassin']

The reel see/handle is definitely better in my opinion. The trigger on the Veritas is a little uncomfortable on my hands after a while, not the case with the Villain.

That's good to know. The Veritas had my hand all cramped up after a few hours.

[Arv]

That's good to know. The Veritas had my hand all cramped up after a few hours.

I definitely know what you're talking about. That was probably biggest difference I noticed between the two fishing them side by side for the first time (forgot to mention that in my initial post, my b ).

[TNBassin']

I'm probably gonna go with a 6'9 or 7'1 MH. I'm hoping it performs like a MH Veritas. Good fast tip, with plenty of back bone.

[21farms]

the two things i don't like about the veritas are: 1) the width and angle of the trigger...can't let it go easily when i want it to, and 2) the thin, sharp metal locking ring which makes it hard to take off a reel after you lock it down. the villain's trigger is narrower and feels better and the locking ring doesn't have any sharp edges and doesn't scratch the reel foot so, in those ways, the villain is better. regarding the bling factor, it's much worse actually out in the sun than in the initial photos i saw...there is just so much going on.

[TNBassin']

I'm not fond of those silver dots everywhere that's for sure, but I want a rod that will match up to my new STX. Plus I just really like Abu rods, and wanna stick with them.

[Arv]

As far as the silver dots go, to me, that's splitting hairs. I barely notice them. But to each their own. When I'm fishing I'm watching my line and the water, not so much my rod . I don't put a lot of stock into the way something looks as long as it performs, and the rod has performed up to my standards so far. If you really don't like the dots, I'm sure you could take a black sharpie to them .

[TNBassin']

That would cut out some bling.

[new2BC4bass]

I got an excellent deal on a Villain 7'6" MH casting rod so I went for it since I like the ML spinning rod. Upon taking it out of the shipping tube my first thought was this might be the first rod I've ever sold. The rod's diameter is quite a bit larger than my Zillion Heavy which turned me off at first sight. However, I don't want to make a decision to sell without first giving the rod a fair shake. So far I only had it down to the river one time for a few practice casts. Was throwing a 1/2 oz. spinnerbait. My initial impression is that the rod leans more towards a Heavy. Not a lot of calls for a heavy rod with the type of fishing I normally do.

I just checked the ML rod diameter against a Medium Falcon. The diameters are really close. Got a good deal on this rod also and was hoping it would throw lighter than its listing, but no. Not with any kind of distance. It is rated for 1/8-3/8 so I picked up a River Runner rated for 1/32-5/16 oz. for my panfish rod. The Villain will be my Medium.

I want to like the Villain as I like its looks otherwise. Don't have any way to weigh the rod, but it doesn't feel heavy to me considering its length. Both the Villain and Zillion have reels on them (not the same make, tho) and feel pretty close in weight in my estimation. Of course, I don't have the feel some of you guys have. A Zillion reel doesn't feel heavy to me.

[TNBassin']

So is a MH Villain drastically stiffer than a typical MH rod? I know my M vendetta is a tad stiffer than a medium, but it's not drastically smaller in diameter than my bros MH. I've just seen where abugarcia.com has the micro guide villains for sale now. Guess I will spend the extra cash and nab one instead of the standard guide version.