Review: Cabelas Tournament Zx Baitcasting And Spinning Rod

[tcbass]

So I've got a chance to try out my new Cabelas Tournament ZX Baitcasting and Spinning rods. In baitcasting I got the Frog rod and Jerkbait/Topwater and in spinning I got two of the Dropshot rods. These are the regular Tournament ZX rods, not the Platinum ones. They go for $99. When I got them they were $69 on sale. These rods won Outdoor Lifes Editors Choice award this year. I've bought a lot of stuff off of Outdoor Life's recommendations and I haven't been disappointed yet. I currently have 2 St. Croix Mojo Bass rods, a St. Croix Rage spinning rod, and G. Loomis GLX spinning rod. I also had a St. Croix Rage baitcasting rod at one time.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-Tournament-ZX-Bass-Casting-Rods/1619298.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3FrecordsPerPage%3D18%26No%3D0%26N%3D0%26nl%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3DZx%26search%3DSearch&No=0&Ntt=Zx

All I can say about these rods is that they are awesome. They feel like they are one weight lighter then they are and as thin as the lower weight rod. A heavy feels like a medium heavy and a medium heavy feels like a medium. They are my favorite rods now. I paired the two baitcasting rods with my new Abu Garcia Revo Rockets which I love. I put an older Shimano Stradic on my spinning rod. I plan on getting a Shimano Ci+4 and a Stradic.

What's funny is that I own a ton of Cabelas brand products, mostly hunting clothing such as their Berber, Wooltimate, Standhunter, and other stuff. I know a lot of their "brand" stuff is made by other well known companies such as Danner, Kershaw, and Daiwa but I never thought of buying a Cabelas brand rod until I read the Outdoor Life awards and saw the the Cabelas Tournament ZX rod won the Editors Choice award and not just a Great Buy award.

I used my St. Croix Mojo Bass rod today, which I love and there's no comparison. The Cabelas baitcasting rods has a longer butt and I use that to get a double handed grip when casting. The much shorter butt on the Mojo Bass rod made it harder to cast farther. I've never noticed this until I had the chance to use a rod with a longer butt.

However, this is the one sticking point I have with the Cabelas spinning rod. For me the butt is too long and gets in the way of casting and maneuvering the rod. It always hits my side and I have to extend my arm out to get a full range of motion. The butt is about 1" too long. This isn't the case with my St. Croix Rage spinning rod or any other spinning rod I've ever used. I will say that I am short and have short arms, I believe that any normal sized person over 5'7" will most likely not have a problem. So, this may only be a negative for me and not anyone else.

The Winn grips on the rods is awesome. They are durable, tough, non-slippery, and won't come apart or get damaged like cork or foam handles. I think the Winn grip is the perfect handle material.

I did exchange my Jerkbait/Topwater rod (medium heavy) for another frog rod (heavy) because I liked the extra 6" inches in length. I'd rather use a medium heavy rod over a heavy, but because the Cabelas rods feel one weight class lower the frog rod feels like a medium heavy, not the heavy that it is. (On that note, I'm selling a barely used St. Croix Mojo Bass Frog rod because it is a heavy).

Especially for the price of $69 I give the Cabelas Tournament ZX baitcasting rod a 10 out of 10 and the spinning rod a 8 out of 10 because of the too long of butt. I also like the fact that Cabelas let me exchange for a different rod with no problems. I expect this rod will go on sale again. I'm sure they aren't in the same league as some of the custom rods such as Powells, Dobyns or other more custom rods, but at there price point, they aren't meant to compete with them.

If you are looking for a great rod, then look no further than the Cabelas Tournament ZX rods. They are an awesome rod and an incredible value.

[tcbass]

Does anyone know if the butt length is different on any of the Tournament ZX spining rods or if they are all the same length?

[Jason Penn]

the seat on the pictured casting rod looks a lot like daiwas

[tcbass]

Maybe Daiwa makes their

the seat on the pictured casting rod looks a lot like daiwas

Maybe Daiwa makes the rod for them. I heard on here Daiwa makes their reels.

[grayAG]

Tcbass, do you use your Frog rod for other techniques? I'm considering either the Frog rod or the 7'6" H flipping. I already have a good frog rod, just wanted to see if the Tournament ZX frog rod is good with other baits too. Thanks.

[Jeff H]

Next time they are on sale, I'm grabbing the frog rod to do some pitching with.

[Sonik]

Next time they are on sale, I'm grabbing the frog rod to do some pitching with.

The Tournament ZX bass rods are on sale right now for $69.99 online with free shipping. I picked up the cranking rod this morning. Can't wait to give it a try with some flat side cranks soon. If it's not too cold!

Academy also had Lew's Tournament reels in 6.4:1 on clearance for $119.99 and Lew's has a $30 rebate on top of that! I'm moving my 5.x:1 BB1 Pro over to the Tournament ZX when it gets in and putting my new Tournament on my old 6'10" M *** Black.

[Jeff H]

I'll stop in tomorrow after work and see what's left.  Those rods are a bargain on sale!  

 

XML is also on sale, very good rod for that sale price!

[Sonik]

Careful of the price. When I looked online it specific specificallysaid that the price was online only for the ZX. Not sure what the Tournament Speed Spools look like in store.

[Jeff H]

Sale price was gone today anyway so I never stopped in.  I'll just have to wait until next time it's on sale.  It's not a big deal for me, we are frozen solid until April.

[Sonik]

I saw that yesterday. I managed to get a few crankbaits that aren't on sale any more either. Although, with the Christmas shopping season upon us, I can't see them not being on sale very shortly.

 

I checked my email this morning and saw the shipping notification for the crankbait rod and the baits. Should be in Friday. That's pretty good for free shipping. Usually it just gets dropped to USPS or something and then they take another week. Once I get it in and set up, I'll write a review and snap some pics for here. I'll try and be as thorough as possible. I feel like there's a lot of details left out on the Cabela's site reviews, Bass Resource, and even Outdoor Life. I think that's what I look at. I want to know about the guides, what kind of tip it has and just how moderate is their "moderate" action, what the finish is like, how those Winn grips really feel, and how it balances out and works on the water.

 

I'm in Kentucky west of Kentucky and Barkley Lakes and we're not froze up yet. It looks like Saturday here is going to be in the mid-to-high 50's, overcast, with some light rain. While all the fools will be out at the mall murdering each other for Chinese made crap, I'm going to hit the lake and see how this stuff performs. I bought some shallow running flat-sided square bills that I can't wait to try out.

[Sonik]

So far, this is nice. It's more of a moderate-fast on the crankbait rod in my opinion but is not a fast tip. Pretty light. The Winn grips are super tacky. You will not get any slip on the grip. Sensitivity is awesome.

Honestly, it feels a lot like my *** Blacks and looks like a Lew's Custom with a moderate action and a Winn grip. Same number and style of guides. They're not micros but they are smaller than standard.

Great casting distance with a 5:1 Lews BB1 Pro and 12lbs Floroclear.

I am probably going to get me another ZX when they go on sale again. The spinnerbait/swim jig rod is a fast action and the jig/worm rod is extra fast so I'm split on which to get. One of those would see the most use along with the crankbait. May have 4 *** Blacks for sale soon!

[Jeff H]

I'm gettin' more of these over the winter.  One or 2 coming next weekend!

[Sonik]

These are back on sale. I have GOT to sell my *** Blacks. They're good but I'm in live with the ZX's. Anyone need a 6'10" M, 7'1" MH and 7'3" H casting and a 7'1" M spinning *** Black?

[Dirtyeggroll]

Has anyone compared the Tournament ZX "Bass Casting Crankbait" rod (7'1 Medium - Moderate/Fast http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-Tournament-ZX-Bass-Casting-Rods/1619298.uts?slotId=4)

 

and the Tournament ZX "Crankshaft" rods (offered in 3 'sizes' http://www.cabelas.com/product/CABELAS-TOURNAMENT-ZX-CRANKSHAFT-RODS/1933023.uts?slotId=11)?

[the reel ess]

On 6/16/2014 at 1:16 AM, tcbass said:

So I've got a chance to try out my new Cabelas Tournament ZX Baitcasting and Spinning rods. In baitcasting I got the Frog rod and Jerkbait/Topwater and in spinning I got two of the Dropshot rods. These are the regular Tournament ZX rods, not the Platinum ones. They go for $99. When I got them they were $69 on sale. These rods won Outdoor Lifes Editors Choice award this year. I've bought a lot of stuff off of Outdoor Life's recommendations and I haven't been disappointed yet. I currently have 2 St. Croix Mojo Bass rods, a St. Croix Rage spinning rod, and G. Loomis GLX spinning rod. I also had a St. Croix Rage baitcasting rod at one time.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-Tournament-ZX-Bass-Casting-Rods/1619298.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3FrecordsPerPage%3D18%26No%3D0%26N%3D0%26nl%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3DZx%26search%3DSearch&No=0&Ntt=Zx

All I can say about these rods is that they are awesome. They feel like they are one weight lighter then they are and as thin as the lower weight rod. A heavy feels like a medium heavy and a medium heavy feels like a medium. They are my favorite rods now. I paired the two baitcasting rods with my new Abu Garcia Revo Rockets which I love. I put an older Shimano Stradic on my spinning rod. I plan on getting a Shimano Ci+4 and a Stradic.

What's funny is that I own a ton of Cabelas brand products, mostly hunting clothing such as their Berber, Wooltimate, Standhunter, and other stuff. I know a lot of their "brand" stuff is made by other well known companies such as Danner, Kershaw, and Daiwa but I never thought of buying a Cabelas brand rod until I read the Outdoor Life awards and saw the the Cabelas Tournament ZX rod won the Editors Choice award and not just a Great Buy award.

I used my St. Croix Mojo Bass rod today, which I love and there's no comparison. The Cabelas baitcasting rods has a longer butt and I use that to get a double handed grip when casting. The much shorter butt on the Mojo Bass rod made it harder to cast farther. I've never noticed this until I had the chance to use a rod with a longer butt.

However, this is the one sticking point I have with the Cabelas spinning rod. For me the butt is too long and gets in the way of casting and maneuvering the rod. It always hits my side and I have to extend my arm out to get a full range of motion. The butt is about 1" too long. This isn't the case with my St. Croix Rage spinning rod or any other spinning rod I've ever used. I will say that I am short and have short arms, I believe that any normal sized person over 5'7" will most likely not have a problem. So, this may only be a negative for me and not anyone else.

The Winn grips on the rods is awesome. They are durable, tough, non-slippery, and won't come apart or get damaged like cork or foam handles. I think the Winn grip is the perfect handle material.

I did exchange my Jerkbait/Topwater rod (medium heavy) for another frog rod (heavy) because I liked the extra 6" inches in length. I'd rather use a medium heavy rod over a heavy, but because the Cabelas rods feel one weight class lower the frog rod feels like a medium heavy, not the heavy that it is. (On that note, I'm selling a barely used St. Croix Mojo Bass Frog rod because it is a heavy).

Especially for the price of $69 I give the Cabelas Tournament ZX baitcasting rod a 10 out of 10 and the spinning rod a 8 out of 10 because of the too long of butt. I also like the fact that Cabelas let me exchange for a different rod with no problems. I expect this rod will go on sale again. I'm sure they aren't in the same league as some of the custom rods such as Powells, Dobyns or other more custom rods, but at there price point, they aren't meant to compete with them.

If you are looking for a great rod, then look no further than the Cabelas Tournament ZX rods. They are an awesome rod and an incredible value.

I have the Frog model as well. It is a very durable and sensitive rod. I fish the frog in some pretty thick vegetation and this rod can drag in a lot of salad with a little bass. The butt cap fell off but I Gorilla Glued it back on and it has stayed since. It would have been fine without it. At $70 it's a screaming deal, even if it has to be backordered.

[tcbass]

On 1/5/2018 at 3:29 PM, the reel ess said:

I have the Frog model as well. It is a very durable and sensitive rod. I fish the frog in some pretty thick vegetation and this rod can drag in a lot of salad with a little bass. The butt cap fell off but I Gorilla Glued it back on and it has stayed since. It would have been fine without it. At $70 it's a screaming deal, even if it has to be backordered.

 

Happy you like them.

On 11/24/2014 at 12:03 PM, grayAG said:

Tcbass, do you use your Frog rod for other techniques? I'm considering either the Frog rod or the 7'6" H flipping. I already have a good frog rod, just wanted to see if the Tournament ZX frog rod is good with other baits too. Thanks.

 

Sorry for the late reply, just saw this. 

 

 

 

I use the frog rod for everything. But then again I'm not a very versatile, well-rounded fisherman. The rod is very versatile though.

[Quarry Man]

On 1/5/2018 at 2:01 PM, Dirtyeggroll said:

Has anyone compared the Tournament ZX "Bass Casting Crankbait" rod (7'1 Medium - Moderate/Fast http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-Tournament-ZX-Bass-Casting-Rods/1619298.uts?slotId=4)

 

and the Tournament ZX "Crankshaft" rods (offered in 3 'sizes' http://www.cabelas.com/product/CABELAS-TOURNAMENT-ZX-CRANKSHAFT-RODS/1933023.uts?slotId=11)?

7'l" Med mod is a great rod for trebles and light wire hooks, out an arachnid in 6.3 and you are set for all trebles, senkos, and light wire swim jigs. i use mine for fishing jerkbaits mid winter and swim jig in the spring-fall its just more versatile

[Dirtyeggroll]

4 hours ago, Quarry Man said:

7'l" Med mod is a great rod for trebles and light wire hooks, out an arachnid in 6.3 and you are set for all trebles, senkos, and light wire swim jigs. i use mine for fishing jerkbaits mid winter and swim jig in the spring-fall its just more versatile

I got one and going to try to my luck with it as a dedicated squarebill rod.

[Quarry Man]

2 hours ago, Dirtyeggroll said:

I’m got one and going to try to my luck with it as a dedicated squarebill rod.

it will work great in open water and around, but not in cover.

[Dirtyeggroll]

1 hour ago, Quarry Man said:

it will work great in open water and around, but not in cover.

I guess I’ll find out... I pretty much only throw squarebills in brush and rip rap ?

[Quarry Man]

it might work, just its a med mod, so not much power, use mono or stretchy floro for best results. it will keep em hooked!

[Dirtyeggroll]

1 hour ago, Quarry Man said:

it might work, just its a med mod, so not much power, use mono or stretchy floro for best results. it will keep em hooked!

Sounds like the rod might be a bit mislabeled as a “crankbait rod”. I’ve probably got at least a couple of months before I have a chance to find out.

[Quarry Man]

its an open water crankbait rod, not meant to be fished through cover. I have caught 6 lb bass 20' from the boat without a problem.