Any Fantasista premier users?

[CrashVector]

I ordered one because the tackle monkey made me.  It's a $300 rod that TW had for 47% off, and I couldn't help it.

 

I ordered a 7' MH/XF.

 

Anyone use these?  How's the sensitivity?

[FishTank]

I have the 7' M Fast Fantasista Regista. It would have been one step up from the Premier. I picked mine up from Sierra Trading Post for around $200. The original price I think was $500. It's a good deal for around $200 bucks but it is not a $500 quality rod. I would put the sensitivity around the G. Loomis GLX or slightly below. The handle is made of cheap foam which is not a bad thing but I would expect better for the price. The thing I think I like best about it though...It's fun to fish. It's not a powerhouse so you do have to work to get a fish in. 

 

Would I go out of my way to buy another one at that price? Not sure. I do like it but I have other options I would rather invest in. 

[CrashVector]

2 hours ago, FishTank said:

I have the 7' M Fast Fantasista Regista. It would have been one step up from the Premier. I picked mine up from Sierra Trading Post for around $200. The original price I think was $500. It's a good deal for around $200 bucks but it is not a $500 quality rod. I would put the sensitivity around the G. Loomis GLX or slightly below. The handle is made of cheap foam which is not a bad thing but I would expect better for the price. The thing I think I like best about it though...It's fun to fish. It's not a powerhouse so you do have to work to get a fish in. 

 

Would I go out of my way to buy another one at that price? Not sure. I do like it but I have other options I would rather invest in. 

 

I hear you about the price.  I wouldn't have bought it at all except for the 47% discount lol!!

 

That damned little voice in the back of my head going "do it.  Don't think about it just do it!" Lol

 

Next up: a new Zenon casting rod. ?‍♂️

[KP Duty]

3 hours ago, FishTank said:

I have the 7' M Fast Fantasista Regista. It would have been one step up from the Premier. I picked mine up from Sierra Trading Post for around $200. The original price I think was $500. It's a good deal for around $200 bucks but it is not a $500 quality rod. I would put the sensitivity around the G. Loomis GLX or slightly below. The handle is made of cheap foam which is not a bad thing but I would expect better for the price. The thing I think I like best about it though...It's fun to fish. It's not a powerhouse so you do have to work to get a fish in. 

 

Would I go out of my way to buy another one at that price? Not sure. I do like it but I have other options I would rather invest in. 

I saw those at Sierra a couple years ago.  I was suprised to see them....I think those fantasistas came out around 2014. This was before they introduced the 3M Powerlux resin.  Can't argue with GLX sensitivity....I'll take that all day.  Anyway....My Premiers showed up, and I'm sure I'll enjoy them.  I picked up the 7-6MH to bomb spinnets and chatters.  It is light enough and has great balance.  Blank definitely qualifies as 'crispy'.

 

[CrashVector]

20 minutes ago, KP Duty said:

I saw those at Sierra a couple years ago.  I was suprised to see them....I think those fantasistas came out around 2014. This was before they introduced the 3M Powerlux resin.  Can't argue with GLX sensitivity....I'll take that all day.  Anyway....My Premiers showed up, and I'm sure I'll enjoy them.  I picked up the 7-6MH to bomb spinnets and chatters.  It is light enough and has great balance.  Blank definitely qualifies as 'crispy'.

 

Nice!  

 

Let us know how it works out!

 

[newapti5]

On 8/7/2022 at 7:15 AM, FishTank said:

I have the 7' M Fast Fantasista Regista. It would have been one step up from the Premier. I picked mine up from Sierra Trading Post for around $200. The original price I think was $500. It's a good deal for around $200 bucks but it is not a $500 quality rod. I would put the sensitivity around the G. Loomis GLX or slightly below. The handle is made of cheap foam which is not a bad thing but I would expect better for the price. The thing I think I like best about it though...It's fun to fish. It's not a powerhouse so you do have to work to get a fish in. 

 

Would I go out of my way to buy another one at that price? Not sure. I do like it but I have other options I would rather invest in. 

 

I got the same deal, but for a 6'10 ML. It's my favorite jerkbait rod. It's listed as 1/8 ~ 1/2oz, but it can handle 1/2oz or a bit over jerkbaits easily.  Abu's rods tend to be stiffer than the listed.

[NorthernBasser]

Got my hands on 2 of the 7' MH Fantasista's. I'm not really an Abu guy, but couldn't pass up a good deal ($300 rod for $160). 

 

I have to say. I'm rather disappointed. They're nice looking rods for sure, but the guides on both rods were not aligned straight. Some can overlook that, but not me. 

 

And it was much heavier than I'd expect a 7' MH rod to be. And a $300 one at that. It weighed in at 5.08 oz. For comparison, my 7'3 Sierra Heavy weighs 4.91. That's a H and 3" longer, and everyone knows Dobyns are on the heavy side. My 7'6 ALX IKOS is an XH and it weighs 4.73 oz. Heck, my old Cabela's 7'3 H Tourney ZX weighs less at 4.68 oz. 

 

If it weren't for the guides being off I'd fish them and see how they fish. But I can't look past that. Maybe I'll see if my friends or nephew would like them. 

[Choporoz]

On 8/7/2022 at 7:15 AM, FishTank said:

I have the 7' M Fast Fantasista Regista. It would have been one step up from the Premier. I picked mine up from Sierra Trading Post for around $200. The original price I think was $500. It's a good deal for around $200 bucks but it is not a $500 quality rod. I would put the sensitivity around the G. Loomis GLX or slightly below. The handle is made of cheap foam which is not a bad thing but I would expect better for the price. The thing I think I like best about it though...It's fun to fish. It's not a powerhouse so you do have to work to get a fish in. 

 

Would I go out of my way to buy another one at that price? Not sure. I do like it but I have other options I would rather invest in. 

+1....But, I snapped my Regista. 

 

Abu sent a 7M Premier as replacement.  It is a good jerkbait rod.  Pretty stiff tip, so casting lures at lower end of recommended spread is frustrating.

[Choporoz]

Google is pretty creepy sometimes.  Within minutes if posting about Regista,  Google showed 'memories' that just happened to include this photo of my newly deconstructed 2-piece Regista.....3 years ago this week

[FishTank]

8 minutes ago, Choporoz said:

Google is pretty creepy sometimes.  Within minutes if posting about Regista,  Google showed 'memories' that just happened to include this photo of my newly deconstructed 2-piece Regista.....3 years ago this week

How did you break it? I haven't fished mine a ton but when I do, I beat it up pretty hard, especially on my kayak. So far it has held its own.  

[Choporoz]

29 minutes ago, FishTank said:

How did you break it? I haven't fished mine a ton but when I do, I beat it up pretty hard, especially on my kayak. So far it has held its own.  

I honestly don't recall.   Hadn't had it long...high sticking a snag, maybe?  But it came as a bit of a shock, so probably nothing too stupid.  AG asked no questions, sent Premier immediately, and discontinued the Registas....so wouldn't surprise me if they felt they had issue in design or production. 

[CrashVector]

10 hours ago, NorthernBasser said:

Got my hands on 2 of the 7' MH Fantasista's. I'm not really an Abu guy, but couldn't pass up a good deal ($300 rod for $160). 

 

I have to say. I'm rather disappointed. They're nice looking rods for sure, but the guides on both rods were not aligned straight. Some can overlook that, but not me. 

 

And it was much heavier than I'd expect a 7' MH rod to be. And a $300 one at that. It weighed in at 5.08 oz. For comparison, my 7'3 Sierra Heavy weighs 4.91. That's a H and 3" longer, and everyone knows Dobyns are on the heavy side. My 7'6 ALX IKOS is an XH and it weighs 4.73 oz. Heck, my old Cabela's 7'3 H Tourney ZX weighs less at 4.68 oz. 

 

If it weren't for the guides being off I'd fish them and see how they fish. But I can't look past that. Maybe I'll see if my friends or nephew would like them. 

 

Dude that sucks.

 

I always check stuff like this when I get a new rod...the guides on mine are perfect.

 

I'd send em back and demand replacements.

 

It is heavier than I expected..mine was the same at just over 5oz.  My Fantasista X in 7', MH/XF is 3.92oz.

[NorthernBasser]

38 minutes ago, CrashVector said:

 

Dude that sucks.

 

I always check stuff like this when I get a new rod...the guides on mine are perfect.

 

I'd send em back and demand replacements.

 

It is heavier than I expected..mine was the same at just over 5oz.  My Fantasista X in 7', MH/XF is 3.92oz.

Yeah. I was pretty bummed. Glad you had better luck. Have you fished yours yet? 

[CrashVector]

22 minutes ago, NorthernBasser said:

Yeah. I was pretty bummed. Glad you had better luck. Have you fished yours yet? 

 

Just twice, but not really fished it.

 

I went out the day after I got it and put an old SilverMax reel on it to adjust my reel settings.  Got in three whole casts before it started pouring rain.

 

Yesterday, I played around with it for an hour at a local pond just to get a feel for it.

 

So far, I feel it's slightly superior to my PLX tournament edition rods, but well below the Fantasista X in sensitivity.

 

I realize it's a 7+ year old rod, so I didn't expect it to be on par with the newer model.  It's decent...nothing special, but it DOES look awfully good.

 

I intended it to be a kayak casting rod that I wouldn't cuss about if it got damaged.

 

Id be awfully mad if I'd paid $300 for it though.  Maybe back in 2014 it was the pinnacle of abu's lineup, but now,  the Fantasista X is a FAR superior rod in almost every way.

 

I'm glad I bought it don't get me wrong.  It's a decent rod for $160.  For $300, it's too far below par.

 

The Fantasista X is the most sensitive rod I currently own, and also the lightest MH rod I own.

[DogBone_384]

On 8/7/2022 at 7:15 AM, FishTank said:

I picked mine up from Sierra Trading Post for around $200. The original price I think was $500. It's a good deal for around $200 bucks but it is not a $500 quality rod.

 

I agree. A well built and very sensitive rod, but not worth the msrp. You can build a top notch Kistler custom for less.

I picked mine up when Gander Mountain went out of business.

 

 

[new2BC4bass]

On 8/7/2022 at 7:15 AM, FishTank said:

I have the 7' M Fast Fantasista Regista. It would have been one step up from the Premier. I picked mine up from Sierra Trading Post for around $200. The original price I think was $500. It's a good deal for around $200 bucks but it is not a $500 quality rod. I would put the sensitivity around the G. Loomis GLX or slightly below. The handle is made of cheap foam which is not a bad thing but I would expect better for the price. The thing I think I like best about it though...It's fun to fish. It's not a powerhouse so you do have to work to get a fish in. 

 

Would I go out of my way to buy another one at that price? Not sure. I do like it but I have other options I would rather invest in. 

Got the same rod for $149 plus tax ($172.73 total).

On 8/18/2022 at 2:18 PM, NorthernBasser said:

Got my hands on 2 of the 7' MH Fantasista's. I'm not really an Abu guy, but couldn't pass up a good deal ($300 rod for $160). 

 

I have to say. I'm rather disappointed. They're nice looking rods for sure, but the guides on both rods were not aligned straight. Some can overlook that, but not me. 

 

And it was much heavier than I'd expect a 7' MH rod to be. And a $300 one at that. It weighed in at 5.08 oz. For comparison, my 7'3 Sierra Heavy weighs 4.91. That's a H and 3" longer, and everyone knows Dobyns are on the heavy side. My 7'6 ALX IKOS is an XH and it weighs 4.73 oz. Heck, my old Cabela's 7'3 H Tourney ZX weighs less at 4.68 oz. 

 

If it weren't for the guides being off I'd fish them and see how they fish. But I can't look past that. Maybe I'll see if my friends or nephew would like them. 

My 7' MF Regista weighs 4.2 oz.