Comments: I had high hopes for this rod. It was a 7 MHF and my first and last Phenix rod. I had it paired with my Lews Tournament Series 7:5:1 reel for 1/2 oz heavy micro jigs. I've used it maybe three times since purchasing it 2 months ago in April 2023. I'm 53 years old and I've had maybe 3 rods break on me. 1 I broke by accident. This thing broke during a cast just above where the handle connects. Wish I could upload a pic of it. I was making a long cast up onto a flat. Long story short, I have a $129 rod that is worthless unless I want to use The manufacturers Horrible warranty program of $55 replacement, then $20 for shipping. No way would I pay $75 to replace this rod, that's over 50% of what I paid for the rod! I'll use that $75 and buy another Halo or St. Croix. I know things happen, but it shouldn't cost the customer $75 two months in for a defective product. Good luck if you try it!

From: Donnie: Hickory, NC 7/4/23

Comments: I had high hopes for this rod. It was a 7 MHF and my first and last Phenix rod. I had it paired with my Lews Tournament Series 7:5:1 reel for 1/2 oz heavy micro jigs. I've used it maybe three times since purchasing it 2 months ago in April 2023. I'm 53 years old and I've had maybe 3 rods break on me. 1 I broke by accident. This thing broke during a cast just above where the handle connects. Wish I could upload a pic of it. I was making a long cast up onto a flat. Long story short, I have a $129 rod that is worthless unless I want to use The manufacturer's Horrible warranty program of $55 replacement, then $20 for shipping. No way would I pay $75 to replace this rod, that's over 50% of what I paid for the rod! I'll use that $75 and buy another Halo or St. Croix. I know things happen, but it shouldn't cost the customer $75 two months in for a defective product. Good luck if you try it!

From: Donnie: Hickory, NC 7/4/23

Comments: Purchased the 7'3 ML a few years back and has been an amazing finesse/mini swimbait rod. I live in Connecticut, so bass fishing doesn't usually pick up until the end of April into May. Went out yesterday (3/31) and used this rod paired with a Shimano Aldebaran MGL, throwing a 2.8 in. Keitech on a 3/16 oz. jig head. I was able to land four bass and five pickerel in three hours. The rod length allowed me to throw the bait a long distance and kept the hook pinned during the fight. Great bass BFS rod, definitely recommend it.

From: Rich: Meriden, Connecticut 4/3/23

Comments: Last year I was looking for a new frog rod. I wanted a lightweight rod with a short soft tip and a strong backbone. I settled on this rod in 7'3 H/x fast. Perfect frog rod for the way I fish. The light weight of this rod allows me to fish a frog all day without fatigue. It feels like it has a little bit shorter handle then most rods it's length and I love that. Especially because I fish from a kayak most of the time. So far the durability is great. I fished it 3-4 days a week last fall thru this summer. Probably has about 200-300 frog fish on it so far and still holding up just fine. The more I used it the softer the tip has seemed to feel. It felt like a broom stick at first but now it feels like an amazing soft 6" tip with a heavy backbone. Perfect for accurate casting a frog. All in all I highly recommend this rod if you want a nice casting, durable, lightweight, hard hook-setting rod.

From: Corey: California 6/20/22

Comments: I bought the 7'3" Heavy last year and really liked it at first, light and sensitive. However, a few months later a guide fell off. I ignored that for a while. Recently another guide fell off and a third guide is very loose and ready to fall out. When I contacted Phenix sent a copy of the warranty. So I would need to pay $70 to replace a rod for which I paid $110. I emailed them back with another question two weeks ago and no response. So much for customer service. I'll through this rod out and stick with my St. Croix and Duckett rods. Splurged a little more for a Duckett Incite and love it. I'll buy another one of these but not another Phenix.

From: George: New Haven, CT 8/22/21

Comments: I just got the 7'3" Heavy model of this rod. This rod has a great appearance just like other Phenix rods. Craftsmanship seems to be great so far. I paired this rod with a Lew's Hypermag 8:3:1 and 20 pound Flouro. This setup is being used for medium distance pitches and short roll cast with a jig or texas rig. My first opinion of this rod was everything felt perfect except for the handle length. The handle length is fairly short compared to most other brands or even other Phenix rods. For a 7'3" rod, the handle is about an inch shorter than the handles on 7' medium heavy rods of other comparable brands. As I began fishing the rod I came to really enjoy the shorter handle. The rod has a great stiff backbone with about 12 inches of tip. Overall, I believe I am going to genuinely enjoy this rod for close quarters work. One thing I believe I can strongly recommend the rod for is Swim Jigs! Short handle, good length, perfect tip, lightweight and comfortable grip.

From: Parker: Greenville, MS 1/1/21

Comments: Just got the 7'3 MH and for first inspections it looks like a sweet rod. The ONLY thing I don't love about the rod is that the split handle is pretty short for a 7'3 MH, but I'll think I'll be fine with it. Great rod, highly recommend one to anyone out there looking for a nice rod that won't blowout all of your cash.

From: Lucas: Madison WI 11/25/20

Comments: Oh MAN !!! I used this rod (7'3 Heavy) for Striper and Bass here in the California. Great backbone, 9/10 hook sets, I will hit these fishes with the hook coming out of their faces. Also, the tip of the rod have a lighter action, which I think it's a unique design, very sensitive in my opinion under the $200 range. Boat flipped a 10 lbs striper and the rod hold up just beautifully.

From: Unknown 10/24/20

Comments: I got the 7'3'' H x Fast action. This rod is a tank, cast are so flawlessly smooth and accurate, is a very nice rod and components. The Reel seat is the bomb! The only thing I dont like is the handle length its too short for my liking i like the handle to go all the way or close to my elbow as im using it. But thats my personal preference but as far as performance and quality its a great rod at a good price. Will be getting the M1 next.

From: Zach Elza: Williamsburg, Kentucky 7/7/20

Comments: The revamped Maxim is every bit as good as the former model, if not better.I have 4 Maxims at this time and will surely get more.These rods perform great in any situation and the price is amazing for the quality.Every model I have has just the right amount of tip to make a long cast, yet enough backbone to execute a hook set when the fish bites.GREAT RODS.

From: Coach: Shell Knob 4/29/20

Comments:My friend got me this monster of a rod for Christmas. I own three Phenix rods currently. I was blown away by the sensitivity of this new version. The original version I have has seen alot of action. I've caught several Northern Pike dozens of bass and trout on it. I currently run a Tatula 100HSL on this rod and the balance is perfect. The 6'10 Medium Heavy can do a variety of different techniques extremely well. The price in my opinion is phenomenal. I will be ordering three additional Phenix Maxim rods in February. These rods are durable extremely lightweight and look amazing!

From: Joe: Spokane, WA 1/23/20