Phenix Rods have built a loyal following of fans in the angling and custom rod-building community. In the saltwater market, their Black Diamond and Black Diamond Hybrid rods have achieved an almost cult-like following, especially in the San Diego private and sportboat scene.
From a technical standpoint, this is because they use advanced materials, formerly the exclusive domain of the aerospace industry. This has allowed them to fabricate a super-strong blank that has a thinner diameter and weighs considerably less than other rods in its class.
The Black Diamond series rods are created with a proprietary blend of high-modulus graphite and high-strength carbon fiber. The Black diamond Hybrid series goes one-step further in this evolution. It is the world’s first fully woven carbon fiber rod. They are engineered to the concept of being lightweight, yet unbelievably strong.
These rods are not cheap, but if they help you put more and bigger fish in the boat quicker, it is money well spent and becomes a “must have” weapon for discerning anglers.
BD Outdoors recently visited the Phenix warehouse in Cerritos, CA and met the dedicated staff of this rapidly growing rod company. Alex Campos took some time away from his Operations Manager duties, which included charter-master for an upcoming Phenix, Tony Reyes trip in Baja, to show me around the shop. The warehouse was broken up into a reception area, an office, and the main warehouse where employees were processing orders from area tackle stores and internet-based outfitters. In addition to the large number of freshwater and saltwater rods and blanks in upright bins, there was shelving with a tidy assortment of Phenix swag with everything from hats and t-shirts to quality jackets and reel protectors.
One look at the rod-building forum on BD Outdoors confirms the popularity of Phenix Rods with the custom-builder crowd. Check it out to see for yourself how popular these blanks are and the incredible work being done using Phenix blanks as the backbone. As an example of the craftsmanship possible, Alex showed me a Sato Wahoo stick with impressive wahoo graphics
This writer can confirm that fishing with a Phenix Black Diamond rod (PSW809H), coupled with a lightweight two-speed reel represents something of a game-changer.
I was able to subdue a 60-pound class bluefin last season, in less than 15-minutes. Even before the bite, the lighter weight of this fish-killing combination made it easy to stay at the rail all day on those plunker bites, while saving your energy for the serious business of pulling on fish!
It seems that the hi-tech fibers put more pressure on the fish for the same amount of effort on the part of the angler.
This phenomenon might be my imagination, but I own rods considered the top names amongst west-coast anglers, and I find myself reaching for my Phenix rods first.
My next opportunity to prove the efficacy of both the Black Diamond and Black Diamond Hybrid came on a recent trip to Cabo and the East Cape. I used them as our primary drop-back rods when a billfish or dorado came into the pattern window-shopping the lures or at the shark buoys.
These rods were a joy to fish when presenting a ballyhoo or live cabillito to numerous sailfish and dorado. In either case, the hook-ups were solid and the battles were short-lived as the power of these rods quickly subdued these gamesters.
