Rods, Reels & Poles

The Review: Frenzee Fxt Precision Power 16m Pole

Match Fishing Staff | Sep 5, 2016

All-Round Power… Matt Godfrey hits the bank with the latest mid-range weapon from Frenzee.

I love getting out on the bank with what I like to think are mid-range poles. The reason? Simply because they are what I have used for a lot of my own fishing, and very often still do. That’s why I was very excited when the FXT Precision Power pole from Frenzee arrived in our offices.

Mid-Range Magic

I am a very clumsy angler. A pole that is super-stiff, brittle and delicate is sure to end up in a shower of carbon with me on the end of it. The quality of mid-range poles on today’s market is exceptional. In fact, if I was buying a pole and had plenty of money to do so, I’d much rather buy two mid-range poles than a single flagship model. I’ve been very impressed with many products from Frenzee over recent years, and love the fact that they have broken into the pole market with style.

While on features with Frenzee consultants such as Andy Oldham and Jon Whincup, I’ve had a fish with the flagship pole from the company – the Precision FXT. I can vouch that it’s an awesome piece of kit… you don’t have anglers like the two I’ve just named bagging up using a bad pole week in, week out! That’s why I was keen to see what this mid-range offering had to show.

At an RRP of £1,250, you certainly get a lot of value for your money, and the finishing touches to the package make it very appealing. A total of six power kits are provided, plus a cupping kit – all pre-bushed and fitted with the Eeze Glyde System. It was so simple and easy elasticating the pole, and when playing fish during testing I could help but notice how brilliantly the elastic performed – I can’t stand top kits that elastic sticks in.

The Eeze Glyde wheels make playing big fish a pleasure too; stripping elastic out of the pole is smooth, and means that it doesn’t get worn out by being pulled at a sharp angle from a side bush. When you look at the top-quality holdall, dolly butt, cups, and ease of not having to bush, drill and fit kits with side pullers, the package is virtually ready to go fishing with.

The Strength Factor

Having the word ‘Power’ in the name of the pole made me determined to test its strength. I chose to fish a swim at Barby Banks Fishery that was very testing. It was not only strewn with reeds, with a huge overhanging tree opposite, it also had a bridge to my left. Don’t get me wrong, it looked great, but I was definitely going to be piling the pressure on after hooking a big fish!

To start the session, I decided fish at 14.5 metres against the far bank just beside the cover of the tree. Cupping in loose groundbait with a pole-mounted pot, and using corn dyed with Sonubaits’ pink Bloodworm Lava on the hook, it took just seconds before I was into fish. The first well and truly made me look like a weakling, however. Before I could blink, my elastic was dragged into the tree to my right and a huge bow wave powered out of the other side, smashing my rig to pieces as a Barby Banks beast powered for freedom.

After re-rigging and tightening up my elastic, however, I was set like a greyhound in a trap, and on the bite shipped straight back and piled on the pressure to turn the fish from the snags. I was actually surprised at how little the pole bent despite the pressure, and after a few teeth-gritting seconds I had lump number-one under control and in the net. The pole felt as solid as a rock; as long as you don’t do anything silly with this tool, you could use very heavy gear, with any elastic in intense snag and big-fish situations.

Roll Out The Barrels

After a few quick fish, bites seemed to diminish and I felt that the fish were drifting away from me. To try and draw some new fish into the swim, I begin pinging hard 6mm pellets further along the bank to my right, tight against some sedge grass. After a few feeds, I already had a carp sucking away in the vegetation.

Adding the 16m joint and dolly butt, I was able to sneak a shallow-presented pellet tight into the fun zone. Seconds later, all hell broke loose as the pole was dragged around. Again it coped admirably as an 8lb common made a bid for freedom around the point of the island.

If I had to pick any fault with the pole at its maximum length, it would be the fact that the diameter of the pole felt fairly wide. However, widening the diameter of a pole does help to increase stiffness, and at 16 metres this piece of kit is easily manageable. Compared to its super-stiff performance at 13 metres some stiffness is lost at 14.5 and 16 metres, but it has brilliant all-round performance at all lengths.

The pole does feel very strong, in the way that the sections are all ‘solid’ throughout their length. However, this doesn’t hinder the balance as the pole is very comfortable to fish with at 16 metres.

When using some power poles, you can definitely tell that the focus on strength hinders the performance. With this tool, this is certainly not the case.

Compatibility Bonus

This particular model is fully compatible with the flagship FXT Precision pole in the range, making it an ideal backup or power tool to use alongside the main weapon. I’d be more than happy to use this pole in any big-fish, snag-tackling or windy conditions. By the same token, however, it is not by any means overgunned when used in other situations.

A very strong, all-round piece of kit from Frenzee – well done guys!

The pole was super-stiff and responsive at 13 metres, making it perfect for snake lakes – it’s not just a bagging tool!

Changing to loose-fed pellets at a full 16 metres put our carrot-topped tester in touch with some Barby beasts!

The wide diameter of the FXT Power’s butt sections helps it maintain great rigidity at long lengths.

The Package

16m pole including top kit

Five power top two kits

Cupping kit and cup set

Reversible dolly butt

Quality holdall

Pre-bushed top kits

Top kits fitted with Eeze Glyde System