Gear Review - Garcia Veritas Rod

Back in May I won the opportunity to test an Abu Garcia Veritas Rod through the Outdoor Blogger Network.  Since we do a lot of bass fishing, I was really excited to get the chance to try this rod.

Right out of the box I liked the look and feel of the rod.  First off, it's a beautiful white color and it's extremely light weight.  My husband fishes a lot of bass tournaments, and if you know anything about tournament fishing, they are on the water for about 8 hours per tournament.  Multiply that times 1 rod cast every 5 minutes or so and you get the idea of how many times they are casting rods each tournament.  Some rods are rather heavy and really give your arms a workout.  For that reason alone I felt the Veritas light weight rod would be a big plus.

From the Garcia website, here are the rod specs:

Features:

• 30 Ton graphite construction with NanoTechnology for Decreased Weight and Increased Compression Strength
• One piece double anodized aluminum screw down creates a secure connection with the reel
• High density EVA handles are more durable and comfortable
• Abu designed extreme exposure reel seats provide direct finger to rod contact for increased sensitivity
• Titanium alloy guides with SiC inserts create a lightweight, balanced rod design
• Texas-rigged hook keeper for all bait applications
• 1 piece rod

Since we are a fishing family, we really gave this rod a work out and everyone got in on the testing process.   We've been on the lake constantly for almost 2 months and the Veritas got used practically every time someone got in the boat.  Louie set it up first with the Berkley Schooling Rig Kit.....

He loved the light weight feel of the rod and felt the length was perfect.  He also said that the rod responded well when he threw the Rig Kit and he liked the rod action.  He didn't care for the white color.  He also didn't like the feel of the grip and said he would prefer the regular, thicker grip.  He feels a beefier grip is more comfortable in his hand.   

Junior tested it using a Carolina Rig set up and he was impressed with the light weight feel of the rod as well...

He liked the way the rod responded and thought the weight and balance were very nice...

Junior also liked the construction of the rod, the connectors and the eyes.  The only thing he didn't care for either was the thin rod grip.  The color of the rod didn't matter to him either way.

When I used the rod I have to say that I loved the lightweight feel of it.  I felt it was easy to cast and responded very well.  I could feel the bass strike the rod and it had nice action reeling it in.   The thin grip was a plus for me - however, I would like it better if it was coated with the foam all the way down the butt.  I also really like the white color.  It makes it super easy to spot whether it's in the boat or hanging on the rack.  Your eye is just drawn to it!

But the person who had the best luck with this rod was Chablis.   We all went out one night and she snatched up the Veritas before anyone else could grab it.  We all set up with Carolina Rigs and she smoked us!  She out fished all 3 of us put together and I kid you not.

Smiling because she grabbed the Veritas....

The butt of the rod is a nice length...

I wanted to show you the grip we're talking about.  The guys felt the metal grip was too thin and not beefy enough for their hands.  Chablis and I loved the size of this grip.

The rod casts like a dream....

I told her that I was taking photos for the Gear Review and I wanted her to fling the rod around.  I told her when she caught a fish that she should let it play a little and then whip it up into the boat so we could see how the rod responded.  In addition to catching fish, I think she was having a great time.....

Look at the nice bend in this rod....

Now that's a winning smile and a nice bass!  One of many I might add.

Chablis liked the white color of the rod and felt it was very easy to cast.  I have a feeling that her dad is going to have one heck of a time getting this rod back from her.

We caught a lot of bass with this rod.  It's sturdy, lightweight and responds well when you have a fish on the line.  All 4 of us thought the Veritas was lightweight and responded well when a bass was on the line.  2 of us liked the white color, 1 didn't and 1 was neutral.  The grip was the only real split decision - the men didn't care for it, feeling it was too narrow but the women loved the slimmer feel and grip.  In summary we all liked the Veritas Rod and recommend it. 

I'd like to thank Abu Garcia and OBN for giving us this opportunity to review the Veritas Rod.  This rod was given to us for free to review by Garcia.  I did not pay for the item, receive payment for this review, or agree to give a positive review. Aside from information supplied from the company website, the opinions are my own.