One thing that I noticed as I began to pull out all of my rods to prep for 2022, is that amidst the conglomeration of brands in the pile, it seems I have collected quite an assortment of Halo Rods. This wasn’t intentional, as I tend to select the best rod for the job paying no mind to brand, but the fact is Halo has simply earned my favor for a lot of applications due to outstanding quality for the price. So, when it came time to add a few new rods to the assortment, I had to get the HFX Series in my hand to see how it compared.

Lightweight

I personally spent some time with the 7’3” MH model, paired with a Bruin ELS reel, and the two paired well together, balancing well, and noticeably lighter than other rods in this price range. A lightweight rod doesn’t seem like that big of a deal until you have one in your hands. From casting to retrieving your bait, it definitely makes things easier and feels absolutely great in your hands.

Grip

This may be more of a personal preference thing, but the handle fit my hand better than any rod I have held. The trigger grip is slightly wider and flatter than other rods, and to me, it was a natural fit. I have been known to have weird accidents when setting the hook, even dislocating a finger or two (I know…. odd right?), but something about this handle just jives well with how I hold a rod and set the hook.

Sensitivity

I spent some time with this rod casting and pitching a small jig around grass and wood in the lake behind my house, and when bring the jig over wood it was easy to feel every nook, cranny, limb, and stick my bait came over. Just as well, when swimming the jig over submerged grass it was easy to tell when I was just ticking the top of the vegetation. The bass were not inhaling my bait and the bites were subtle, but I had no problem feeling when a fish had decided to pick up my jig. Again, for this price range, I give big props to this rod for its sensitivity.

Overall, I have felt really at home with the HFX Series rod and can’t wait to add a few more to the rod box and spend a little more time with different applications and scenarios. As of now, for a “less-than-$150” rod, it excels in everything I want in a rod that stays on the deck and gets used quite a bit.