Abu Garcia Vengeance Casting Rod Review

Abu Garcia resonates in the fishing market as a name of quality, but the company tends to get more notice for its reels than anything else.

However, the Abu Garcia V-Series, which includes both the Vendetta and Vengeance lines, launched about a decade ago and continues to be the company’s entry point for their rods.

This dynamic is important as it positions the Abu Garcia Vengeance casting rod in the budget-friendly and lower-tier market.

While you can definitely find some diamonds in the rough in this category, you need to be just as diligent to make sure you avoid the rough as much as finding the diamond.

This review examines the Abu Garcia Vengeance fishing pole, breaking down what it does well and where the low-tier compromise rears its head.

In the end, you should be able to confidently determine whether or not this baitcasting pole meets your fishing needs and whether or not you can live with its warts.

Review

Construction (craftsmanship, make quality)

Whenever looking at a budget-friendly option in a lower-tier market, one of the first things to watch out for is the durability as that will often decrease with the utilization of cheaper materials.

Unfortunately, this is exactly the case with the Abu Garcia Vengeance baitcasting fishing rod which is made out of 24-Ton graphite.

It’s worth noting that graphite itself is not a bad material and is likely the most common material used for fishing rod blanks today.

However, graphite is not that durable, and, without adding something like fiberglass or reinforcing manufacturing technique, will have tighter limits on the intended use.

This flaw doesn’t even consider that 24T graphite is on the lower end of the spectrum anyway, though this construction does offer some benefits.

Length

The Abu Garcia Vengeance casting pole doesn’t really do anything particularly noteworthy or special in the length category, but neither does it do anything wrong.

This fishing pole runs the gamut of 6’6”, 6’9”, 7’0”, and 7’6” with the 7’0” and 6’6” models coming in medium and medium-heavy.

Material

As mentioned prior, the Abu Garcia Vengeance casting pole uses 24T graphite for its blank without any uncommon materials or manufacturing techniques.

While this choice limits the overall durability of this pole, it also has the benefit of significantly increasing the sensitivity felt through the blank.

Outside of that, this baitcasting pole also uses stainless steel for the rod inserts to make sure that they can stand up to the cutting force of a braided line.

However, this rod also uses titanium-oxide inserts to get the best of both worlds by also ensuring that the line is less likely to tangle when casting.

The EVA foam handle is nothing to get excited over, but neither is it something to dock the pole for as it’s reasonably comfortable, fairly durable, and water-resistant.

Action

More often than not, the overwhelming majority of fishing rods come in a fast action, and this trend is especially true when you look at the lower-tier markets.

In this respect, the Abu Garcia Vengeance baitcasting fishing rod surprises by actually including a model in the lineup that employs a different action.

Granted, the only time the lineup does this is with the 7’6” model, and that’s likely to compensate for accuracy when casting with such a long pole.

However, all of the other models use a fast action which not only increases the accuracy of the cast but further increases the sensitivity as well.

Power

This is one of the areas where the Abu Garcia Vengeance casting fishing pole really puts in the extra effort to differentiate between the different types of fishing. It’s worth keeping in mind that because of the 24T graphite blank, you need to be explicitly selective when fishing with this rod to the point of maybe not using it if multiple species are in the same area.

Still, the lineup offers a wider range than you might expect with medium, medium-heavy, and heavy options available. The lineup leans slightly to the medium side, but a good mix posits the average in the medium-heavy area for a good backbone that still comes with a few caveats and restrictions.

Weight

While the materials chosen might occasionally put the Abu Garcia Vengeance baitcasting fishing rod in a bind with durability, it has other benefits.

For instance, this fishing pole is one of the all-around lightest that you can find– in a large part due to the exclusive use of graphite for its blank.

Though not necessarily ideal, the absence of a meaningful scrim and the use of lighter graphite threads also contributed to lower weight.

The componentry only further reduces weight as the stainless steel rod guides with titanium-oxide inserts and the handle’s EVA foam are about as light of materials as you can get for their parts.

Sensitivity

Out of all of the qualities and features on the model, the Abu Garcia Vengeance fishing rod offers sensitivity above everything else.

Whether intentionally or as a consequence of cutting costs to be budget-friendly, most of the options on this rod gear it towards providing sensitivity– potentially at the detriment of other qualities.

This means that both experienced fishermen and beginners alike can appreciate using this rod depending on the type of fishing that they do.

Whether it’s the materials or the taper position, the Abu Garcia Vengeance is one of the more sensitive fishing poles on the market if for no other reason than because its simplicity doesn’t cover up any of the vibrations.

Rod Guides

This is arguably one of the best qualities about the Abu Garcia Vengeance baitcasting pole which, while not necessarily ideal, is actually still pleasantly surprising.

While the blank may be the most important part of a fishing rod, the rod guides and their inserts are easily second in line.

As such, this pole’s choice to use stainless steel for the guides is important as it prevents a braided line from cutting through it and stays more firmly in place.

However, to make sure they didn’t turn beginners or fishermen using a baitcasting reel away, they use titanium-oxide for the inserts, imparting a buttery smooth action to the cast that doesn’t tangle.

Handle (material, shape, etc)

For the most part, handles don’t often steal the show, but it’s still important to cover all of the bases and see if something different might stand out.

In terms of materials, the aforementioned EVA foam is pretty standard and affords an overall solid standard that can easily be upgraded with 3rd party grip.

That said, it’s also somewhat interesting that this lineup comes in three different handle styles, allowing you to choose the one that sits most naturally in your hand– something that’s vital for beginners and experts, short stops and long trips.

Warranty

The Abu Garcia Vengeance fishing rod comes with a 3-year warranty which is not that bad in the budget-friendly category– though, it’s far from the best.

However, you need to be sure and put all of the included documentation someplace safe, because redeeming the warranty requires multiple documents.

When you consider that the 24T graphite blank isn’t the most durable, this is especially important.

Uses (Who is this good for)

When figuring out who a given rod is good for, it can be better to understand in what situation a given rod is good for as different fishermen will have different needs as they gain experience.

However, as a budget-friendly option positioned in a lower-tier market, the Abu Garcia Vengeance has to walk a fine line.

In this regard, you can find a reason for everyone to get this pole, but it’s going to be different reasons for different levels of experience.

That said, the price of most Vengeance models is low enough that a beginner can feel comfortable purchasing it without the worry of whether they’ll like the sport in the long run or not.

As far as experienced fishermen are concerned, the use of the Abu Garcia Vengeance is more a matter of quarry than anything else.

Basically, if you are fishing for a timid or smaller species, the increased sensitivity can be extremely helpful for feeling a bit and knowing when to sink a hook.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the Abu Garcia Vengeance casting rod is a budget-friendly option in a lower-tier market that has appeal to everyone, so long as you know what you’re using it for.

As a prime example of inexpensive translating to less durable, this fishing pole still offers plenty of benefits for those in the know.

With more sensitivity than baitcasting rods two and three times more expensive, this option makes it much easier to fish for timid or smaller species.

At the same time, the ability to use a braided line thanks to the stainless steel guides and titanium-oxide inserts means you don’t have to worry about vegetation and tangles as much.

That said, not all models in the Vengeance lineup are equally inexpensive which can make the overall value fluctuate a bit more than you might like.

Still, every Abu Garcia Vengeance spec configuration offers a unique approach without also taking a huge bite out of your wallet.