This was the first year we’ve had the chance to review one of Samaki’s egi rods and we were keen to put the new Zing Gen III egi model through its paces. The whole Zing Gen III series has the same striking aesthetic of black blank, red highlights with urban camo EVA and it looks great.
The Technical Egi is priced at $170 and for that low price has some impressive features such as Samaki’s Hyperkinetic Nanofiber blank, Fuji O guides, 3DFX reel seat and a quality metal reel lock to ensure you’re reel never budges, and it doesn’t, we were very impressed with this.
There are two models, 8ft 6in and an 8ft which we had for review. The 8ft is rated for 1.8-2.5 size jigs but we worked 3.0 and 3.5 size jigs through the test period as that’s what the conditions called for. It had no issues with either size, yet we did note that casting distance would be an issue with the lighter sizes thanks to the rather stiff blank. The low profile stripper guide dies aid casting distance but will also diminish it and possibly cause wind knots if you try and punch out your jig too hard, so keep it cool and let the rod do the work and it casts well.
Retrieving your jigs is where the Zing really shines and it’s probably the best retrieve action of any egi rod at this price point that we’ve ever tested. It has a great load point that makes working your jig easy and is therefore a great beginner’s model that will aid you in getting a great action out of your jig. This is the most important aspect of an egi rod so if you’re looking for a rod in this price range and you want jig control to get that big dart action, this is one rod that will shorten the learning curve.
While labelled as light, there isn’t a squid that the Zing won’t tame, even on a pier as long as you have a net or gaff. It’s built very well and will handle the rigours of rock and pier fishing for years to come.
Distributed By: Samaki
Web: samaki.com.au
