Product Review: Field & Stream Tech Spec Elite Rod/MGW Speed Reel Combo

Field & Stream Tech Spec Elite $100 Combo review By Joseph Alfe Photos by Angela Alfe Rod Retail Price as tested: $60 Reel Retail Price As Tested: $40 Category: Entry ($100 and Under) Rod Specifications: Length: 7'1" Model: TSEC701MF Action: Fast Power: Med Lure Weight: ¼ - 3/8 Oz. Line Weight: 10 “ 17# Guides: Micro Guides Applications: Light Plastics Light Cranks Light Blade Baits Reel Seat: Exposed blank split-grip with EVA foam handle. Special Features: Entry level rod with micro guides and high end styling. Observations: The Field & Stream Tech Spec Elite series is available exclusively through Dick's Sporting Goods, and is positioned to compete with other entry level "Prosumer offerings such as the Abu Garcia "Veritas line or the Wright MaGill "Skeet Reese line of rods. The Tech Spec is an attractive rod, with a distinctive metallic Sapphire color and an Orange "Tribal pin striping that gives the rod a distinctive and upscale appearance. Completing the look are blue metallic micro guides and the black EVA split-grip handle. Overall, the rod is cool to look at. Picking it up, one is amazed at how light and comfortable it feels. This rod just feels good in-hand, and I decided to pair it with an unconventional reel choice, the MGW Speed. Sensitivity: With its lightweight, high modulus graphite, the Tech Spec Elite is a very light, sensitive rod for its price range. Will it compete with an Airrus or Loomis? No, but it fishes like a far more expensive rod than it's price tag. Sensitivity fishing lighter weight plastics and T-Rigs was great, and I had no trouble distinguishing light bites or bottom contact. Casting & Handling This rod is a joy to fish with. No, really, for any price, this rod just feels great in hand and casts and handles extremely well. In fact, I found myself picking it up over some other, very expensive rods in my arsenal. For an all-purpose, lighter weight rod, you could do a lot worse, and spend a lot more, than a Field & Stream Tech Spec Elite. There was one hiccup, though. As I was fighting a particularly brawny and upset Small Mouth to the boat, she made a last minute dive on a short line and snapped the rod tip. This was mostly my fault as I had the drag locked down (Old Muskie fishing habit) but it is what it is. This is not to say that I haven't broken other, more expensive rods fighting fish or even casting, because I have. The real test is how the replacement effort goes. I am happy to report that all I had to do was walk into a Dick's, show them the broken rod, and simply pick out another one. No questions asked. Reel Review: MGW Speed Reel Specifications: Ratio: 6.3:1 Weight: 6.9 Oz. Bearings: 13 Capacity: 150 Yd/10# Special Features: I frequently browse through e-Bay looking for deals or obscure tackle and I found a Japanese seller that was promoting a very attractive reel. Loving all things Japanese, I decided to look further and was surprised at what I found. Here was a very inexpensive, highly equipped reel that was flat out cool looking. Sporting a Carbon Fiber look body accented with blue anodized handle and trim and oversized EVA foam grips, this reel looked like a reel costing far more than the ridiculous $40 price tag. How could I not buy one? I expected a cheap looking reel to show up, but two weeks later I was amazed to find a very light weight, good looking and great feeling reel in the mail. Score! The design is very, very similar to Lew's and Abu's reels, and offshore manufacturers frequently produce the same reel for several brands and companies with minimal, cosmetic tweaks. Indeed the looks and specs lead me to believe that this reel is fundamentally identical to a Lew's or Abu. On the water performance would bear this out. Performance: I spooled up with 12# P-Line Co-Polymer and hit the water. This reels super light weight of just 6.9 Oz. and futuristic carbon fiber look and blue anodized trim paired perfectly with the Field & Stream Tech Spec Elite. In fact, it looks as if the two were made to go together, and that is how they performed. This reel casts very well, and its oversized foam grip handles are very comfortable. Tolerances and construction seem good, and the reel feels solidly built. Long term reliability is a question left unanswered, but I will give this reel a thorough workout this season and report my findings. As of now, for the price, you simply cannot go wrong with this reel. The MGW Speed is a pleasant surprise. Conclusion: The Field & Stream Tech Spec Elite and the MGW Speed Reel have pleasantly surprised me. For a combo in this price range, they both look and perform well above their station. Rod mishap aside, I still feel confident in its performance, and still often reach for this combo in every day fishing scenarios. Long-term quality is an unanswered question, but for the price, it performs and looks like a true bargain. Check out the MGW Speed here. Field & Stream Tech Spec Elite Scores: 0-10 Looks: 10 Balance: 8.0 Feel: 8.0 Weight: 8.5 Power: 8.0 Sensitivity: 8.0 Price: 9.0 Average: 8.4 Deductions: Broken Rod -50 Deduction Total: -.50 Total Score: 8.0 MGW Speed Reel Scores: 0-10 Looks: 10 Balance: 8.0 Feel: 9.0 Weight: 9.5 Casting: 9.0 Price 9.0 Average: 9.1 Deductions: Unproven Reliability: -25 Deduction Total: -.25 Total Score: 8.8