We feel strongly that within its price category our Select Baits Potenza rod really doesn’t have many serious rivals, because it simply is a rod whose features are shared with rods normally twice as expensive. The rod is made up of different carbon fibers. The outside is made from the high modulus 3k strands, while the inside is built from unidirectional carbon (UD). Of all the materials available on the market, the unidirectional fiber is the toughest, most stress-resistant, while the high modulus (be it 1k or 3k) is the lightest and most rigid. That basically tells you that our Potenza has the toughest possible backbone, with an added layer of stiffness on the handle and first segment up to the first ring (this is where the 3k covering lies). Above and beyond this very technical presentation, Potenza has a progressive-fast action with a 3.75 lbs test curve. The handle and first half of the rod boast an exceptional power supply, which in combination with the slow-recovery tip recommend this rod for anglers who rely a lot on feeders or big PVA bags. The progressive action means that the whole rod takes the casting load, correcting to a degree existing mistakes in the casting technique itself. We have absolutely no doubts that many anglers will find our Potenza rod to be quite a reliable partner, whom they will immediately enjoy teaming up with. The rod comes equipped with a DPS 18mm reelseat, fixed with all-black metal collars. The handle ends in a stylish all-black metal cap. The rod has a matte finish, with the carbon blank itself being exposed. This has a range of advantages: it does not allow water to creep up the superficial layer which in time would create white stains on the rod; it is much more durable because it cannot be easily scratched; to the trained eye this highlights more clearly the quality of the carbon fibers themselves. By contrast, quite a number of very popular rods don't actually use the premium 1k or 3k carbon wave, but go for unidirectional fibers given a cheap painting designed to immitate the higher quality materials. We also paid minutious attention to details and we've highlighted all important elements of the rod with blue-metallic weaving straight from the US market leader Gudebrod. All of these areas are covered with varnish. The metallic shinnings and the overall apparent color tones of the rod actually change with different lightings, which really makes Potenza's elegance stand out.The rigs are double-legged, grey SiC titanium ones. The top ring itself is a 16mm anti-tangle model which will give you that extra bit of security when you need to really push your casts. During testing our anglers have constantly achieved 170m (185 yards) with 120gr leads. Without being an all-out distance rod, all our tests have shown that Potenza is well up to the challenge for most scenarios. As a rod with a 3.75lbs test curve, the recommended casting weight is somewhere between 4 and 5oz (112-140gr). Whenever you need longer casts our first suggestion is to try and refine your technique first and foremost rather than just going for a heavier lead as many are tempted to do. As your technique improves you will notice significant casting gains without exerting extra strain on your rods. Please be aware that constantly relying on overly heavy leads will lead to what rodbuilders call "premature blank aging" which is in no way a manufacturing defect, but rather the result of improper use. Our Select Baits Potenza 12' (3.6m) is available in two standard rig configurations: 40mm - 30mm - 25mm - 20mm - 16mm - 16mm antitangle (tip); 50mm - 40mm - 25mm - 20mm - 16mm - 16mm antitangle (tip). The weights of the two 3.6m versions are: Potenza 12' 40mm first ring - 389gr; Potenza 12' 50mm first ring - 397gr; The length of the handle on the 12' (3.6m) rod is 520mm, while the grip's width is 17mm.