First Impressions: Daiwa Tatula PX BF70 + Jackson Kawasemi Rhapsody – baitcasting – C41L 5P
I just received both for a little R&D 😉 and haven’t had any real water time yet. Honestly, it’s too cold anyway. That said, I’ve been yard-casting, tinkering, and pairing reels and rods more than usual lately, and this combo keeps ending up in my hands.
Early take: I can already tell this combo is going to be a winner.
Daiwa Tatula PX BF70
The best way I can describe the PX BF70 so far is easy.
Light lures come off clean with no drama. No weird startup hesitation. It feels predictable in a really good way, which is something I value a lot in BFS reels.
Even with the 28mm spool, the reel is smaller than I was expecting, and I can palm it easily. Smooth retrieve, excellent startup with sub-2g lures, and simple, repeatable control. It reminds me why I keep gravitating to Daiwa BFS reels. They just feel intuitive.
Jackson Kawasemi Rhapsody C41L 5P
The first word that came to mind when I picked up and assembled the rod was dagger.
It feels stiff in a good way, with a quick, clean load. The 5-piece construction actually seems to give it a little more backbone compared to some one-piece light rods I have tried. It recovers fast and feels very precise.
Coming in at a mere 4'1", this thing can get in and cast anywhere. There’s a noticeable level of attention to detail and overall build quality, which is something I’ve come to expect from Jackson.
I’m confident it’s going to be excellent for everything from small spoons to heavy minnow-style plugs, especially when twitching.
The Combo
Together, this setup feels balanced and dialed in.
Light spoons, minnows, and finesse presentations feel natural. It’s one of those combos that quietly gets out of the way and lets you focus on the drift, the retrieve, and what the fish are telling you.
I’ll circle back once I get real water time, but early impressions matter. And early impressions here are very positive.
Sometimes you can tell pretty quickly when something is going to stick in your rotation.
This one will.