Jackall Nero Review!

The Nero line-up is expanded in 2014 with more additions to both spin & baitcast models!

After much persuasion, Jackall has finally agreed to release their exclusive house brand of the NERO rods locally. Jackall NERO rods are finally available now in South East Asia. Just like the lures produced by the company, these rods are potent fishing tools aimed to perform and provide maximum pleasure to the angler. 

The past few months have been spent testing sample rods in the form of the lightest spin and casting rods of their class. This is our review of what we felt firsthand in both the Jackall Nero NC-64UL & the Nero NC-65L.

 The NC-65L matched with the correct reel, is simply a pleasure to cast all day!

TECH SPECS:
 
Jackall Nero NC-64UL
Length: 6'4"
Weight: 107g
Lure weight: 1/32 - 3/16oz.

Jackall Nero NC-65L
Length: 6'5"
Weight: 129g
Lure weight: 1/8 - 1/4oz.

The first thing that catches your eye on the Nero series is the ultra cool minimalist design. This is one good looking rod, no doubt about it. The Stealthy matt black asthetics, machined aluminium fore-grip are just a few highlights of this very understated beauty. No funky colors or "try too hard" designs here. Functionality was the key objective during the design process.

 Hard-fighting peacock bass are fun to catch on the Jackall Nero bass rods

The main component of a rod is in the blank itself. All Jackall Nero rods are made of high quality carbon graphite. However, Unlike typical Japanese blank technology inclined towards super thin walled blanks, the Nero feels as robust and solid as it's appearance.  These rods have a good balance between usability and durability. It does not possess that "fragile" feel when held in hand. In our rigorous field tests, we abused this rod to no end and at no point were we found wanting for more or dissatisfied with the results.

 The NC-64UL battling a giant snakehead!

Shown here is the NC-65L under load

The action of the rod is moderately fast, not overly fast to being so snappy that your wrist feels like breaking on every cast. Instead, the nero casts comfortably in a way that casting shock is well absorbed by the entire rod rather than focused on the tip. 

We had no problems casting 2.4 gram spoons effectively on both rods. We were also confident enough to fish 14 gram jerkbaits on this rod in times of necessity. Despite flawless performances each time, we do not recommend regular overloading of rods. 
More often than not, we were casting between 3-7 grams such as the Jackall Chubby Vibration 40 or unweighted soft plastics.   
Sensitivity is where this rod shines. Many rods at this price point do not meet such high demands of sensitivity that today's fishing demands.
The high carbon blank made it easy to feel for structure and strikes from fishes were easily detected. Fished with Flurocarbon and superlines, we were more than satisfied with the level of sensitivity the Nero rods afforded.

   Notice how fast the tip of the NC-64UL sets up? Not to worry, plenty of reserve in the rear section for more!

All Nero rods are built with a combination of Fuji stainless steel and titanium guides to achieve perfect weight distribution. Not a single thread was misplaced when we were inspecting the bindings on the Nero rods.  

The conventional foam fore-grip is replaced with a forged aluminum nut tastefully combined with carbon trimmings which serves as the locking mechanism that holds your precious reels securely. Reel seats are rubber coated which provides excellent grip when wet and are very comfortable against your palms.
The Nero series are targetted at the mid-price market. Quality blank, quality components, Fuji SIC guides, super cool design. All in, it gives excellent value for money, which makes absolute sense of the current economic climate.
The short handle assembly is of a perfect length for its power, putting the balance of power equally between angler and fish. All it takes is for the angler to snap his wrist for a solid hookset. 

 A large peacock bass bows out to the NC-65L

  This snakehead was subdued with relative ease, thanks to the NC-64UL

In all, The Jackall Nero NC-64UL & NC-65L are definitely fun rods to use for finesse fishing and when you happen to hook onto something bigger, the reserved butt power gives you the superior advantage.

We highly recommend everyone to check out the new Jackall Nero rods which has the styling and performance to back it up!

**A point worthy of mentioning is that the Jackall Nero 64UL makes for an exceptional micro jigging rod. In high speed jigging with this rod, the tip is observed to be a split second behind the action transmitted from the hand at the butt. The blank action is smooth and there is noticeably less pressure on the wrist, allowing the angler to fish comfortably by absorbing the shock created by the jigging motion. Action transmitted to the jig is fantastic as the split second delay just seems to make the fish a little more willing to strike the jig. 

The Jackall Nero 64UL has a relatively fast tip that loads really nicely just like any good fast action rod. The rod loads at about 30% of the length from the tip under recommended usage guidelines. However, there is a hidden secret weapon within this rod. If you look closely, the Jackall Nero 64UL has a carbon cross wrapped lower section. When pushed beyond its limit, this rod locks down midway and draws power from these reinforced cross wraps providing the angler with extra lifting power when called upon. This locking action makes it ideally suitable for micro jigging where the chances of hookin up a big fish is very real on ultralight tackle.