Fenwick HMX

[the butcher]

Here's my dilemma.... I use 9 footers trolling rods and have 4 entry level Shimano TDR 9'MH rods. They are durable and I can abuse them and great for guests who arent experienced since if they break them it doesn't cost an arm and leg to replace. I am wanting to get a nicer rod for myself for under $150. Cabelas has a sale on the Fenwick HMX for $90. Last night I purchased the 9ft HMX MH action rod. Today, I was looking on this forum and saw some older posts about Fenwick HMX rods being known to break. The HMX won't arrive in the mail until likely 1 week from now and I am trying to figure out whether I should return it when it arrives in the mail. I have been recommended the clarus and technium but those rods only come in the 10.5ft length which I am not a fan off.

For those of you who owned Fenwick hmx, did you get rid of the rod or do you still have it? How often did it break on you?

 

[PIG HUNTER]

I have 5 10.5ft Fenwick HMX rods had three break in six years. Check out Fenwicks warranty online.

 

[Tom Mac]

I have been using mine for 6 years now, still going strong and has caught many many fish.

 

[walleyes]

I have been running HMX rods for years now with absolutely no issues. Been running mine under my MR2 for 14 seasons now, have another two been going for 8 years. These are all the 10’6 models. I also run a 7” HMX Walleye rod going on 5 years now. In my opinion they are the best rod for the price.
Reading this forum I’ve come to the conclusion people can break just about anything, take care of your stuff and service it and it will last you. Abuse it and treat it like ****, get ready to replace it often.

 

[Rob H]

Here's my dilemma.... I use 9 footers trolling rods and have 4 entry level Shimano TDR 9'MH rods. They are durable and I can abuse them and great for guests who arent experienced since if they break them it doesn't cost an arm and leg to replace. I am wanting to get a nicer rod for myself for under $150. Cabelas has a sale on the Fenwick HMX for $90. Last night I purchased the 9ft HMX MH action rod. Today, I was looking on this forum and saw some older posts about Fenwick HMX rods being known to break. The HMX won't arrive in the mail until likely 1 week from now and I am trying to figure out whether I should return it when it arrives in the mail. I have been recommended the clarus and technium but those rods only come in the 10.5ft length which I am not a fan off.

For those of you who owned Fenwick hmx, did you get rid of the rod or do you still have it? How often did it break on you?

I have had 3 Fenwick HMX rods in service for 10+ years each with no problems other than a couple tip tops needing replacement. These rods have had lots of year round use and have held up fine, and I do take out lots of beginners who use these rods when out with me. One rod is 11 foot with trigger the other 2 are 10'6" med. heavy, don't know how the 9 footers compare.
...Rob

 

[Pippen]

Had 2.....switched to Technium.

 

[scott craven]

I've had 2, one broke and the other is going strong !

 

[Slabbedout]

I have had 2 of the older brown hmx Fenwick’s for probably at least 10 years. Great go to rods that have boated a ton of fish. In my opinion one of the best rods for the price. Like said above look after your rods and don’t bang them around. Even the most expensive rods break with abuse.

 

[the butcher]

For those who had them break, was it during when you popped your line off the clip?

 

[Tips Up]

Rods are like expensive composite hockey sticks... they get a fracture from getting banged around and then the break happens when you are playing a fish (or taking a shot). They did not break at that moment. They already were compromised.
Graphite composites flex well and do the job well but they don’t take impact well. Some are more fragile than others. gotta take care of them. Don’t jam in the gunnels and don’t pile things on top of them.
I’ve had lots of HMX rods. Great rods. I am using technium now and find them more durable so far.
consider the 10.5 ft. You will never go back to 9 ft.

 

[Last Chance]

Guiding I broke dozens of them before switching to Techniums. Have not broke one. They have a great warranty but you damn well need it. There are better rods out there.

 

[Tinny]

I have been running the 10.5 HMX for 5 years. No issues yet so they get my thumbs up.

 

[bryce]

If there gonna break it seems like they break fairly early in there career once they last a season they usually last ten
There newer ones arnt as nice as there older ones imo

 

[casper5280]

I have 2 that must be 10+ years old and are great, they were so good that when I set my boat up to fish 4 rods I bought 2 more. The 2 new ones I have replaced 3 times in the last 3 years, Finally replaced those new ones the last time with Techniums. Don't know if they changed up the way they build them, but if the old ones break I will replace them with Techniums

 

[the butcher]

Thanks for the feedback. I am a few years into fishing the salt and it was recommended that I get 9 footers from a tackle shop when I started out a few years back. I have gotten accustomed to them and find using a buddys 10.5ft rod to be very awkward. I don't believe a 10.5ft rod would increase my fish to the boat success rate but I have never spent a season on a longer rod so I don't know. It seems like most anglers on this forum use 10.5s and it looks like most higher end rods only come in 10.5s so there must be something that I am missing. I find the 10.5ft rods to be awkward when landing fish, especially a large white when solo. I also find it more cumbersome all around. While the longer rod provides more flex and cushioning while fighting fish, when the fish is near the boat the extra bend and flex seems to make it difficult to maneuver the fish if it gets too close to downrigger lines, kicker, etc... May I ask those of you who used to use 8.5 to 9ft rods and now use the 10.5, how much of a difference did it make? Perhaps I should figure whether 10.5ft are better for me before switching out all five of my rods to new 9 footers.

 

[Fish Camp]

Every rod I broke except one was broken while improperly feeding the line through the guides.I would get the line through the tip eylet and hold the rod in one hand and pull the line .I try not to do that anymore.The one rod that was broken was when I waded out on the mud flats of comox harbour at dawn and a seal came 5'up behind me and scared me and I swated at him with the rod.I have always worked a trophy brand or a old fiberglass rod with cork handle .One day I might get a new rod and its nice to be able to learn about them here.thanks FC

 

[Rockfish]

One of my buddies on my boat played an 18 lb Chinook with only what was left of the rod butt and reel seat after the Fenwick HMX rod exploded into many pieces. I held up a couple of the larger broken pieces with the line going through the guides so as not to tangle the line and break of the fish. It is possible that there was a run or several runs with bad blanks and it may now be resolved. I think he returned some of the many broken pieces under warranty for a replacement. An 18 lb Chinook is not anything to get overly excited about, but we were rather proud of actually getting the salmon in the boat under the circumstances. At that point in time I would have been more likely to go with one of the other quality brands like the Techniums, Sages, GLoomis etc. It is fair to say that all these rods need to be looked after and if you are not careful with them and they get a surface cut in them sideways across the grain of the fibers, they can all have an increased chance of breaking.

 

[casper5280]

I find rod length is more a factor of the size boat you are fishing from. Say a 17ft boat say is better suited to a shorter rod, where a longer rod works better in a bigger boat.

 

[RBL]

Those Fenwicks are junk. Techniums all the way. I bought 2 light action fenwicks to try with early season springs and they both broke within a couple weeks

 

[hippaisland]

Those Fenwicks are junk. Techniums all the way. I bought 2 light action fenwicks to try with early season springs and they both broke within a couple weeks

X2 on the techniums, get a medium heavy 10’6” and there’s plenty of backbone to land solo or on smaller boat. Haven’t ever seen one break in 10 years guiding and they get trashed over course of full season.