Whether you’re looking to upgrade your current gear or choosing your first setup, spend a minute on Phenix fishing rods. Phenix experience building fishing rods dates back to 1977 when they first opened their doors. The black diamond series offers some of the best rods in the offshore industry. Scroll on down for detailed accounts of Phenix Black Diamond casting, spinning, & deckhand rods.
Phenix Black Diamond Saltwater Rods
Product: Phenix Black Diamond casting, spinning, deckhand, & hybrid rods.
Overall Ranking: 94 out of 100.
Price: Mid to middle high range.
Owners: Phenix Rods. A privately held company.
Website: Phenixrods.com.
Intro To Phenix Black Diamond Saltwater Rods
Phenix builds their black diamond rods with industry leading Toray carbon fibers. They offer models suited to inshore bass or big offshore tuna, and everything in between. Phenix fishing rods use only the best material in their blanks, line guides, reel seats, and grips. They give rods like Calstar, Seeker, and Shimano Terez a run for their money.
Watch The Phenix Black Diamond PSW-700H In Action!
Phenix Black Diamond Models, Specs, & Features
Black diamond rods come in 3 series: casting, spinning, and deckhand. They do offer blanks for custom rod making. Black diamond rods also have a hybrid series which offers a fully woven carbon fiber blank.
Phenix Fishing Rods – Black Diamond Casting
Models
Phenix fishing rods makes 27 casting models in the black diamond series. Casting models have the prefix PSW. Next there will be the number which represents the length of the rod. At the end you’ll find capital letters which tell the rod’s power.
Phenix offers one 6 foot model, one 6’6″ model, four 7 foot models, four 7’6″ models, and four 8 foot models. In addition they offer three 8’6″ models, four 9 foot models, four 9’6″ models, and two 10 foot rods. The rods have different action and rate for a range of line tests.
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Black Diamond Casting Rod Specifications
All Phenix fishing rods in the black diamond series are one piece blanks. As stated above, casting rods range in length from 6 to 10 feet with plenty of choices in the middle.
Phenix black diamond blanks use a mixture of graphite and carbon fiber which results in extremely light rods. Line ratings range from 10 to 80 pounds and rod action goes from moderate fast to extra fast. Rod power ranges from heavy to medium light and there is a 9′ extra heavy jigging model.
Phenix fishing rods uses several different line guides depending on the model. All line guides are high quality Fuji, Alps, or Essex products. The reel seats will either be Alps tri reel seats with hypalon handles or Fuji with X wrap handles. The shorter models use the Alps until you reach 8′ at which point Phenix switches to different versions of Fuji reel seats.
Features
Phenix labels their black diamond casting rods with four powerful features.
Blank Composition – Phenix uses their own unique layering process when blending graphite and carbon fibers. They also have a secret resin recipe that provides the finish layer on these casting rods.
Weight & Diameter – Phenix fishing rods weigh less and have a thinner diameter than other saltwater rods in the same class.
Strength – The blend of high quality fiber material put together with unique Phenix layering makes rods of the fiercest strength.
Rod Components – Phenix gathers and uses components from only the highest quality makers. Fuji, Alps, and Essex make top of the line products from guide tip to reel seat.
Phenix Fishing Rods – Black Diamond Spinning
Models
For those offshore enthusiasts that prefer not to use the conventional reel and casting rod, Phenix offers a black diamond spinning series. There aren’t as models as the casting series but 14 rods still gives a decent amount to choose from.
The spinning rod models appear exactly as the casting models do with the PSW-length-power rating. Spinning models can be differentiated by the S placed after the PSW and before the length designating number. Black diamond spinning rods come in four 7 foot models, four 7’6″ models, five 8 foot models, and one 8’6″ model.
Specifications
Phenix fishing rods uses exactly the same material in the blanks of their black diamond spinning rods as they do in their casting rods. Line ratings for the spinning rods range from 6 to 60 pounds depending on the model. Action ratings are either fast or moderate fast and power ranges from heavy to extra light.
Phenix black diamond spinning rods use Fuji alconite or KWAG and Alps line guides. They are all 1 piece rods that use Fuji DPS reel seats and both X wrap and hypalon handles. The handles are a mixture of both not one or the other.
Features
Phenix black diamond spinning rods feature all the same features of the black diamond casting rods.
Phenix Fishing Rods – Black Diamond Deckhand
Models
The deckhand offshore rod features long corded handles and the noticeable lack of a reel seat. Preferred for casting and jigging, Phenix offers 6 deckhand models.
The deckhand model numbers are easy to distinguish because they say deck hand at the end. You have two 8 foot models, one 8’6″, and three 9 foot deckhand models to choose from.
Specifications
Phenix black diamond deckhand rods rate from 20 to 80 pound line test depending on the model. They are 1 piece rods that all have fast action. Power ratings are either heavy or extra heavy with 2 jigging models as well.
Deckhand rods use either Alps S-6 or Essex SiC line guides and have corded handles secured with a Turk’s head knot. There is no reel seat on any deckhand rods.
Features
Deckhand, spinning, and casting rods in the Phenix black diamond series share the exact same features.
Phenix Fishing Rods – Black Diamond Hybrid
Phenix presents another line of black diamond rods in their hybrid series. There are 3 classifications of rods within the black diamond hybrid series: hybrid Inshore, hybrid Deckhand, and hybrid Marlin caster rods. Phenix also offers blanks in their black diamond hybrid series.
Phenix Black Diamond Hybrid Inshore Rods
Models
Anglers have 20 rods to choose from in the Inshore series and these rods aren’t light in power. Their line ratings make you wonder why they are labeled inshore rods.
In fact, Phenix black diamond hybrid rods offer some of the beefiest sticks in the series. The model numbers use the same system as the black diamond series but start with the prefix PHD instead of PSW.
Within the hybrid inshore series you’ll find four 6’6″ models, six 7 foot models, four 7’6″ models, and one 8 foot model. Rounding out the collection is an 8’3″ model, an 8’6″ model, one 8’8″ model, and two 9’2″ models.
Specifications
The biggest change in rod specifications from the standard black diamond to the hybrid series is the material used in the blanks. Instead of the carbon fiber and graphite blend you now have fully woven carbon material. The woven carbon fiber is a blend of top of the line material from the aerospace and automotive industries.
Rod ratings for line test in the hybrid series range from 8 pounds all the way up to 200 pounds. See, some of these hybrid sticks are thick. Again you’ll find only 1 piece rods that range in length from 6’6″ to 9″2″. Black diamond hybrid inshore rods are almost all fast action except the two 9’2″ models which are moderate fast. Their power ratings range from 4 X heavy down to medium heavy.
Phenix black diamond hybrid inshore rods use a mixture of Fuji guides except the PHD-660X4H which uses Aftco guides. The reel seats are all Alps Centra Lock systems with hypalon (synthetic rubber) handles. The heavier models use Alps CAH Centra Lock and higher density hypalon handles.
Features
The number 1 feature of Phenix black diamond hybrid rods is the blank. Phenix spent years in research and development to perfect the material and manufacturing of these rods. They delved into the carbon fiber worlds of aerospace and and automotive to find the perfect material.
Phenix then perfected their weaving pattern and finishing process to create one of the lightest weight and strongest rods on the market today. Black diamond hybrid rods feature top of the line reel seats, line guides, and hypalon handles.
Phenix Fishing Rods – Black Diamond Hybrid Deckhand
Models
Back to the beautiful deckhand rods (can you tell I favor these rods?) with their long woven or corded handles. Phenix offers 6 models to choose from in the deckhand hybrid series. You’ll find them starting with an 8 foot model, 8’3″ model, 8’6″, 8’8″ model, and two 9’2″ rods.
Specifications
Phenix makes nothing except 1 piece rods in this series and their line rating range from 15 to 80 pounds. They use the same woven carbon fiber material across all hybrid models. The deckhand hybrids have fast to extra fast (the longest rods) action and range in power from extra heavy to medium heavy.
As for line guides, deckhand hybrid rods use either Fuji HBSG or MNSG SiC components. With no reel seats they use either a corded wrap or a custom woven wrap on the handle and of course end with the famous Turk’s head knot.
Features
All features remain consistent across Phenix black diamond hybrid series rods.
Phenix Fishing Rods – Black Diamond Hybrid Marlin Caster
Models, Specs, & Features
Phenix makes only two of these specialty rods designed for big game casting which are the PMC760X and the PMC800X. One stands 7 foot six and the other 8 feet tall. These rods are rated for 20 – 50 pound test and both have extra heavy power.
Their action is fast and they use Fuji MNSG SiC line guides with Alps Centra Lock reel seats. Both models use the hypalon grip on the handle and share the same features as all black diamond hybrid rods.
Phenix Prices And Specs On Amazon
Pros & Cons Of Phenix Fishing Rods
Pros
Phenix black diamond fishing rods come with a long list of pros as seen in the features and specification sections above. The blank material and components are all second to none.
Phenix prices are competitive and either match or beat other quality rod makers. The rods are lightweight because of the material used but still strong as a bull. Phenix has been at rod making for 40 years. They’re a small company of anglers who can be found with a rod in their hand at work or at play.
Cons
There’s nothing necessarily wrong with Phenix rods. You could a decent rod for much less cash, but we’re talking about much more than decent rods here. Phenix are among the best. With all the models that Phenix offers in the black diamond series, there are two noticeable limitations.
Almost all the rods have fast action which is fine if that’s what you want. You also won’t find much rod selection under 7 feet. Phenix makes a few 6’6″ models and one 6′ rod in the black diamond series.
Who Are Phenix Black Diamond Rods Made For?
These rods are made for the serious saltwater angler. There are plenty of models to choose from which translates to smaller pelagic inshore species like bass, or gamefish like Marlin in open ocean waters.
Phenix fishing rods fill a lot of anglers needs. Match a lighter inshore rod to a Penn baitcaster and target spotted bay bass or put an Okuma Makaira two speed reel on a larger offshore Phenix rod and you’re in business.
Phenix Fishing Rods Support
All Phenix rods come with their warranty agreement to fix the rod for nothing more than the charge of shipping in the case of manufacturing defects. Rods get broken in many different ways and Phenix understands this. They charge a warranty fee to fix broken rods from user accidents which is much less than the original cost of the rod.
Final Verdict
Overall Ranking: 94 out of 100.
Phenix black diamond saltwater rods could of scored better with just a little more variety in action and length on the short side. They still come close to the highest score possible. These rods are exploding onto the market.
I was checking a few Black Diamond rods sitting next to their Axis cousins in our local reel shop and man do they look sweet. Both the black diamond and axis rods were mouth watering. Look for the Phenix Axis review soon on FishtFight.com. Happy angling and tight lines to all.
