Daiwa Rod Reel Combo RX

  • Author: Ted Jones
  • Date: February 6, 2024

Daiwa RX rod and reel combo

The Daiwa RX rod and reel spinning combo is a great lightweight set up for beginner anglers for flicking out lures.

In this article we will field test two Daiwa Rod Reel Combo RX models and put it through its paces. As well as cover the features, pros and cons of the rod and reel.

I brought the spinning rod combo in the 7’ model for me to test and a second RX 6’ 6” model combo for the kids to have a dedicated spinning rod.

The Daiwa rods are a graphite construction. The action of the 6’ 6” model is designed for light spin fishing which is perfect for learning a lightweight combo. The 7’ model had an action for medium light spin.

Daiwa Combo & brown trout

Both reels on the rods are the Daiwa RX LT 2500 models, which perfectly suit the combo size. (The LT on the reel apparently means “Light” & “Tough” with minimalist engineering and a compact design.)

The actual specific rod models and rod codes were:

Model No: 21 RX 662LFS 1.98m Cast Wt: 1-5g Line: 1- 4 kg

Model No: 21 RX 702MLFS 2.13m Cast Wt: 4-14g Line: 2 – 6 kg

(The rod numbers and codes are explained in the article down the page.)

Daiwa rod numbers

Both models are a 2 piece rod.

Here are the features and specs:

RX Rod Features

  • Titanium Oxide Ring Guides
  • Graphite Composite Blank
  • Stainless Steel Hooded Reel Seat
  • EVA Split Grips

 

RX Reel Features

  • ABS Spool
  • 2 Ball Bearings (1BB; 1RB)
  • Infinite Anti-Reverse
  • Drag Knob With Click
  • Digigear II
  • Gear Ratio 5.3

Daiwa reel combo

I like how you can easily change the reel handle side. As I prefer to fight the fish in the right hand (dominant hand) and reel with my left hand.

To learn how to switch the handle side, go to – How To Change A Fishing Reel Handle

For pros and cons on what hand you hold the rod in, visit – What Hand Do You Hold A Fishing Rod In?

The drag is on the front of the reel and I love the way it clicks when you increase or decrease the drag. (I find with the silent drags, you are not sure exactly how much you have increased or decreased the drag by. Especially when you are fighting a fish and preoccupied.)

 

Daiwa Rod Reel Combo Field Test

Daiwa RX rod and reel
The spinning rod and reel combo was tested over 8 months of some seriously long fishing days to test it. (I remember one day we fished for 10 and a half hours straight casting lures with the Daiwa combo.)

We mainly chased trout and redfin (English Perch) with it. But took it to the saltwater a few times as well. The rods were also tested in some kayak fishing for several hour trips as well.

I loaded up the 6′ 6″ rod and reel with 8 lb. (3.6 kg) Hi-Vis Orange Shimano braided line and a 6 lb. mono leader.

For the 7’ combo, I put 10 lb. (4.5 kg) Wilson XL braid line in a Hi-Vis yellow on it and a Berkley fluorocarbon 8 pound leader.

Later on, the reels were tested with different fishing line types, brands and poundage combinations. Like braid, monofilament and fluorocarbon main lines and leaders.

The 7 foot rod was excellent when casting and the 6’6″ rod was nice as well. The rods casted a good distance with the braid and you could feel the bites and snags easy with the rod tips sensitivity.

The 2500 spool size capacity was big enough for us freshwater fishing, chasing around trout, redfin perch, yellowbelly (Golden Perch) and for saltwater bream and flathead.

My children like flicking a lure around with the RX combo as it is lightweight. The kids also used it a lot for catching small stocked rainbow trout and redfin perch. They also got some big trout as well on the rods.

I enjoyed casting both models and the rod combo was light enough to cast lures all day, which we did on plenty of fishing trips.

Daiwa fishing rod review

We casted spoons, inline spinners, suspended minnows, bent minnows, deep divers, soft plastics, chatterbaits and spinnerbaits with it. Testing different fishing lures and techniques, depending on where we were fishing.

A few times we just put a fishing float set-up on the rod and used it as a bait rod, using worms and Powerbait.

 

Rod Balance Point

The rod and reel balance nicely and the balance point was around the handle. (Taking into account how much line and the type on the spool will affect the point of balance.)

 

The Positives Of The Daiwa Combo

The rods were very responsive to flicking lures out and light weight.

I was talking to a couple of staff at the fishing tackle shop and they had good praise for the little Daiwa combo. (They were genuine in their recommendation and I have dealt with the staff before. They seem switched on with their knowledge and fishing advice.) So it was good they recommended the gear and my field test backed up their information.

After hours and hours of casting lures there were no hotspots in the reel handle and it was comfortable to wind. The reel was smooth enough to wind in different line tension settings.

In the RX LT 2500 reel, the inner workings has the Digigear II. In the gears it has larger teeth, which according to the Daiwa website will last longer and is smoother when winding. The reel has a gear ratio 5.3 and weighs 270g. The drag performed well when fighting the fish.

Daiwa RX fishing reel

The ABS spool (Anti-Backlash System) has a larger diameter arbor that gets larger towards the top of the spool and helps prevent any “cones” on the reel.

The kids fishing for hours and hours spinning, didn’t complain about the weight or anything, so the rod and reel combo gets their tick of approval. (The oldest child said it was the best fishing rod he had tried and he enjoys out-casting it further than me.)

The rod was sensitive enough to feel the bites, but enough backbone to fight some healthy fat rainbow trout.

 

The Negatives Of The Daiwa Rod And Reel Combo

It wouldn’t be a fair test with the cons of the rod and reel, so here is the good the bad and the ugly on it.

I realize it is a budget, but my pet hate is, the rod has no hook keeper. (But for the price of the combo kit, you can’t argue.)

Okay, I have to mention something negative of the rod and reel combo .With the kids fishing, I did notice that when there was too much loose line, (no tension on it, near the reel), and that sometimes the line would wrap low on the spool. This is operator error though and not the reel manufacturers fault. The slack line near the reel needs to have a little tension on it, otherwise it won’t wind properly. I had to mention one negative, even though it wasn’t the combos fault.

The reel seat needed tightening now and then, but just like other rods and reels with plenty of use on the water.

With the minimal ball bearings, the reel needed plenty of oiling after around 6 months.  I didn’t do any maintenance on the reel in that time frame deliberately to see how it goes. Eventually you could feel the friction on the reel when winding it, if it didn’t have any oil after several hours of straight fishing.

(I like Daiwa products, but is it just me or does the Daiwa logo suck? I can hardly make out the name of “Daiwa” for their branding, as their font is too fancy and hard to read! If anglers can’t read the name of the brand, how are they supposed to buy it if they don’t know what it is?)

 

The Verdict

Fishing rod combo

I would highly recommend this fishing rod and reel combo.

If you fish multiple times a week for long hours, then you would probably go for an upgraded reel version, with more ball bearings to help prevent more wear and tear and for smoother winding. But for the beginner angler, it is a great fishing rod and reel combo.

You might be lucky and get the rod combo on sale.

(I didn’t get paid for this test and review, or get any freebies.)

Daiwa rod reel combo infographic

 

What Do The Rod Numbers Mean? Rod Codes On Daiwa

For the 7” foot model the numbers on the rod are –

Model No: 21 RX 702MLFS 2.13m Cast Wt: 4-14g Line: 2-6 kg

RX = is the model number.

The 7 means it is 7” foot long.

The 2 means a two piece rod.

“ML” = Medium Light.

“S” = for use with a spinning reel.

2.13m = is the metric rod length.

Cast Wt = Means the lure size / weight that is recommended. For this rod, it can cast best when using a lure between 4 grams to 14 grams.

Line 2 – 6 kg = is the fishing line poundage recommended. Or in this case the fishing line of or in between of 2 kg to 6 kg is suggested.

 

Summary

Daiwa rod and reel review.

For the affordable price, it is hard to go past this fishing rod and reel combo.

The Daiwa RX will suit most level entry and intermediate fisher folk. It is also ideal for young anglers looking for a light spin outfit as well.

Overall this is a great rod and reel combo.

 

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