Favorite Totem 842M 8'4'' 6-24g lure rod review - £159.99 (remarkably close to the incredible Favorite Black Swan 8’5’’ 6-24g rod)

I don’t really see how a lure rod designed to fish with slightly lighter lures than what might be termed the norm for our bass fishing can get much better than the sublime Favorite Black Swan 8’5’’ 6-24g lure rod (review here). It’s just ridiculous how good that rod is, and because I found that the cheaper and more powerful Favorite Totem 8’4’’ 12-36g rod (review here) feels very close to the more expensive Favorite Black Swan 8'5'' 10-36g (review here), I was naturally rather interested to see if I might find a similar thing going on here……………..

And, spoiler alert, it’s once again the case. I can’t get away from how light and responsive and sublime the more expensive Favorite Black Swan 8’5’’ 6-24g lure rod is, but for a good bit less money plus less “accomplished” fixtures and fittings and a tiny bit more weight - a miserly 97g versus a still very miserly 110g - you get this amazing lighter lure rod which is very close to how the Black Swan fishes. I seriously don’t know how Favorite are making rods like this for such sensible money, because try as I might I can’t find anything close to “budget” with how this Favorite Totem 842M 8'4'' 6-24g fishes. For a penny under £160 here in the UK, I think you are getting a stunning lighter lure rod which I have had such fun pressing into service for my own bass fishing.

I put some grippy, rubber shrink tube where the back of my hand sits on this Totem

Rather than repeat myself for thousands of words, please have a read of my Favorite Black Swan 8’5’’ 6-24g lure rod review and then apply what I reckon that rod can do so well to this specific Favorite Totem rod. I am not one for worrying whether one lure rod was designed for this and another was designed for that. Nope, I would rather try a lure rod and see what I think the thing works best for, because at the end of the day it’s you who is going to be using it - and not the tackle company which makes the rod.

Rod tip up, bumping stuff along the bottom, this rod is a dream

What I really like about this Favorite Totem 842M 8'4'' 6-24g rod is that, in my opinion, it’s so easy to like because it doesn’t jump out as say a topwater or soft plastics specialist. Anywhere I can press a rod up to 24g into service for my bass fishing where I could fish all manner of lures and techniques, this Totem and the more expensive Black Swan do the lot. Of course this rod will also deal with plenty of different species, lures and techniques, but I am pressing it into service for bass fishing. I also happen to think it’s working really well when I am fishing rod tip up and slowly working the bottom with the creature bait stuff. Surface lures, hard lures, soft plastics, creature baits, I don’t really care, I think this rod excels at it all, just like it’s more expensive cousin.

Okay, so there’s a smidgen bit more sharpness/precision and something extra special I can’t quite put my finger on in the more expensive Black Swan, but stick a light spinning reel on this Totem, forget that it’s the cheaper version, and you’d be hard pressed to notice much difference and/or have any idea you’re fishing with a more “budget” lure fishing rod. It’s wizardry, plain and simple. I am fine with the cheaper fixtures and fittings on the Totem as well, mainly because I hose my rods and reels down in freshwater after fishing so rust isn’t an issue. Once again I must doff my cap to the amazing Favorite people for producing a rod like this Totem 842M 8'4'' 6-24g at the price we can get it for. Big, big, respect.

The rod’s designer fishing with his creation last year in Ireland

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And if it’s of any interest, I see that Veals Mail Order are now stocking what I still think is THE best “twitchbait” style soft plastic, the OSP DoLive Stick. They have the 4.5’’ and 6’’ sizes, and personally I like to rig the 6’’ DoLive Stick on the Savage Gear 6/0 weedless corkscrew hooks we made for the original Gravity Sticks. Veals also has the deadly OSP DoLive Shad 6’’ in stock now as well. This Totem rod I have reviewed above is awesome with a DoLive Stick. Help!