Tackle Tuesday - Sonik Dominator X Rods & Reels

This entry was posted on 3rd April, 2018

Reviewed by Carpology Magazine…

Take our advice: don’t look at the DominatorX rods and reels from Sonik, you may fall in love with them (and the price… especially that!)

HOT ON THE HEELS of the darkly seductive Vader X, Sonik has launched a little family of serious carp kit under the DominatorX moniker. It’s pitched the rods right in the middle of the fiercest battle ground, the sub-£150 bracket and the big pit style reels of the same name come in at a seriously competitive price. Let’s take a look at the rods first.

They look good, but so do most new releases these days, so it’s often only by scratching the surface that we get a clue as to the performance, and ultimately, the legacy of the DominatorX name. It’s got the smart 1k weave that adds a crispness to the butt and middle section, giving the rod a progressive action, with a tip that’s forgiving enough to cushion vital hook holds close in.



The range is fairly extensive, with an on-trend 10ft 3lb weapon, as well as five more conventional rod running from the 2.75lb right through to 3.5lb 12-footers, and the 13ft 3.5lb for those among us for whom distance is everything. Just so you can have matching spot and marker rods, the DominatorX range also includes the somewhat kinkily named DominatorX S&M Hybrid, rods 12ft and 13ft tools that can be used for spod work and marking up. Classic Fuji DPS reel seat, black-anodised collars and low-key shrink wrap handle gives the impression of understated class. We rather like them!

Key Features - High modulus carbon fibre blank with 1k wrap - Multi-directional tip section carbon lay-up for increased accuracy - Lightweight low-profile double leg black SIC guides and anti-frap tip - 50mm ringing pattern on 12ft & 13ft models - Fuji 18mm DPS Black reel seat - Understated cosmetics - Line friendly custom contoured Sonik clip - Slim Japanese shrink wrap butt grip - Black anodised collars - Butt cap laser etched with S logo

Buy the Sonik Dominator X Carp Rods

 

 



The reels are unashamed big pit models, with oodles of line capacity, as the 8000 name might suggest. They’re lightweight, and feature a huge, coned spool that promises to help you cast to your potential with practised ease. So what of the guts? Super-slow oscillation ensures that the colts of line are laid down evenly, and most importantly, they’ll leave the spool in a friction-free, orderly manner! Sonik has engineered what they call the Quick-Torque drag system onto the DominatorX, which roughly translates as a drag mechanism which allows you to switch from locked up to fully slacked off with a couple of tweaks – kinda essential these days.

It’s when we switch our attention to value for money that the reel really shines (in a black-anodised kinda way). These babies come with no fewer than two spools (anodised black and featuring line-friendly clips), which is a game-changer for those of us who fish more than one water. If, and we can’t report on this just yet, the reels prove to be reliable, long-term performers (and we see no reason why they won’t be) then it might be said that the DominatorX truly scores on all fronts: they look good, they’re pitched at one hell of a price, and the features and performance out of the box add up to a very impressive bit of kit indeed.

Key Features - High strength lightweight graphite body/rotor - Super-slow oscillation for perfect line lay - Quick-Torque drag system - Supplied with two CNC machined anodised aluminium spools - 5 shielded stainless steel ball bearings + 1 roller bearing - CNC machined solid aluminium handle with wood grip - Twin spring-loaded line clips - Stainless steel main shaft - Oversized twist free line roller - Spool skirt line guard - Micro line lay adjustment washers - Instant anti-reverse - Gear Ratio 4.1:1 - Weight 635g

Buy the Sonik Dominator X Big Pit Reel