Fenwick HMX Vs HMG Rods Reviewed – What Are The Differences, And Which One Should You Buy?
UPDATED 14 MAY 2023
by Robert Ceran
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If you’re in the market for a new Fenwick pole, you’ll need to decide whether the HMX or HMG series is right for you.
For this article my team and I tested the most important features of the Fenwick HMX vs HMG rods side by side, and will cover their main differences, to help you choose the best one for your purpose.
Fenwick HMX vs HMG compared – what are the differences?
| Model | Image | Price | Length | Weight | Action | Power | Guide types |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HMG spinning series |  |  | 6' to 7'6" | 3.00 to 5.60 oz | Moderate to fast | Ultra light to medium heavy | Fuji |
| HMX spinning series |  | | 5' to 7'6" | 2.89 to 4.52 oz | Moderate fast to fast | Ultra light to medium heavy | Stainless steel |
| HMG casting series |  | | 6'6" to 7'6" | 5.20 to 6.50 oz | Moderate fast to extra fast | Medium to medium heavy | Fuji |
| HMX casting series |  | | 6'6" to 7'6" | 4.11 to 6.21 oz | Fast | Medium to heavy | Stainless steel |
The table above compares the most important features of both rod series that we tested side by side.
Both rod series are excellent quality, and can be used for broadly similar applications. They are used for fishing light to medium sized lures for bass, walleye, crappie, and trout. Many anglers like to use them as jigging poles.
As you can see, most features are broadly similar between the two lineups, but we’ll take a closer look at their differences in our Fenwick HMG spinning rod review below, followed by our Fenwick HMX spinning rod review.
And in terms of fishing rod types, both models come either in a casting or spinning variant, so you can go either with a baitcasting reel, or a spinning reel, depending on your preference.
If you’re not sure which one is best for your purposes, read our article comparing spinning rod vs casting rod.
So if they are mostly similar, let’s take a look at the differences revealed by our testing.
The main differences discussed in more detail:
Length: The HMG spinning series starts at 6 foot length, while the HMX starts at 5 foot.
If you’re planning to do ultra light fishing on small creeks, the shorter rod length can come in very useful, and in that case the shorter pole would be the best choice.
To get more information on choosing the best length, check out our guide on fishing rod length.
Blank construction: The HMG series relies on carbon spiral wrapping to make the graphite blank more durable, which makes it stronger than the HMX standard graphite blank.
So if you’re expecting to hook into some bigger fish, then probably the former is the better choice.
Warranty: The HMG series comes with a lifetime warranty, while the HMX only offers 5 years warranty.
Weight: The HMX spinning series is a little lighter than the HMG spinning series, which can be an important detail for some anglers.
This difference is not very noticeable with the shorter pole lengths, but on the 7 foot spinning pole the difference is 1.48 oz, which is a considerable weight difference.
Line Guides: All HMG poles have Fuji line guides with alconite inserts, while the HMX rods have stainless steel guides with zirconium inserts.
While most anglers prefer the Fuji line guides, some prefer stainless steel in terms of durability.
Action: The HMG spinning series has a wider range of rod action, starting at ‘moderate’ and going up to ‘fast’, while HMX spinning poles range from ‘moderate fast’ to ‘fast’.
The casting series has an even great difference in this area – the HMG casting lineup ranges from ‘moderate fast’ to ‘extra fast’, while the HMX casting lineup only comes in the ‘fast’ action edition.
If you want to know more about which rod action to choose, check out our article: fishing rod action explained.
Power: There is no difference in power between the two spinning lineups, but the HMX casting series goes up to ‘heavy’ power, while the HMG only goes up to ‘medium heavy.’
So the former enables you to get a heavier setup for targeting bigger fish. For more details on this topic, take a look at our guide on fishing rod weight.
Now let’s look at each of the models in more detail.
Fenwick HMG spinning rod
This is an absolute classic rod, and was in fact the first graphite rod to come on to the market 45 years ago.
Fenwick has continuously improved the material and features, and so it continues to be one of the most popular light spinning poles on the market today.
Features:
- Ergonomic full cork grip handle
- Carbon blank spiraled with carbon thread enhances strength
- Lifetime warranty
- Fuji guides with alconite inserts
Fenwick HMX spinning rod
The HMX is a lightweight spinning rod, and comes with either split or full handle design.
In terms of versatility, during our testing we found that this is an amazing lineup that goes from ultra light to medium heavy.
Most anglers prefer to use it at the lighter end of the scale, but it also works very well for heavier applications.
Features:
- Split of full cork handle
- Lightweight carbon graphite blank
- 5 years warranty
- Stainless steel guides with zirconium inserts
Fenwick HMG casting rod
Like the spinning lineup, the casting poles get their extra strength from the spiral carbon fiber technology, and when we put it to the test we found that this significantly improves the ability of light graphite rod blanks to stand up to big fish that fight hard.
As such, our testing showed that this lightweight pole enables you to catch bigger fish than you would expect, based on the specifications.
Features:
- Full cork grip handle
- Carbon spiraling technology enhanced rod strength
- Lifetime warranty
- Fuji guides with alconite inserts
Fenwick HMX casting rod
This casting lineup is ideal for medium to heavy casting applications while the fast action pole is ideal for greater casting distance and accuracy.
When we tested it, we found that the Fuji reel seat is a joy to work with, and the cork handle comes in either split or full handle variants.
Features:
- Fuji reel seat
- Lightweight carbon graphite blank
- 5 years warranty
- Stainless steel guides with zirconium inserts
Conclusion
Fenwick fishing rods have been on the market for almost 50 years now, and are used by thousands of anglers across the globe as one of the top brands available.
Due to their great reputation, it’s easy to make the decision to buy a Fenwick rod.
In summary, our testing showed that both series are high quality Fenwick poles that won’t disappoint most anglers, so you can’t really go wrong if you choose either of them.
However, the HMG series does have a slight advantage in terms of greater strength due to their spiral fiber technology, which wraps carbon strips around the main graphite blank.
This is probably also the reason why this series has a lifetime warranty, in contrast to the 5 year warranty of the other series.
Gear and methods used for testing
For consistent testing results, we tested these rods under similar conditions on Lake Tarpon in 6 to 23 feet of water. We paired all of the rods with the same reel, a Shimano Stradic 2000HGFL for the spinning rods (spooled with 8 lb test Berkeley Trilene Fluorocarbon), or an Abu Garcia Revo X for the casting rods (spooled with 12 lb test Power Pro braid). We tested each rod with with jigs, crankbaits, and swimbaits in the 1/8 to 3/8 oz range.
