With the eye of a certified fishing instructor with 30 years of fishing, I chose by three things: weight, price, and the range of lures and line it can handle. No. 1 among 96ML sea bass rods is the Shimano Encounter S96ML: 138g and JPY 25,500, only 3g heavier than the lightest, the Lateo (135g), and JPY 6,500 cheaper. Under JPY 20,000, I take the Daiwa Seabass Flat X 96ML (145g, JPY 14,800).
The Gear Nerd's Pick
Rod lightness does not come back in proportion to the money you add. At 96ML, the grams saved per JPY 10,000 shrink from 87.5g to 22.8g to 4.6g, and money in the JPY 30,000 range goes into the grip and materials, not lightness. So I decided to pay for weight only up to the mid-JPY 20,000s.
Key points
- The Encounter and Dialuna differ by JPY 7,500 for 1g
- The Seabass Flat X is 6g lighter than the Moonshot, which costs JPY 5,000 more
- Only the Lateo starts at PE #0.8. The other five start at #0.6
At 96ML, JPY 7,500 more saves just 1g
The Shimano Encounter S96ML is 138g at JPY 25,500. The Dialuna S96ML, 1 step up, is 137g at JPY 33,000.
A JPY 7,500 gap for 1g. Just 1g. Even within the same 96ML class, the rod does not get lighter at the same pace as the price rises.
How I chose
First, weight. All six are nearly the same length, so the numbers that differ are weight and price. Next I sorted them by price and calculated how many grams you save by paying more than the model below. I was looking for the step where extra money stops turning into lightness.
I hesitated between the 135g Lateo and the 138g Encounter. JPY 6,500 for 3g. Pay it? I chose not to.
I set this order myself from the official numbers, among current models sold on Rakuten.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Shimano Encounter S96ML
Lowest price on Rakuten: JPY 15,400 (as of Oct 14). Some stores go up to JPY 36,824. Prices change daily.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaQuick chart of the 6 sea bass rods
Swipe the table sideways →
| Rank / model | Weight | Lure rating | PE | List price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1 Shimano Encounter S96ML | 138g | Jigs up to 35g / plugs 6–28g | PE #0.6–1.5 | JPY 25,500 |
| No. 2 Daiwa Lateo 96ML | 135g | 7–35g | PE #0.8–1.5 | JPY 32,000 |
| No. 3 Shimano Dialuna S96ML | 137g | Jigs up to 35g / plugs 6–28g | PE #0.6–1.5 | JPY 33,000 |
| No. 4 Daiwa Seabass Flat X 96ML | 145g | 7–35g | PE #0.6–1.5 | JPY 14,800 |
| No. 5 Shimano Moonshot S96ML | 151g | Jigs up to 38g / plugs 6–32g | PE #0.6–1.5 | JPY 19,800 |
| No. 6 Major Craft NEW Solpara SPSB-962ML | 173g | 7–35g | PE #0.6–1.5 | JPY 11,600 |
Why the Encounter is 13g lighter: how the carbon tape is wrapped
Spiral X is a three-layer structure with carbon tape wound diagonally in opposite directions inside and outside the lengthwise fibers. Shimano says it resists twisting and crushing while staying light.
The Moonshot is different. It only has Hi-Power X, which tightens the blank from outside in an X pattern. At 96ML, 151g vs 138g: a 13g gap.
How many grams does JPY 10,000 more save?
Swipe the table sideways →
| Model | Weight per meter | Compared with | Price and weight gap | Per JPY 10,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NEW Solpara | 59.7g | — | — | — |
| Seabass Flat X | 50.0g | NEW Solpara | +JPY 3,200, −28g | 87.5g |
| Moonshot | 52.1g | Seabass Flat X | +JPY 5,000, +6g | Heavier |
| Encounter | 47.6g | Moonshot | +JPY 5,700, −13g | 22.8g |
| Lateo | 46.6g | Encounter | +JPY 6,500, −3g | 4.6g |
| Dialuna | 47.2g | Encounter | +JPY 7,500, −1g | 1.3g |
Why this order
| Rank | Model | Reason for this rank |
|---|---|---|
| No. 1 | Encounter | Only 3g heavier than the lightest (135g), and JPY 6,500 cheaper. |
| No. 2 | Lateo | At 135g it is No. 1 of the 6 for lightness, but saving 3g over No. 1 costs JPY 6,500. |
| No. 3 | Dialuna | The only one with a carbon grip, but 2g heavier and JPY 1,000 more than No. 2. A close call. |
| No. 4 | Seabass Flat X | By my calculation it saves the most per JPY 10,000 (87.5g), but at 145g it is 7–10g heavier than the top three. |
| No. 5 | Moonshot | Its jig rating up to 38g is No. 1 of the 6, but it is 6g heavier than No. 4, which is JPY 5,000 cheaper. |
| No. 6 | NEW Solpara | At JPY 11,600 it is the cheapest of the 6, but 173g is 22g heavier than No. 5. |
No. 1: Shimano Encounter S96ML
The deciding factor is 138g. Adding JPY 5,700 over the Moonshot below saves 13g, or 22.8g per JPY 10,000. Above this, extra money moves only a few grams. That is why it is No. 1.
The thing to watch is the grip: it is a split grip, not the Dialuna's one-piece molding. For anglers who want a 96ML as their first rod and plan to use it for years.
No. 2: Daiwa Lateo 96ML
At 135g it is the lightest of the six, 46.6g per meter. No complaints. Three Daiwa technologies go into the blank and the joint.
The weak spot is the PE minimum: it starts at #0.8. If you want to spool #0.6, it is out. The rod for anglers who want the lightest 96ML.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Daiwa Lateo 96ML
Lowest price on Rakuten: JPY 21,685 (as of Oct 14). Some stores go up to JPY 31,080. Prices change daily.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaNo. 3: Shimano Dialuna S96ML
The deciding factor is the grip: a Carbon Monocoque Grip, with the rear grip molded hollow in one piece of carbon. Only this one of the six has it.
But its weight does not reach the Lateo's. That part is so-so. For anglers who would rather pay for the build in hand than for the weight figure.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Shimano Dialuna S96ML
Lowest price on Rakuten: JPY 21,205 (as of Oct 14). Some stores go up to JPY 29,233. Prices change daily.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on NaturumNo. 4: Daiwa Seabass Flat X 96ML
Adding JPY 3,200 over the NEW Solpara saves 28g, the best-value step up in this article. 145g in the JPY 10,000 range. Honestly impressive.
The thing to watch is carbon content: 87%, clearly different from the 99%-plus of the top three. For anglers who want to keep the budget under JPY 20,000 and still get lightness.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Daiwa Seabass Flat X 96ML
Lowest price on Rakuten: JPY 10,125 (as of Oct 14). Some stores go up to JPY 23,209. Prices change daily.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on NaturumNo. 5: Shimano Moonshot S96ML
Jigs up to 38g, plugs up to 32g. Of the six ML rods, it lists the heaviest lures. That is a strength.
The weak spot is 151g. It loses on weight to the cheaper Seabass Flat X. A choice for anglers who want to throw heavier lures with one rod and match it with a Shimano reel.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Shimano Moonshot S96ML
Lowest price on Rakuten: JPY 12,346 (as of Oct 14). Some stores go up to JPY 21,780. Prices change daily.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaNo. 6: Major Craft NEW Solpara SPSB-962ML
JPY 11,600. Getting a 96ML at this price makes it a solid entry point.
The thing to watch is 173g, 35g heavier than No. 1. The official page also lacks a transport length, so you cannot check by the numbers whether it fits in your car. For anglers who want to start with one rod at a low price.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Major Craft NEW Solpara SPSB-962ML
Lowest price on Rakuten: JPY 10,788 (as of Oct 14). Some stores go up to JPY 12,236. Prices change daily.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanHonorable mention: Abu Garcia Salty Stage Prototype Seabass XSBS-972ML
At 9 ft 7 in (2.921m) it falls 1 inch outside the class, so it is an honorable mention. Official numbers: 160g, transport length 149.8cm, lures 7–35g, PE #0.6–1.5, list price JPY 32,800 (excl. tax). That is 54.8g per meter (160 ÷ 2.921).
No. 1 and No. 2 each have a review comparing them with the models above and below: the Encounter S96ML review and the Lateo 96ML review.
If you need a longer rod for rocks or surf, see the 26 Exsence Genos review; for bigger lures, the Burst Upper 180F review.
Who is it for?
- Anglers who want one 9-ft-class ML rod to cast a range of sea bass lures
- Anglers who mostly use lures up to about 35g
For jigs over 40g, an M-class rod; if a 149cm transport length does not fit your car or train, a rod with more pieces is another way to go.
FAQ
What lure weights can a 96ML sea bass rod cast?
Daiwa's two rods and the NEW Solpara are rated 7–35g. Shimano lists jigs and plugs separately: the Encounter and Dialuna take jigs up to 35g and plugs 6–28g.
What PE line size suits a 96ML?
PE #0.6–1.5. Only the Lateo is #0.8–1.5.
What is the difference between 96ML and 96M?
Power and maximum lure weight. On the Dialuna, the S96M is 139g, takes jigs up to 45g and costs JPY 33,500: 2g heavier and JPY 500 more than the S96ML.
