My set up 

Hobie Pro Angler

chronarch MGL 7:1

14# fc sniper flourocarbon

 

Presentations I’ve tried. 
Underspin and little dipper

Little Dipper and swim jig head

KVD 1.5

t-rig senko

1oz Buzzbait 

3/4+ oz chatterbait 

 

Below is a video from Punch Fishing. He has a ton of good info so I won’t repeat, I’ll just give some perspective from a kayak and some personal experience. 
 

From a kayak, usually I prefer to go one power up for all presentations since hook sets are not from a solid platform. Setting the hook from land/boat tends to be more secure while on a kayak, you could be sitting or drifting around which could absorb some of the leverage. 

The Good

The rod looks awesome, and reel seat exposes a ton of blank which lets me connect more with the feedback from the presentations. Sometimes it’s a bit awkward and different but overall I’d say I like the design and build of the rod. 
 

Paired with the Chronarch MGL, the set up is very enjoyable for chuck and wind. I caught a 5# LMB with an underspin and the fish was pinned well thanks to that Megabass taper. The Daemos handled Kvd 1.5 well. Based on this experience, I’m confident open hook presentations will continue to shine (as advertised). I have not tried deeper cranks. 

The so-so

The Daemos as a result of the softer taper and kayak setting didn’t handle Texas rig as well in my opinion. I didn’t have enough backbone to get a good hook set and punch the hook through the fish and the plastic. 
 

I didn’t notice any special advantage in sensitivity vs a Dobyns HP or a KLX. Maybe I’ll fish a jig and that might change my mind. I don’t think I’ll throw Texas rig on this rod. I have concerns about punching the hook into a fish from deeper water. 
 

I also found the Daemos didn’t handle heavy weight well, I think 3/4 oz is too much for chuck and wind presentations. The rod felt underpowered. I could not throw my 1/2 oz chatterbait with a zako. That presentation weighted at .8oz. I would stay maybe 1/2 oz as the upper limit for chuck and wind. The 1oz buzzbait was too much for the Daemos but if you’re in a pinch I think you could do it. Maybe a jig or some bottom contact open hook presentation would allow a heavier presentation. I cannot confirm since I didn’t try it. 

Conclusion

I like the rod, I’m interested in the Javelin because it seems to cast better per Punch. If I were to do it again, I might choose to try the Javelin instead but it’s not a big deal, the rods sound similar enough. I’ll keep the Daemos around since it fills a gap in my collection for MH do it all rod. It’s my first megabass rod and I was disappointed in the sensitivity so far. I have a Brigand coming in, hopefully it’s an upgrade from my gen2 champ extreme. 

 

Shoutout to Punch for his video. 

 

 

Nice review - the rod seems to handle more or less as I would expect that it would based on it's rating and also PunchFishing's review of this rod which you linked.

 

In the long term, I might be looking at a similar rod, this would be an option or maybe the Tatula Elite Ehrler Finesse that is labeled as a M-MH and should be similar but slightly cheaper. One of the things I would use this for would be finesse jigs, so I'd be curious to see how you think the Daemos works for finesse jigs.

Thank you for the review from a Yak perspective. I have avoided the Daemos because I felt like it wasn’t the right blend for what I needed. 
 

I will say when you go extra fast on the taper MB rods can deliver on the kayak. My FMJ hits hard enough with an a one arm pop on the rod to set the hook well in most situations.

 

I ordered a Javalin during the close out sales this weekend and got a good deal. Once I spend some time on the water with it I’ll check this thread and leave some impressions.