Had my 701 MLF break. So far I've not been able to find another one, and the new generation not available yet.

 

I'm looking for something with that same balance and responsiveness and power when built as a spinning reel. 

 

Ideas? I have a couple NFC's on the way but hard to tell when i might see them. 

So far as i can find...the NFC IM MB704-1 is right there power to weight, just a little less AA. 

 

Couple 6'8 options Rainshadow ETC68M or NFC 684. The slightly shorter i can deal with as the specs here are close on power to weight, close AA.

 

Any first hand comparison to said blanks?

The 701MLF seems to be snakebit,  I've had 4 break.  Only PB model I've ever had break.  I am waiting on the new generation for warranty replacement too.  Thankfully, PB is good with warranty and customer service. 

 

By pure numbers, the Eternity ETEC72M is the closest I see (597g/75 vs 575g/77).  Trimming it 2" down to 7' would bring it even closer.  This is just on paper though, I haven't fished the Eternity personally.

23 hours ago, IneedAnewScreenName-654651456 said:

Had my 701 MLF break. So far I've not been able to find another one, and the new generation not available yet.

 

I'm looking for something with that same balance and responsiveness and power when built as a spinning reel. 

 

Ideas? I have a couple NFC's on the way but hard to tell when i might see them. 

701 is more powerful  than some blanks called medium, so get ccs data if you can for what you are planning.. Have you thought  about  repairing the broken  one? Can be done usually and most fish just fine. If you don't  know  how , let me know. 

I found three blanks, in stock, in the same spot with a five minute look. At least according to their inventory. You want me to mention it here or by other means? Honestly the info to find these is on the Point Blank site and a few clicks away on their listing of dealers. I just happen to know a few less traveled dealers, good stuff to know when looking for things. The Point Blank design is larger diameter with thinner walls to get things stiff fast with the least amount of weight, great except they are more tender to abuse. A brandy snifter and a beer mug may weigh the same, but which will survive a drop best?

1 hour ago, Logan S said:

The 701MLF seems to be snakebit,  I've had 4 break.  Only PB model I've ever had break.  I am waiting on the new generation for warranty replacement too.  Thankfully, PB is good with warranty and customer service. 

 

By pure numbers, the Eternity ETEC72M is the closest I see (597g/75 vs 575g/77).  Trimming it 2" down to 7' would bring it even closer.  This is just on paper though, I haven't fished the Eternity personally.

RX10 is very close and they are fine blanks a lot like PB. OP'er, have you checked  with GetBit.com?

 

I have an ETES72ML built as a spin, and while it's a little less powerful than the PB701, it fishes a lot like it.  I consider them pretty interchangeable. 

57 minutes ago, MickD said:

The 701MLF seems to be snakebit,  I've had 4 break. 

I have had one for many years, no issues.  I snagged a lure in shallow water, moving along quite fast, and wrapped a 731MXF around my trolling motor, fully expecting it to fail, and all that was damaged was a bent guide.  I built one for a friend and he laid it on the floor with some line off the tip and his wife caught the line in the vacuum.  Broke it and I repaired it and he is using it regularly.  We have two other PB's in the family, no problems.  Not sure why the difference. 

i should clarify, i also found some point blanks but still at full retail. in that case i'll just wait until the next gen rods are available, hopefully they have some of the breakage figured out. if i can find $100 or less someplace i'll buy, it would be worth risk at that price i think.

 

im a bit hesitant on RX10, i have a ETES72ML, and the action is fine for it intended use i just dont find it very sensitive, but both the ETEC68M or 72M get close spec wise so maybe best option for now. The 72M is a little heavy for power.

 

I'd be super curious if anyone has used the NFC MB684 or IM MB704. Both are also right there power / weight. I missed the last round of sale, and a little hard to tell when you might be able to get one. have a few NFC's on the way including a sj703 c602 to hopefully replace the ETES72ML, but have not actually fished with any NFC blank. 

 

Thanks for reply so far. Point has a special rod there, its like fishing a magic wand.

 

 

How are you measuring its sensitivity?⁷

6 hours ago, Logan S said:

The 701MLF seems to be snakebit,  I've had 4 break.  Only PB model I've ever had break.  I am waiting on the new generation for warranty replacement too.  Thankfully, PB is good with warranty and customer service. 

 

By pure numbers, the Eternity ETEC72M is the closest I see (597g/75 vs 575g/77).  Trimming it 2" down to 7' would bring it even closer.  This is just on paper though, I haven't fished the Eternity personally.

I'm pretty sure the point blank 701LXF has the same issue, I just got back from a trip to the St. Lawrence and my 701LXF exploded into 4 pieces on the first fish, I've built 3 so far and this is the second one to break, the first one did during load testing of the guides. I love the point blank casting rods I have built but haven't put them through the ringer just yet and am weary about building another point blank finesse spinning blank. No issues with the NFC xray finesse spinning rods I have built.

18 hours ago, IneedAnewScreenName-654651456 said:

should clarify, i also found some point blanks but still at full retail.

GetBit shows them at $100.  In stock?  Doesn't say out of stock. If still interested, call them.   I am mystified by all the reports  of failing PB's when I've had no trouble at all and have one experience when I fully expected a failure and it didn't.  ???

Same thing has happened to me Mick on the one Point Blank I built and the 3 G Loomis GLX rods I have. All supposed to be tender rods, yet the newest GLX I own is a SJR9000S-3 and it's 25 years old, no problems whatsoever on any of them and other than the PR8444C they have spent an awful lot of time fishing in Alaskan bush and other places the SJR being my flats rod, trout, char, steelhead and smaller salmon rod.

15 hours ago, MickD said:

GetBit shows them at $100.  In stock?  Doesn't say out of stock. If still interested, call them.   I am mystified by all the reports  of failing PB's when I've had no trouble at all and have one experience when I fully expected a failure and it didn't.  ???

It's certainly odd, since I have several other models with no issues.  1 or maybe 2 I can chalk up to bad luck or user error, but after 4 plus reports from others it's hard not to notice a pattern.  

 

I read a quote by Bill Falconer talking about the redesign with one of the upgrades being additional strength to alleviate warranty issues, so I think they saw some room for improvement in places.  

 

To be clear, Point Blank has taken care of me very well with any warranty I've had....They do the right things IMO and I'll continue to have them as my first choice when an application calls for a sensitive, fast action rod...

On 6/19/2025 at 3:34 PM, MickD said:

How are you measuring its sensitivity?⁷

not measuring. just how they feel. Bite detection is one aspect, how you feel bottom is another. Where the Point blank shines to me is bottom feel, with as much AA as it has. It does not fish stiff and still casts well. Like some NRX's have great bottom contact sensitivity but at the cost of AA and castability. They are designed to work that way and are great at that. The point reminds me more of a Megabass rod where you still have good feel, but maintains action and power.

 

I'm surprised you feel the ETES72ML and 701MLXF fish similar. I've cut my ETES72ML to 7'0 and I just have no feel with it. Bite detection and action is fine but if your trying to feel the bottom its not there for me. I will fish my Rainshadow RX6 SB822.5 before the ETES72ML. I wish they could move that action up their lineup. Its a great fishing blank but also lacks bottom contact feel.

2 minutes ago, IneedAnewScreenName-654651456 said:

Bite detection and action is fine but if your trying to feel the bottom its not there for me.

Both same line and same guide train?  If I remember correctly the ETES has less power than the PB, so maybe that's getting into it.  I admit I have not made a concentrated effort to compare them one immediately after the other.  I just use them sort of interchangeably and haven't noticed any major deficiencies in the ETES.  I do like the PB better.  I pick it up first.

On 6/20/2025 at 5:34 AM, MickD said:

GetBit shows them at $100.  In stock?  Doesn't say out of stock. If still interested, call them.   I am mystified by all the reports  of failing PB's when I've had no trouble at all and have one experience when I fully expected a failure and it didn't.  ???

thank you. for some reason getbit did not show up in my searches. or maybe i missed it as they MLXF listed below the other 701's in order. 

16 minutes ago, MickD said:

Both same line and same guide train?  

same line & leader, standard braid to flouro.

 

Guide trains similar but different. Point had Fuji hybrid Kr , SIC reduction (16,8,5.5m) to TiSic belly and runners, TiSic top. ETES running ALPs Titanium from their build sheets. Point had a Fuji Vss seat and EVA grips. ETES has ALP's MVT with EVA cage uplocked and a small carbon foregrip. Both split grip. Finished weight of the Point was 3.04, ETES is 3.3something i dont recall exactly.

 

In fact this weekend i had the exact reel/line/leader on the ETES. 

 

And I'm not dogging Rainshadow at all. I use SB822.5's as client rods in my guide boat. I think they are one of, if not the best bang for buck blanks ever. That action and power for the weight and cost is exceptional. I'm just mystified why they haven't carried that up their line. Their spinning designated RX10 line up confuses me. 

 

I'm going to try to build one of the casting RX10's into a spinner and see if that is more what I am looking for. 

Well, that sure is discouraging news on the PB 701LXF and 701MLF!  I guess I will keep my NVSS TCH reel seats for something else.  Too pricey for a rod that may be prone to breaking.  

 

If you can wait Point Blank is releasing new blanks at iCast this year.

The PB blanks like many other of the new designs are scrimless designs, in other words they don't use a high-quality glass or paper carbon scrim to increase the hoop strength, the resistance to blow up when bent excessively. When you bend a rod you have two bend arcs, the outer edge and inner edge of the bend, two things can happen, the outer, longer bend can stretch and inner bend compress, or the blank can ovalize trying to make the two bends the same, ovalizing is the easiest obvious result for the blank, if you don't reinforce this area with scrim then the tip to butt running fiber and the bonding resin has to do the job. Scrimless is lighter, retains more of the longitudinal fibers' modulus, you have to use higher end fibers and resin to make this work, NFC, PB, Hydra and I'm sure others have scrimless designs.