| Lengths | 10ft, 12ft, 13ft |
| Test Curve | 3.5lb, 3lb, 4lb |
The original Black Widow held the budget carp rod crown for years for one simple reason. It was the cheapest rod in the Daiwa range that did not feel cheap to use. The Plus version is the 2026 refresh and it is a genuine step forward, not just a paint job. Daiwa have rebuilt the blank from scratch, swapped out the old ceramic rings for skeletal guides and tightened up the reel seat.
What you end up with is a rod that casts further, recovers faster and feels lighter in the hand than the rod it replaces. All for the same money you were paying before. For my money this is now the budget carp rod to beat at the sub fifty pound mark, which is why it sits at number three in my best carp rods guide for 2026. It is the rod I would put in the hands of a mate who is just getting into carp fishing and asked me what to buy.
The first thing you notice when you pick up the Plus is just how light it is for a budget rod. Daiwa have rebuilt the blank from the ground up for 2026 and it shows the moment the rod is in your hand.
The skeletal guides are the standout build feature. The old Black Widow used ceramic LS rings which were perfectly fine but added physical weight to the rod.
Stripping those out for lightweight metal frames takes a noticeable chunk off the swing weight and makes the whole rod feel more lively.
The reel seat has been upgraded to a proper lock up design. I know that sounds like marketing speak but the difference is genuine. There is none of the slight creep you sometimes get on cheaper reel seats when you put a fish under real pressure.
The shrink tube grip is comfortable, the machined aluminium butt cap finishes things off neatly and the matt blank with subtle red strands looks the part on the bank. For a forty five pound rod the fit and finish is honestly better than it has any right to be.
Is it built like a flagship X45 blank? Of course not, the carbon is heavier and the tolerances are not at the same level.
But for the money this is a properly well screwed together rod and that earns it a 7.6 from me.
This is where the Plus really earns its upgrade over the original Black Widow. The new blank has a progressive power action that loads cleanly and unloads even cleaner.
What that means in practice is the rod feels lively in the hand and converts your effort into distance without you having to muscle it. The lighter blank and faster tip recovery from the skeletal guides genuinely add yards to your cast for free.
Daiwa themselves rate the 13ft 4lb at over 150 yards in their own field tests. That sounds optimistic until you actually compress one with a 4oz lead and see where it lands. The 12ft 4lb is not far behind on raw distance and is a more sensible all round tool for most UK anglers.
The 12ft 3lb has a softer feel and is the one I would put in the hands of someone who fishes mostly under 80 yards. It is a joy to cast at moderate ranges and you do not need a textbook technique to get a good loading action out of it.
The honest caveat is that you can still feel the price point when you push the rod hard. The recovery is fast but not flagship fast, and there is a slightly firmer transition into the butt section than you get on a £400 rod.
None of that takes away from how much fun the Plus is to cast at the price, and it is a big part of why I have ranked it where I have in my best carp rods guide.
The progressive action that makes this rod so nice to cast is the same thing that makes it forgiving once you have a fish on. The tip stays soft and forgiving so you absorb sudden lunges at the net rather than pulling hooks.
I tested the 12ft 3lb on a few mid double commons and it bent through nicely into the middle section. There was no nasty stiff spot in the fight and the cushioning at the tip did its job when the fish boltsaround the back of the net.
Step up to the 12ft 3.5lb or the 4lb test curves and you get a firmer playing action with more leverage for snag fishing or holding fish out of weed. The 4lb is still surprisingly playable for what is technically a casting rod.
Where I would not push the Plus is European tour or thirty plus pounder territory. For that you want something with a more controlled mid section like a TX1 or an Infinity. The Plus will land them but you do not get quite the same level of fish control on a really angry fish.
For UK club water carp from singles up to mid twenties the 12ft 3lb in particular is a lovely rod to play fish on. 7.8 is a fair score for a rod that genuinely punches above its price tag in the playing department.
This is the score that really matters with a budget rod. You are buying into the Daiwa Black Widow lineage with the 2026 refresh of the blank, the upgraded ringing and the upgraded fittings.
Compare it to what you got from the previous Black Widow at the same price and the upgrade story is real. New blank tech, skeletal guides instead of ceramic, lock up reel seat instead of the old DPS, and a better looking finish.
Compare it sideways at the price point and there are not many rods doing what this one does for forty five quid. The Sonik Vader X is a touch cheaper but feels like it. The Wychwood Riot is cheaper still but is rougher around the edges.
For someone buying their first set of carp rods, a stalking rod for the boat or a third rod they can leave in the back of the car, this is excellent value at the money. It is the reason I have slotted it in at number three in my best carp rods guide for 2026.
| Feature | What this means |
|---|---|
| New 2026 Blank Construction | Daiwa rebuilt the blank from the ground up for the 2026 model, making it the lightest Black Widow they have ever produced. You feel the difference the moment the rod is in your hand, it just does not have the lump that the older budget rods had. |
| Progressive Power Action | The rod stays soft at the tip and progressively stiffens as it loads down into the butt section. That gives you a forgiving fish playing curve at the net while still letting you compress the rod hard for distance casting. |
| Lightweight Skeletal Guides | The old Black Widow used heavier ceramic LS rings which were perfectly fine but added bulk. Stripping those out for lightweight metal frames takes weight off the rod and speeds up tip recovery, which translates directly to more yards on the cast. |
| Lock Up Reel Seat | Upgraded from the basic DPS seat on the older Black Widow. The lock up design means the reel stays absolutely solid under load with none of the slight creep you sometimes get on cheaper seats when a fish is really on. |
| Shrink Tube Grip Handle | The handle is finished with a comfortable shrink tube wrap rather than EVA or cork. It does not get slippy when wet, gives you a confident hold when casting big leads, and is the same handle finish you get on rods at twice the price. |
| Machined Aluminium Butt Cap | Small detail but it stops the butt of the rod getting chewed up when you stand it on hard ground or in a rod pod. Most rods at this price point use a cheap plastic cap that splits within a season. |
| Matt Blank Finish with Subtle Red Strands | The 2026 model drops the bold red highlights of the original Black Widow for a stealthier look. Hidden red strands woven into the thread wrapping keep a touch of the family signature without screaming for attention on the bank. |
| Length and Test Curve Range | Six options across 10ft 3lb and 3.5lb, 12ft 3lb, 3.5lb and 4lb, plus a 13ft 4lb. The 12ft 3lb is the soft fish playing all rounder, the 12ft 4lb and 13ft 4lb are the casting tools for distance work and the 10ft models cover stalking and boat dropping. |
| 12 and 24 Inch Spod Rod Markers | Only on the spod and marker rods in the range, but worth flagging. The whipped on depth markers at 12 and 24 inches let you accurately wrap line for feature finding without guesswork. The previous Black Widow XT did not have this. |
Here is how the Daiwa Black Widow Plus Carp Rod compares against other carp rods. This table uses eTackle review ratings and current exported product prices.
| Name | Price | Overall Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Daiwa Black Widow Plus Carp Rod | £44.99 | |
| Daiwa Infinity MT X45 Carp Rod | £376.00 | |
| Daiwa Longbow X45 | £139.99 | |
| Fox Explorer Ti | £199.99 | |
| Shimano TX-1B Carp Rod | £49.99 | |
| Daiwa Crosscast EXT | £44.99 | |
| ESP Onyx Quickdraw Carp Rod | £94.95 | |
| Avid Revolve Carp Rod | £35.99 | |
| Sonik Xtractor+ Carp Rod | £39.95 |
eTackle looks for trusted, exact-match review sources and combines them where independent sources are available.
Tracked shop prices over time.
Confirm your email once, then watch other products on this device with one click.
It is a carp rod, chosen for the situations that style of fishing calls for.
10ft, 12ft, 13ft.
Daiwa rebuilt the blank from the ground up for the 2026 model, making it the lightest Black Widow they have ever produced. You feel the difference the moment the rod is in your hand, it just does not have the lump that the older budget rods had.
The rod stays soft at the tip and progressively stiffens as it loads down into the butt section. That gives you a forgiving fish playing curve at the net while still letting you compress the rod hard for distance casting.
The old Black Widow used heavier ceramic LS rings which were perfectly fine but added bulk. Stripping those out for lightweight metal frames takes weight off the rod and speeds up tip recovery, which translates directly to more yards on the cast.
Daiwa Crosscast Traditional Rod 
Daiwa Infinity MT X45 Carp Rod 
Daiwa Hyper Spod Rod 
Daiwa Longbow X45 
