I found one at Dicks for $50. Picked it over a shimano sellus, and have been very pleased thus far. I use it primarily for jig and light plastics, but can use it for anything. A little short for pitching and flipping but still works nice. I use the rod A LOT. Probably caught 100 bass on it in the last 60 days. It has held up very well against 5 pound largemouths. Beyond that weight I cannot say...unfortunately. If the rod maintains its strength and integrity then I will be EXTREMELY pleased, especially for only $50!!! I would recommend this rod for the weekend bass fisherman on a budget...highly recommend it! The blank will probably be worn out after 500 fish though. It's comparable to Dicks field and stream tech spec casting rods I would say...maybe a little more responsive, a little less durable. Notably, and ironically, I think the escalade HD is a discontinued model, but it is essentially or entirely the same rod as the newer series Quantum Response.
