High Priced Rods & Sensitivity. Would You Call It Necessary?

[rockchalk06]

The point I'm making is Quality will gradually increase the cost of your rod, not just sensitivity.  I'm guessing you don't comprehend a lot so it's okay.  View your point and stop disagreeing with me.

So now you jump to insults? Your a class act brother. I thought this was a discussion not a poo slinging contest. Your statement about crappy rods no way reflects the above.

[thehooligan]

I started a few years back with st croix triumph rods, at the time i thought they were pretty nice. I slowly worked my way up from mojos, to veritas, fenwick elite tech smallmouth rods, powell maxs, dobyns champions, coalitions, cumaras, and finally cumulus rods. Ive also handled glx/nrx rods.

 

The cumara/cumulus was the sweet spot for me. Aboslutely love the blank, guides, and especially the reel seat/eva grips.

[SirSnookalot]

I believe the sensitivity comes from the line, not the rod.  The fish is connected to the line.

[John G]

I believe the sensitivity comes from the line, not the rod.  The fish is connected to the line.

But the line is in contact with the tip of the rod! The rod has to play a part or else Loomis wouldn't sell a $500.00 rod.

[SirSnookalot]

But the line is in contact with the tip of the rod! The rod has to play a part or else Loomis wouldn't sell a $500.00 rod.

They sell $500 rods because people are easily brainwashed, people bite harder than the fish they are trying to catch.

[John G]

They sell $500 rods because people are easily brainwashed, people bite harder than the fish they are trying to catch.

.

I am one of those suckers. My next rod will be a MBR782, probably a GLX. I know that it will not catch anymore fish than what I can get at WalMart but hey, you gotta spend your money on something, might a well be a super nice rod that ain't made in China! LOL

[John G]

My local WalMart has a very nice Falcon Inshore Poppin Rod for around $90.00. It has a little made in China sticker on it at the bottom of the grip. It is pretty much the same specs as a Loomis PR844C. I know that if I have a little patience, I will find a much better quality Loomis rod for around twice that price......used of course. I personally don't mind waiting and spending more for the Loomis.

[down4ttown]

Ok so I guess I will chime in. Sensitivity is affected by many factors, but none more important than the rod. I have several different brands of rods and NOTHING comes close to fishing as nice as my DX. I have an Irod Air that is second best, but in terms of actually feeling the bottom and the fish, the DX blows everything away. I use the same line on all my contact rods, so it is not just the line. 

[lmbfisherman]

Ok so I guess I will chime in. Sensitivity is affected by many factors, but none more important than the rod. I have several different brands of rods and NOTHING comes close to fishing as nice as my DX. I have an Irod Air that is second best, but in terms of actually feeling the bottom and the fish, the DX blows everything away. I use the same line on all my contact rods, so it is not just the line. 

As down4ttown stated, I also use basically the same brand (Power Pro, Seaguar, P Line) line on all of my rods and reels.  There is definitely a difference when I fish my lower end rods vs my higher end rods. My Compre is sensitive enough, but my GLX and Cumara blows it out of the water. 

[Master Bait'r]

Well it's a LOT of factors that play into sensitivity.  

 

First you've got the blank, which , yes- a more expensive rod will likely have a higher modulus material- which translates to a more sensitive feel.  Also things that play into the blank's sensitivity, strength and overall backbone are things like taper consistency, wall thickness and of course the resins- all of which the more you spend the more you should in theory get back unless you're specifying a slower action for certain types of baits. (but you should still feel more, respectively)  

 

Another thing that's often overlooked is the guides.  The Tourney Pros are nice rods but I think they give up a little feel over say, recoil guides- which love them or hate them have just about the most communicative feel of any I've tried.  Sure, they can be loud with braid but noise = vibrations = feel.  

 

Also the handle is huge.  if you've got a huge pillowy handle on your rod you aren't going to feel much.  Light minimalist handles that allow direct contact with the shaft of the blank and your hand will allow the most undiluted feedback, but may also affect comfort.  

 

I guess it all really depends on you as a consumer.  The higher degree of expectation will usually result in a higher spending limit to accommodate it.  If you want good sensitivity on a budget, there's rods for that.  If you want the most mind blowingly sensitive rod out there, prepare to spend for that.    

[down4ttown]

Well it's a LOT of factors that play into sensitivity.  

 

First you've got the blank, which , yes- a more expensive rod will likely have a higher modulus material- which translates to a more sensitive feel.  Also things that play into the blank's sensitivity, strength and overall backbone are things like taper consistency, wall thickness and of course the resins- all of which the more you spend the more you should in theory get back unless you're specifying a slower action for certain types of baits. (but you should still feel more, respectively)  

 

Another thing that's often overlooked is the guides.  The Tourney Pros are nice rods but I think they give up a little feel over say, recoil guides- which love them or hate them have just about the most communicative feel of any I've tried.  Sure, they can be loud with braid but noise = vibrations = feel.  

 

Also the handle is huge.  if you've got a huge pillowy handle on your rod you aren't going to feel much.  Light minimalist handles that allow direct contact with the shaft of the blank and your hand will allow the most undiluted feedback, but may also affect comfort.  

 

I guess it all really depends on you as a consumer.  The higher degree of expectation will usually result in a higher spending limit to accommodate it.  If you want good sensitivity on a budget, there's rods for that.  If you want the most mind blowingly sensitive rod out there, prepare to spend for that.    

I agree with what you said. All that can be broken down into a higher quality rod, equals better sensitivity. 

[Grizzn N Bassin]

i have a few g loomis, from mojo to legend... and the g2.... to me the quality is excellent i like the  rod here are light.. but i have a veriatas and its right up there with them.. people get into the hype of  having high end rods they must be good at fishing..  one of my buddies have a the diawa type r with some crazy expensive rod..  he sent me a pic bragging , and he knows i have a lot of gear...so i brought my cousin  buzz light year rod and a zebco lets just say he didn't say much after the outing haha!!

[down4ttown]

i have a few g loomis, from mojo to legend... and the g2.... to me the quality is excellent i like the  rod here are light.. but i have a veriatas and its right up there with them.. people get into the hype of  having high end rods they must be good at fishing..  one of my buddies have a the diawa type r with some crazy expensive rod..  he sent me a pic bragging , and he knows i have a lot of gear...so i brought my cousin  buzz light year rod and a zebco lets just say he didn't say much after the outing haha!!

Now could it be you are just a better fisherman? A rod does not make the fish jump in the boat, it simply gives you an advantage. I have two veritas and they are good, but definitely not on the same level as any of my other rods. I have a Villain that blows it away (as it should), but it falls very very short of a DX or Irod Air. 

[senile1]

I believe the sensitivity comes from the line, not the rod.  The fish is connected to the line.

 

You are correct that the fish is connected to the line, but your hand isn't always touching the line.  The vibrations from the line have to go through the rod to get to your hands in many cases.  I would find it interesting to read an analysis of the physics of how the vibration is actually transmitted.  It has been my experience that there is a definite difference between a G.Loomis GLX level rod and the $160 range of rods when fishing bottom bouncing lures such as jigs and t-rigs with the same braided line.  It isn't imagination.  Of course, in my opinion it isn't a huge difference and as price rises I do think you reach a point of diminishing returns.  I'm not justifying the price.  I'm just saying there is a difference and I appreciate that difference when fishing jigs and soft plastics. 

 

I am sure individual differences in our own sense of touch comes into play here as well.  Someone else may very well be able to feel the same thing with a $160 rod that they can feel with a GLX or an NRX.  Unfortunately, I cannot.

[SirSnookalot]

You are correct that the fish is connected to the line, but your hand isn't always touching the line.  

You're right about my hand not always on the line, with the exception of bait fishing which I do offshore.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

Sensitivity is another item on the list of subjective terms that describe a rod's performance. The increased stiffness/weight ratio of more expensive blanks allows them to transmit vibration better. Whether or not  stepping up in price is worthwhile is totally a personal preference and opinion. The point of diminishing returns on factory rods is around $275. If shopping for truly top-end rods above (or below) this price point I highly recommend contacting a reputable custom rod builder.

[Glenn]

Sensitivity is another item on the list of subjective terms that describe a rod's performance. The increased stiffness/weight ratio of more expensive blanks allows them to transmit vibration better. Whether or not  stepping up in price is worthwhile is totally a personal preference and opinion. The point of diminishing returns on factory rods is around $275. If shopping for truly top-end rods above (or below) this price point I highly recommend contacting a reputable custom rod builder.

 

That statement right there pretty much sums up this entire thread.

[Catt]

I think sensitivity of high end rods are like the sound from high end speakers, they reach a point where some people hear the quaility while others don't.

Some people feel the vibration transmited & others don't. Some people easily learn a Texas rig/Jig bite othets never get it.

[kickerfish1]

I think sensitivity of high end rods are like the sound from high end speakers, they reach a point where some people hear the quaility while others don't.

Some people feel the vibration transmited & others don't. Some people easily learn a Texas rig/Jig bite othets never get it.

Very well put!

[K_Mac]

I think sensitivity of high end rods are like the sound from high end speakers, they reach a point where some people hear the quaility while others don't.

Some people feel the vibration transmited & others don't. Some people easily learn a Texas rig/Jig bite othets never get it.

 

For me, this sums things up Catt.

 

Some people will say that they can't tell the difference between mayonnaise and Miracle Whip or just don't care. It matters to me. I once worked with a guy who had more money in the sound system than the truck. Didn't make a bit of sense to me, and I love music. It mattered to him. Some of us can't tell the difference in sensitivity of rods, and some don't give a rip. For others, even the slightest improvement is worth whatever the cost. Most of us find a level that is good enough. Unfortunately, I find that the "good enough" bar tends to be very near the upper limit of my budget.

[einscodek]

I think sensitivity is a luxury.. its great to set the hook on a micro-bite but unless u got tight line all the time, a supersensitive rod just isnt going to give u magic

I'd just pair the functionality of a rod with its proper lure, have a light enuf rod not to wear ya out all day, and have ultra sensitivity as a luxury..

[Hooligan]

I think sensitivity is a luxury.. its great to set the hook on a micro-bite but unless u got tight line all the time, a supersensitive rod just isnt going to give u magic

I'd just pair the functionality of a rod with its proper lure, have a light enuf rod not to wear ya out all day, and have ultra sensitivity as a luxury..

Bit of untruth there. With fluorocarbon line, you don't need a right line because of the density of the line. That's the distinct advantage of pairing a high quality rod with good fluoro line. You catch a lot of those fish that would otherwise be missed.

Necessity, no. But as I stated previously greatly advantageous.

[Quillback]

I think sensitivity is a luxury.. its great to set the hook on a micro-bite but unless u got tight line all the time, a supersensitive rod just isnt going to give u magic

I'd just pair the functionality of a rod with its proper lure, have a light enuf rod not to wear ya out all day, and have ultra sensitivity as a luxury..

Sometimes those "micro-bites" are a big bass on the other end.  I get a lot of slack line bites on falling jigs also, usually it's pretty subtle, don't want to miss those either.  I like a little luxury.

[bigbill]

Sometimes those "micro-bites" are a big bass on the other end.  I get a lot of slack line bites on falling jigs also, usually it's pretty subtle.

Set the hook at the slightest movement or nibble.

[J Francho]

A $50 rod will give you plenty sensitivity. A $100 rod gives you yet more sensitivity, and more precise actions.  A $200 rod pretty much gives you everything you'd NEED sensitivity wise, and precise action.  Add in some serious build quality weight reduction at that point as well.  Anything more, is simply nice.  The difference between my Legend Tournament rods and my Dobyns Champ Extreme are very negligible.  The fit and finish on the Dobyns is a bit nicer, but I'd expect that.  The dozen plus Avids I own generally get the job done just as well, too.

 

I don not feel sensitivity is overrated, but the requirement of a $400 rod to get "proper" sensitivity is.  There's plenty of options in the $100-200 range that are awesome.  Factor in the used market, and anyone can get a nice stick without breaking the bank.