Numb or dumb?

[ksfishinguy]

I can't be the only one.  I own some fantastic reels, and I believe there's something to gained by spending $300 on a higher end reel like a Core,  Chronarch, or Zillion. I love the added refinement. 

However,  when it comes to rods, I seldom spend more than $150. I just don't think an  NRX feels THAT much better than a Veritas, Mojo, ect. I even think the BPS rods are pretty nice depending on the application. I fish all techniques including BFS, and I definitely understand the value of an appropriate setup there,  but I fail to see much difference in the best rods at different price points. 

I have no issue spending 3 to 1 reel to rod.  Am I alone in this or just numb? 

[WRB]

Your rod is very important, should be comfortable, balanced with the reel, cast lures with ease, allow you to detect strikes, get solid hooks sets and control the bass. A good custom rod made to your specific needs, guide train placed to maximize casting distance and be the proper length, strength, action and weight for the presentations you use.

Your reel holds the line, provides ease of casting, good drag clutch, smooth line retrieve at a rate to recover line fast enough to control lures, bass and should balance with the rod.

Tom

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

I think everything is overpriced for what you get in reels and rods. My $70 Pinnacle hangs with my Core performance wise the biggest diff being weight and under 1/8 but any other weight and its a close competition. Rods I do notice gains on higher end rods but $100 ones aren't slouches.

No right or wrong really each person will like/want/desire something different in a product.

[Klebs01]

I'm the opposite. I would spend 3:1 on a rod befor a reel. A reel just holds line.  A rod is much more important in casting and strike detection. 

[Bluebasser86]

I have a lot of lower end rods and catch a fish with them every now and then. 

[Sam]

The rod is the conduit between you and your bait. You have to have confidence in what your rod can do with the bait and how it performs when setting the hook and landing the fish.

The reel is the machine that helps send the bait where you want it with a soft landing and to help you fight and land the fish.

The reel of your choice is the one you have confidence. The reel has to perform as you want it to perform and be comfortable for you while on the rod.

Remember, reels have many options and long, crazy sounding advertising using big and goofy words to sell the reel. So as you read about the various reels out there be cognizant of the fact that you are reading advertising hype to sell the reel. Same for the rods you consider purchasing.

Keep it simple and you can' go wrong.

[Raul]

I´ve owned a bunch of different rods throughout the years and have reached to the point where other than a slight difference in weight I feel no difference, for example, between an IMX and a GLX or between a Legend Tournament and a Legend Elite that justifies the extra 100+ dollars in price, so I settled "IMX like sensitivity" as the parameter on which I purchase my rods which is in the $250 dollars mark. 

Reels on the other hand can be something different for me, I may shell out 300+ in a reel without thinking it too much.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

There is a point of diminishing returns in both areas. For feel techniques like jigs and plastics skew the budget toward the Rod. For moving baits like cranks etc you can get by with less Rod and a step up in reel can prove enjoyable. 

[new2BC4bass]

13 hours ago, Klebs01 said:

I'm the opposite. I would spend 3:1 on a rod befor a reel. A reel just holds line.  A rod is much more important in casting and strike detection. 

I think this is a bit over-simplified and totally disagree.  We aren't talking flyfishing for panfish.  A reel on a flyrod is mostly for storing line unless fishing for something like snook or tarpon.  I have to agree with Tom.  The reel does much more than just hold line.

[Klebs01]

2 hours ago, new2BC4bass said:

I think this is a bit over-simplified and totally disagree.  We aren't talking flyfishing for panfish.  A reel on a flyrod is mostly for storing line unless fishing for something like snook or tarpon.  I have to agree with Tom.  The reel does much more than just hold line.

Yeah, that applies a lot more to freshwater flyfishing. Still, most of my rods are more than the reels they are paired with. A better reel can definitely make a day more enjoyable, but I can't think of a single time a reel made the difference in catching a fish. The rod and line impact lure feedback much more and definitely have led to more fish. 

[Bass_Fanatic]

My cheapest rod hat I use is $150, my cheapest reel was $25 (H2O mettle). I feel that rods are more important as they are the right action, length, weight, sensitivity, ect. Reels simply cast and need a decent drag. 

 

With that being said, LINE is the most important IMO. It's the thing connecting you and the bass. Bad line can ruin a day quickly.

[Airman4754]

I'm mixed. Reaction strike rods like for spinnerbaits, swim jigs, lipless cranks, etc. I just want a 7' MH with a 14" handle. I could care less about the brand or price. Whatever was on sale was fine and it has always worked. Everything else is pretty specific and that gets spendy.

I have no regard for spinning reel quality. They all cast the same so I could care less about them. Baitcasters need to be the gear ratio I want and not junk. 

Other than reaction strike and heavy swim bait gear most of my rods cost way more than the reel. 

From my experience you will get way more mileage out of a $300 rod and a $100 reel than a $100 rod and $300 reel. 

[BobP]

I'm with DVT on this one.  I'll buy a St. Croix Legend Tournament for fishing plastics and jigs, or any "hold it still, feel a subtle bite" presentation but I'm not gonna spend big bucks on a rod used to throw moving baits like a spinnerbait, crankbait, or chatterbait.  As the price of a rod or a reel gets above the "sweet spot" (around $150 for me), you are paying more and more for less and less performance gain.  If money is no object, that's fine.  If money is tight, you can still buy rigs that perform perfectly well for less.  Whatever floats your boat and catches fish.