Rod purchasing philosophy?

[no39]

I'm curious to see how others make choices in purchasing rods. What guides your decision in choosing and purchasing a rod?  I believe rods are most the fragile things we carry on boats and have seen a few destroyed.  So the idea of shelling out 250+ for something that can be ruined with an errant cast, livewell lid, careless foot step, tungsten weight, or any of the other various hazards founds on boats is rather unnerving.  For me, the rod has to have two particular qualities.  First, the rod has to on the light side in its tier. Secondly, it has to be cheap enough as to not ruin my day WHEN I break it. That being said, all my rods on veritas that were heavily marked down when the "new" ones came out. So, I'm not really bothered when they explode as I boat flip a 2 lb fish or when I close a lid on the tip of one.

[Turkey sandwich]

I just tend to be more careful and buy from companies like St. Croix that I know will back their products.  If you're abusing your gear/not keeping it organized/boat flipping most of your fish, it's on you, man. 

[Paul Roberts]

I highly value my rods and I spend time in making the decision. Some people value their reels more. Not me.

Primarily, I want sensitivity. Not all highly sensitive rods are the most expensive, but I must check out a rod first-hand before I'll buy one sight unseen. However, it's possible to buy top dollar rods sight unseen and get something usable. I've bought a couple such rods sight unseen. I don't break my rods. They're too valuable.

[everythingthatswims]

I won't buy one online unless I have held one before or it's marked wayyyy down on TW

[paul.]

criteria 1 - it's gotta feel good in my hand (light, not tip heavy, etc.)

criteria 2- it's gotta excel at its designated purpose, but be able to do at least one other thing well in a pinch.

criteria 3- it's gotta be on sale.  i am a firm believer that no rod or reel on the market today is worth the "regular" price. 

[blckshirt98]

1) It has to be on sale.

2) It has to have a good warranty.

3) It has to have good word of mouth/reviews.

Lots of rods are hard to find locally to feel in hand or at least for me not worth the effort to seek out to feel, but I'll buy rods if I see enough positive things online about them.

[Fishinthefish]

Sensitivity first and foremost.

[bigturtle]

In order from the things i consider first, to last:

1. Does it do its intended job? ie, is it sensitive enough, light enough, and strong enough.
2. Does it look aesthetically appealing? ie, not enigma, duckett, skeet reese, or anything similar. Im going to be fishing with it, and if I hate looking at my rod, Im not going to use it no matter how good it is.
3. Does it come with at least 2 years of warranty? I have only broken rods by fishing them, and if they are defective, it shows in the first 2 years.
4. Is the reel seat to my liking? I like reel seats that expose the blank, have a long trigger if its a casting rod, and has a comfortable locking/screw cap so it doest hurt my finger when i hold it a certain way.
5. What the handle material is. I love cork, but good, dense EVA are ok as well
6. Is it a full grip handle? I prefer full grips over split grips.
7. Hook keeper? Nice to have, but if not, il put my own on.
8. Is it a JDM imported rod? Would i have to spend $50+ and a few months to have it replaced/repaired for warranty.
9. Price. My budget, when I do decide that I actually NEED a new rod, is extremely flexible.

[Catt]

Full cork

I have to have it in my hand with reel attached & lure tied on

Do not give my rods names that way when I throw worms with my jig rod it does not get confused!

[Deleted account]

I don't buy or use things that I'm afraid to put through the paces. I'm not going out of my way to destroy tackle, but I'm not babying it or treating it like works of art. something brakes, it gets replaced end of story. 

[Team9nine]

10 hours ago, no39 said:

I'm curious to see how others make choices in purchasing rods. What guides your decision in choosing and purchasing a rod?  I believe rods are most the fragile things we carry on boats and have seen a few destroyed.  So the idea of shelling out 250+ for something that can be ruined with an errant cast, livewell lid, careless foot step, tungsten weight, or any of the other various hazards founds on boats is rather unnerving.  For me, the rod has to have two particular qualities.  First, the rod has to on the light side in its tier. Secondly, it has to be cheap enough as to not ruin my day WHEN I break it. That being said, all my rods on veritas that were heavily marked down when the "new" ones came out. So, I'm not really bothered when they explode as I boat flip a 2 lb fish or when I close a lid on the tip of one.

Might I suggest that you look into the Ugly Stick line of rods from Shakespeare. Sounds like they are the perfect rod for your situation, and they're the #1 selling rod in the country .

-T9

[ww2farmer]

Versatility..............I have limited room in my boat. I don't need/want 15-20 rods for each and every technique. 4 casting rods, and 2 spinning rods cover 90% of what I do most of the time. 

[Hogsticker]

That's easy. Build or have built. No guessing needed. Right tool for the job every time. Take care of your gear and pay attention. 

[Steveo-1969]

Because I primarily fish bottom contact presentations my #1 criteria is the most sensitive rod I can afford.  I now have one spinning and two casting combos that I'm very satisfied with and the Rod Monkey hasn't been whispering in my year for the last year!  They were expensive (by my standards) and I handle them more carefully than I would a newborn baby, but they get used every time I fish.

I don't understand why some people will by an expensive rod and then not use it because they are afraid of breaking it.  "Looking for a cheap rod to use for bank fishing rather than my expensive rod".  Really?  Rods are made to be fished with!

However, if you ARE afraid of breaking your rods then buy a rod that won't break your heart if it uh... breaks.

[Felix77]

I personally don't buy expensive rods (> $100).  I typically hunt for "last season" rods which are less than $100.  If it upgrades a rod which I currently own then I buy it.  My collection currently consists of Skeet Reese, Abu Garcia and Rhapsody (local club manufacturer).

Works for me.

[junyer357]

Im slowly replacing my older, lower end rods with better mid to higher range. ($190-250) rods. I try to be very careful and take care of my equipment, and look at it as investments.  Each rod has a cover, and it is on rod unless im using it. I have several rods that are 20+ years old and still in use regularly and work well.  

I just can now afford to slowly improve them with newer ones with better sensitivity and lower weight.  I really appreciate the quality of the better rods, the lighter weight especially. I can feel it in my shoulders more when i go back to using an older, heavier rod. I also feel the better sensitivity helps me detect bites and subtle changes better. Both of these make it more enjoyable to fish longer and more productivly. 

[Fisher-O-men]

I have a $200+ rod that I paid $100 for but that is the extent of my splurge on rods.  I keep my eyes open for deals and I have never broken a rod.  Guys tell me I do not know what I am missing.  That could be, but I'll never know! So, I'm good!  And I have zero Ugly Sticks!

[EllisJuan]

14 hours ago, no39 said:

I'm curious to see how others make choices in purchasing rods. What guides your decision in choosing and purchasing a rod?  I believe rods are most the fragile things we carry on boats and have seen a few destroyed.  So the idea of shelling out 250+ for something that can be ruined with an errant cast, livewell lid, careless foot step, tungsten weight, or any of the other various hazards founds on boats is rather unnerving.  For me, the rod has to have two particular qualities.  First, the rod has to on the light side in its tier. Secondly, it has to be cheap enough as to not ruin my day WHEN I break it. That being said, all my rods on veritas that were heavily marked down when the "new" ones came out. So, I'm not really bothered when they explode as I boat flip a 2 lb fish or when I close a lid on the tip of one.

I buy from G Loomis and St. Croix.  Both have a great replacement program for accidental damage.  ~$100 and a new rod is at my door in a couple day.  Life is too short and leisure time is too limited to not fish with what I want.

[MidwestF1sh]

Buy the beat you can happily justify. I was like a lot of guys and buy $100 rods. I made the mistake of buying one nice $200 ROF and it was so much nicer I never wanted to put it down. Now all I own are 3d Max's and dobyns champion. Warranty is a big plus!

[Kevin22]

14 hours ago, no39 said:

I'm curious to see how others make choices in purchasing rods. What guides your decision in choosing and purchasing a rod?  I believe rods are most the fragile things we carry on boats and have seen a few destroyed.  So the idea of shelling out 250+ for something that can be ruined with an errant cast, livewell lid, careless foot step, tungsten weight, or any of the other various hazards founds on boats is rather unnerving.  For me, the rod has to have two particular qualities.  First, the rod has to on the light side in its tier. Secondly, it has to be cheap enough as to not ruin my day WHEN I break it. That being said, all my rods on veritas that were heavily marked down when the "new" ones came out. So, I'm not really bothered when they explode as I boat flip a 2 lb fish or when I close a lid on the tip of one.

 

I am very happy in the 100-120 range, I feel that range includes quite a few rods that are excellent for the "fun" fisherman. I also got in on the closeouts of the 2nd gen veritas (before 2.0) and have been quite pleased. I did break one which leads me to the next point.... WARRANTY! Warranty is very important to me. I want a rod with enough of a warranty to fish a couple seasons with ease, I feel if i get two seasons out of a rod I probably got my moneys worth of fun. So 2 years of a GOOD warranty is a minimum. Abu and daiwa have been the best so far. The veritas I broke was 1 yr 6mo old and they replaced it no questions asked. All I had to do was send in a picture of the break and the serial number, and send them a $10 check. They replaced it with a 2.0 model. 

 

Three other key points that I NEED in a rod are; sensitivity, lightness, and a good action for what I need. I can find everything I need in a rod in the $100 range. I also try to keep all of my rods in the same range and feel. I passed up a dobyns champ that was dirt cheap simply because I knew I would favor it over my other rods and that would put me at a disadvantage. So keep that in mind. For the "same feel" aspect, I want to be able to pick up any of my rods and switch between another without issues. So all my rods have to feel similar in the grip and overall weight. Spending 20 casts to get used to a rod is 20 wasted casts. 

[J._Bricker]

As stated by pretty much everyone on this thread, I believe in buying the best equipment that you can afford.  IMO, quality equipment adds to the enjoyment fishing and is the byproduct of one's hard work.  Better quality does make a difference, how much may depend on the rod and technique.  eBay, the fishing flea market, various tackle websites, even the consignment bin at the local tackle shop allow you to acquire quality for less than retail.  

[faygo1979]

I am more ad hoc with my purchases of rods.  Most of my fishing rods are in the 100-200 range and almost off of them are different brands.   This is because for the most part I have not found my perfect style yet.   I really don’t pick based on warranty or anything like that But I do have to say pure Fishing is very easy to work with on the rods that I have broken.

 

 

 

I  have started looking for rods with guide rings rather than chrome or stainless,  they seem to feel smoother with braid.  I prefer full handles to spit grips but not enough not to keep me from purchasing a rod.  And I am not a fan of the really small microguides.  Anything smaller than size 5 is too small for me.  The rest is up in the air.

 

 

 

I actually started building my own rods just because my tastes seem to be a little more unique than what I can find at bass pro shop.

 

[Damn Yankee]

I am willing to bet most folks have had at least one lighting rod at some point.If you are tough on your rods they may be a good option.

[Allen Der]

56 minutes ago, d**n Yankee said:

I am willing to bet most folks have had at least one lighting rod at some point.If you are tough on your rods they may be a good option.

a lightning rod is one of the 3 rods I've ever broken.  they seem very brittle to me

I think there are 2 schools of thought if you're semi-serious and don't have unlimited budget.

1. you take care of your equipment and plan to keep it a long time so you buy a few high end rods with lifetime warranties

2. you like new things every couple of years and buy a bunch of $150 and under rods.  if you break one it's just an excuse to buy a new rod 

[no39]

Lots of interesting posts.  I enjoy seeing others though processes on things. Thanks for the suggestions. I've only personally broken one rod and that rod had 4 seasons on it. Eventually everything breaks down with enough use.  Most of my rods have guides or hook keepers missing, but that's just free weight reduction. I know durability and weight aren't usually to traits one that coincide, so I sacrifice longevity for comfort.  Personally, I don't think I'm too particularly hard on gear, I think I'm honest with it. 

It seems sensitivity is a trait that is highly sought after, but how does one empirically measure such a characteristic? I bought the veritas rods thinking they were fairly light but there's a huge variance between them.  I weighed identical rods and one weighed nearly 3/4's of an ounce more than the other.  So, if I can't even trust a company's specs on weight, I'm not going to trust them on their claim of having high sensitivity, something I can't even measure.  I've tried rods that were touted for their sensitivity, but I was never really wowed.  I was admiring their design and build quality, but never noticed any marked improvement over my garbage rods.  In fact, I preferred using a veritas over a orochi xx when used for pitching. Simply, for the fact that it was noticeably heavier. For me less weight=speed=efficiency.