Which rods to invest in?

[IowaBass15]

Hey everyone, I have a question about rods. I really want to invest in quality rods. Right now I have a Duckett Ghost, Dobyns Savy, *** black *** (older model and two Denali J2's. I like my rods for the most part but I want to start investing to a single brand line up with a good warranty program. I am also a full time college student that works full time so I don't have the money for those $400.00 g loomis'. I just fish recreationally right now (Although its everyday its not raining for hours at a time) but I am going to start fishing competitively this year. I love fishing. I am nothing short of obsessed and really want to convert to a single quality brand. I would like to keep the rods around $200 dollars. 

[Chance_Taker4]

It is very hard to say one specific rod brand because each manufacture excels in different rod setups. However if I was forced to have to fish one brand only my brand would be Enigma. It is a new company that doesn't get a lot of love because people think they are ugly. But I like the look of the Phenom Titanium and Aaron's edge. They cover every type of rod you would need. Limited lifetime warranty. Light, sensitive, and I love the microwave guides. These rods are $120 for the Aaron's Edge and $150 for the Phenom Titanium. Plus a non titanium version of the Phenom is getting released this year.

 

 

[EllisJuan]

If I am going to long term marry one rod manufacturer (that is not G Loomis) it is going to be St. Croix.  Their customer service is solid and they have a good accidental damage replacement policy.  I am confident I could cover every rod I need $200 at a time from the Avid line and be happy.

[IowaBass15]

Just now, EllisJuan said:

If I am picking one rod manufacturer (that is not G Loomis) it is going to be St. Croix.  I could cover every rod I need $200 at a time from the Avid line and be happy.

would you prefer the avid series compared to the cheaper g loomis' such as the e6x or gl2s?

[EllisJuan]

6 minutes ago, IowaBass15 said:

would you prefer the avid series compared to the cheaper g loomis' such as the e6x or gl2s?

Yes.  I have owned them both and to me where G Loomis starts to separate from St. Croix is the GLX and NRX lines.  Up to that point, I think St. Croix makes a better rod for the money.  For me, from what I have owned, it goes something like;

Loomis NRX > Loomis GLX > St. Croix Tournament Bass > Loomis IMX = St Croix Avid > Loomis E6X = St. Croix Premier 

The separation between the Loomis NRX and GLX and the rest is pretty large, both in performance and price.

[Robert Riley]

Buy the $350 Dobyns then. I fish mostly dobyns, their Savvys are great, and the Champions are even better. Plus they have so much variety in the same line.

[Airman4754]

I'm a Phenix UMBX and Lamiglas guy. Phenix uses great blanks and Lami's are absolute work horses with everything you need and they are built like tanks. 

[IowaBass15]

8 hours ago, Chance Brown said:

It is very hard to say one specific rod brand because each manufacture excels in different rod setups. However if I was forced to have to fish one brand only my brand would be Enigma. It is a new company that doesn't get a lot of love because people think they are ugly. But I like the look of the Phenom Titanium and Aaron's edge. They cover every type of rod you would need. Limited lifetime warranty. Light, sensitive, and I love the microwave guides. These rods are $120 for the Aaron's Edge and $150 for the Phenom Titanium. Plus a non titanium version of the Phenom is getting released this year.

 

 

I've always wanted to hold one because I myself really like them as well. Maybe I'm biased because Aaron martens is who I usually root for lol. I wish there was a retailer here that carried them. 

[Darren.]

Another St. Croix vote here. But I have fallen for 
their Legend Tournament series. Gosh they are
soooo crisp. I used their upgrade service when I
sent my Avid in for replacement.

If I had $250, I'd get another one.

[curtis9]

I'd look at either st croix or dobyns at that price range.  Keep an eye out for sales.  Both rods are typically include in holiday sales, and St croix has a lot of sales and rebate offers through gander mountain.

[buzzed bait]

i'd go dobyns champion rods myself, trying to add more to my rotation right now.  otherwise, st croix is hard to beat, just buy them 1 power less than you think you need since they're all a little heavier than advertised from my experience.

[Chance_Taker4]

1 hour ago, IowaBass15 said:

I've always wanted to hold one because I myself really like them as well. Maybe I'm biased because Aaron martens is who I usually root for lol. I wish there was a retailer here that carried them. 

That was a main issue for me to but I not the bullet when I'm black Friday that ran a deal buy a rod and get them Phenom free before they released. I'm glad I did I'm slowly moving my Denali and 13 rods over to Enigma. 

[fishindad]

My vote goes to Falcon Bucoo. Made in US, very light and sensitive for the price point and I fish mainly Legend Extreme, GLX, Dobyns DX, Falcon Cara. 

If I was your age and a student, and interested in tournaments fishing, I would get the Bucoo Amistad, Trap Caster, Swim Jig, and Finesse Jig rods - all for under $500. That would cover everything bass with the exception of one finesse spinning outfit.

[Raul]

12 hours ago, IowaBass15 said:

Hey everyone, I have a question about rods. I really want to invest in quality rods. Right now I have a Duckett Ghost, Dobyns Savy, *** black *** (older model and two Denali J2's. I like my rods for the most part but I want to start investing to a single brand line up with a good warranty program. I am also a full time college student that works full time so I don't have the money for those $400.00 g loomis'. I just fish recreationally right now (Although its everyday its not raining for hours at a time) but I am going to start fishing competitively this year. I love fishing. I am nothing short of obsessed and really want to convert to a single quality brand. I would like to keep the rods around $200 dollars. 

You get a $400 GLoomis rod because you want it not because you need it. I didn´t get to purchase my first GLoomis rod until about a decade ago, that means that for 3+ decades I fished with something else and those were Berkley Lightning Rods, actually, 99% of all the 10+ lbers ( which are just a few ones  ) I have caught were caught with LRs.

Having expensive gear is nice but as Catt likes to say: "catching fish is between your ears and not between the folds of your wallet".

[Choporoz]

I'm NOT trying to be antagonistic, but I am curious....please take no offense...Unless you're committed to a strict sponsor contract, why the compulsion to 'choose' to use only one brand (of rod or reel or anything else?) 

 

If it were me, at your age/stage, I think I'd prefer to get a range of brands.  I'd get rods from a few different companies now so I can compare personal experiences and preferences long before I get set in my ways and decide to 'settle' for just one. 

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

4 minutes ago, Choporoz said:

I'm NOT trying to be antagonistic, but I am curious....please take no offense...Unless you're committed to a strict sponsor contract, why the compulsion to 'choose' to use only one brand (of rod or reel or anything else?) 

 

If it were me, at your age/stage, I think I'd prefer to get a range of brands.  I'd get rods from a few different companies now so I can compare personal experiences and preferences long before I get set in my ways and decide to 'settle' for just one. 

This is exactly what I was thinking. Any company will stand behind their product if there's a problem or won't be around long. Warranty is the last thing I'd base a purchase on. If a brand has a liberal replacement policy all that tells me is that I'm over paying for the original. If you're bent on all one brand St Croix has one of the most robust quality lines 

[IowaBass15]

57 minutes ago, Choporoz said:

I'm NOT trying to be antagonistic, but I am curious....please take no offense...Unless you're committed to a strict sponsor contract, why the compulsion to 'choose' to use only one brand (of rod or reel or anything else?) 

 

If it were me, at your age/stage, I think I'd prefer to get a range of brands.  I'd get rods from a few different companies now so I can compare personal experiences and preferences long before I get set in my ways and decide to 'settle' for just one. 

I think its my OCD to be honest. I do this with not only fishing gear, like using he same brand of jig, or plastic but in shoes. I generally only buy one brand of shoe. I would only buy one brand of truck, etc. I definitely see where you are coming from and of course take no offense it's just something that tens to happen. If I really like something I stand behind it.

45 minutes ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

This is exactly what I was thinking. Any company will stand behind their product if there's a problem or won't be around long. Warranty is the last thing I'd base a purchase on. If a brand has a liberal replacement policy all that tells me is that I'm over paying for the original. If you're bent on all one brand St Croix has one of the most robust quality lines 

The main reason I am worried about warranty is I would much rather spend the 75 dollars loomis or another company charges and receive a new rod no questions asked, then to have to buy another rod completely. But I do conquer with what you are saying.

1 hour ago, Raul said:

You get a $400 GLoomis rod because you want it not because you need it. I didn´t get to purchase my first GLoomis rod until about a decade ago, that means that for 3+ decades I fished with something else and those were Berkley Lightning Rods, actually, 99% of all the 10+ lbers ( which are just a few ones  ) I have caught were caught with LRs.

Having expensive gear is nice but as Catt likes to say: "catching fish is between your ears and not between the folds of your wallet".

d**n it that quote made me rethink my entire life haha. 

3 hours ago, fishindad said:

My vote goes to Falcon Bucoo. Made in US, very light and sensitive for the price point and I fish mainly Legend Extreme, GLX, Dobyns DX, Falcon Cara. 

If I was your age and a student, and interested in tournaments fishing, I would get the Bucoo Amistad, Trap Caster, Swim Jig, and Finesse Jig rods - all for under $500. That would cover everything bass with the exception of one finesse spinning outfit.

I actually almost ordered a few when TW had them for 69 dollars!  I hate not being able to hold one before I buy something and now its to late but still fair priced of course.

[blckshirt98]

If all my rods burned down to the ground and I had to start from scratch today, I'd go all Phenix and St. Croix, with more Phenix rods than St. Croix rods.  Both companies make rods that I currently own and fish but Phenix has a lifetime warranty on all their rods, and, I'm in their HQ area a couple of times every year so no need to ship rods in a tube if something ever happened.  St. Croix lifetime warranties are at a higher price point, but they also have a nice upgrade program if you do ever break a rod.  I used to be a Shimano guy because of their OTC warranty but their new (lack of) warranty on rods means I'll never buy a Shimano rod again.

If Phenix and St. Croix both went to Shimano 1-year warranties I'd probably stop using St. Croix, but would still use Phenix.  If the entire industry went to 1-year warranties I'd go Phenix 100%.  Their M1/Elixir/Crankbait rods have been absolute iron workhorses for me that should have snapped in half ten times over already.

Warranties seem like a silly reason to base brand selection on but I like to know that "it's there" and not be something to worry about.  If you've ever had to go a period without medical insurance when changing jobs you might know what I mean.  Those few weeks when you know you have no coverage you're just a little more careful and weary; and if I'm fishing a rod where I know if I break it I'll need to replace it, that caution/weariness in the back of my mind takes away from my fishing experience some.

[Raul]

2 hours ago, IowaBass15 said:

d**n it that quote made me rethink my entire life haha.

12 ft and 6.5 HP of pure bass fishing awesomeness:

Ladies and gentlemen I give you ------> "LATINASESINA" ( the killer bathtub )

I don´t need more than that and it has seen more biguns than other dudes 17+ ft bass boats. I have done certain improvements to it ( like putting artificial grass carpets on those bench seats and forward platform because they can get HOT !!! )

 

[Choporoz]

Like DVT, I'm a little puzzled by the emphasis on the warranty.  My $30K 2015 car has a 3 year warranty.  My wife's 2014 $1700 camera came with a 12 month warranty (and is in the shop for its second post-warranty service.)

I've broken two rods in nearly 50 years of fishing.  One was on day one and the store took it back the same day.  The other was only 3 months old....and the break was entirely my own high-sticking fault.  (Note: it just happened to be a rod from a 'major' company that was sold with NO warranty....That is one purchase where maybe I should have been paying a little more attention....no warranty may have been for a reason.  But I harbor no ill feelings towards the company and would buy one of their other, warranted rods any time.)

    Just seems to me that if a rod is from a reputable company and doesn't break within first few long days of fishing, it is probably going to be with me for years and I won't ever think about the warranty even if and when it may eventually break. 

[Raul]

I´ve broken 3 rods in my life and 2 of those were because of my very own stupidity and I didn´t go begging around for the company to honor the warranty, you do something stupid it´s your problem kemosabe.

Me being married to a single brand ? nope, variety is the spice of life and you can´t find out that there might be better options for you  if you don´t try, I´ve owned Silstar, Berkley, Kunnan, GLoomis, Shimano, St Croix, Kistler, Olympic/GraphiteLeader & BPS, have tried several models and after a while I have chosen the brands/models and styles I prefer, I´m not going to say those brands I didn´t prefer were bad, I just didn´t like them for one reason or another.

[Bass Turd]

I think what IowaBass15 is saying he will have total confidence with the same brand lineup.  I think that's great that he recognizes this. I'd rather have total confidence that my cane pole will catch Bass every time vs a $200 rod that I'm just not quite sure about....

[0119]

I can see your concern for a warranty. I broke Shimano Cumara's just by looking at them when they first came out. St. Croix rods one my favorite have lost me due to their new peculiar styling. I'm not a rod ***** my type of fishing style( inshore, crawling through mangrove jungle) isn't conducive to delicate Uber graphite blends. The 3 St. Croix issues I had were not blank breakage but loose seats and guides breaking. I can't say I found St. Croix always fully customer oriented. I'm very pleased with Loomis' lower tier models and see them as good or better than the Avid.

[blckshirt98]

I look at warranty because I like the thought of "I'll never have to buy this rod again for the rest of my life".  I'll fish it now, I'll fish it when I retire.  30 years from now when I'm retired if I fall and snap the rod in half I won't have to spend $225 of my retirement money on a replacement rod.

Brand wise I've become mainly a Phenix convert just because every rod of theirs I've fished has been light, sensitive, and indestructable.  St Croix has also delivered but I think they run a little stiff.

[SMITTY0045]

Another brand I would consider is Kistler. They make some great rods and I have been considering switching all of my rods over to them as well. I would also recommend Daiwa ( great quality rods that will last forever), and as everyone else has pointed out, you can't go wrong with St. Croix