Wanting to get behind one rod brand

[Cootz]

Hey everybody I'm wanting to make my rod aresenal more one brand centered and not so assorted I don't know why, I just feel better about it anyways I'm looking all over for a good brand and I keep coming up short. I'm looking for about a $100-$130 price range. My most considered brand is Shimano but I'm open to any others thanks!

[Choporoz]

25 minutes ago, Cootz said:

Hey everybody I'm wanting to make my rod aresenal more one brand centered and not so assorted I don't know why, I just feel better about it

Unless you're sponsored, I don't know why, either.  I could almost understand if you've tried MANY different brands and were swept away by one...but then, you wouldn't be asking for brand suggestions. 

    I love that I have 10 (or more?) different brands of rods.  I've learned a lot more about rods than I ever would have if I'd only stuck with one.  And, even with those experiences, if I had a fire and lost everything and had to start from scratch, I'd still end up with at least 4 or 5 different brands...maybe more.

[Bluebasser86]

I love my St. Croix rods, but they don't offer certain lengths/actions that I like, or I found other rods that I liked better in certain lengths and actions. Until someone is giving them to me or paying me to use them, I'll use the rod that I feel is best for the task at hand. Variety is the spice of life right?

[Ratherbfishing]

As Choporoz says, unless you have already formed a strong loyalty to a specific brand and feel it can do everything you ask or require of it, it seems strange to me to try to "force" such a thing.  Unless of course, you are OCD and then all bets are off.

[Evan K]

I like trying new rods, I know I can resell them if I don't like them, for at least a decent percentage of what I paid.

I do have one company that I know I can fall back on if I don't feel like exploring, but we're not allowed to talk about it here, apparently.

[Scarborough817]

i'm actually a big fan of abu garcia rods, now of course there are some spaces that would need to be filled by another brand. like they don't have a swimbait rod that i really like so i went somewhere else for that but 4 of my 7 rods are abu's

[jtipton91]

For a cost effective brand of rods, I like cabelas. Seems to me you can get great rods for a lot less money than a name brand rod of similar specs. I have 3 that I love so far for the money I paid. Another rod I speak very highly of is gander mountains gsx elite rods. Catch them on sale and its an extremely good value. Best rod for dollar that I've personally used. All of this is just my opinion though. 

[WRB]

I used a combination of Lamiglas and Loomis for about 35 years and understand the advantage getting used to the feel, balance and casting rods from 1 or 2 companies. Both these rod builders were from the same town and made their own blanks. 

Loomis sold to Shimano changing thier customer service and Lamiglas reduced the  bass rod lines focusing more on trout and salmon or I would still use thier rods, great customer service.

You may need to up your price point to $150 to $200 for better quality suppliers and warranties.

Tom

[blckshirt98]

I mix and match based on what I find on sale.  I used to stick with Shimano/St Croix but I've shifted away from Shimano since their warranty change and have worked in more Phenix rods.  I've mixed in a few other brands as I grab rods on sale (Powell, LuckyCraft, Lamiglas, Megabass) but the bulk of my rods are now Shimano/St Croix/Phenix.  I can see a benefit from not buying from a bunch of different brands because each brand has it's own "flavor" where you know what to expect based on how they rate their rods. One brand might not offer you enough flexibility unless you want to pay full retail on every rod.  I'd try to mix and match 2-3 brands and look for the rods when they go on sale or buy used!

[buzzed bait]

in that price range, i'd strongly consider Dobyns fury rods.  they have excellent customer service and the fury is a pretty good stick for the price.

[racedad]

Like others have said, variety is the spice of life. I fish GLoomis, Lew's, Dobyns and even a couple G2 ugly sticks. All have their specific purpose and meets or exceeds it. I use to do the color coordinated thing, but learned that just because they are coordinated doesn't mean it's right for me.

[roadwarrior]

[Allen Der]

between the St Croix Mojo Bass and Eyecon lines, you'd be able to get just about any rod length and action you'd need in that price range

[Dan_the_fisher]

I don't like the idea of limiting myself to one brand, instead I went to all cork handles on all my rods. So they all have pretty much the same feel when I pick them up. One rod company doesn't make eve single rod I like, so I broaden my horizon 

[Yudo1]

I like a variety.  If I did only one it would be either megabass or g Loomis.  It would be very expensive.

[Oklahoma Mike]

I'm partial to St Croix - they make a great rod and have what I feel is the best warranty/customer service. That said, when I'm looking for a new rod, I will go with what I think is the best rod at the best value for whatever specific length/action I'm looking for. I see no reason to limit myself to a single manufacturer if there is something out there that is a better tool for the job or is a better overall value. 

[lou304]

Like one guy said, unless you OCD, why limit yourself to one brand and possibly miss something you might really like? right now I have rods from G Loomis,St Croix,Powell, Dobyns,Phenix,Wright and Mcgill,Falcon,Kistler, and ABU Garcia.

Variety is the spice of life!!!

[CarolinaBoy4Life]

I'm kind of OCD myself and would like if one brand had all the rod sizes specs and things that I want. Unfortunately its not the case. I have a lot of BPS Carbonlites, the previous models and the newer white ones. They make the majority of my rods and I love them. But I also have Lews rods and Shimano. Unless your being paid or spons. by these companies no need in forcing yourself to use one brand, now if they have the proper spec rods and lengths and things you are looking for be my guest. 

[RichF]

I definitely get where you're coming from.  I would love to have all the same line of rods and reels because I'm 99% OCD.  My problem is, I can't say no when things are on sale/clearance so I have a bunch of different brands.  In a perfect world...I'd have a full set of each brand I like!

As for a brand suggestion...

I like Shimano, however I don't feel their lines below the Crucial ($150+) are that great.  I'm also a big fan of St. Croix but again, I'm hesitant about their sub $150 lineup. The updated Mojos with the SCIII graphite may be a game changer though.  I've heard Cabelas' ZX tourney rods are really nice (I've also held them in the store and they feel pretty darn good).  They can usually be had for around $70 and I hear broken ones can be replaced pretty easily.  Those would be in your price range as well. 

[atpns1234]

duckett ghost is a nice rod for the price IMO.

[Fishes in trees]

Falcon makes a wide variety of rods.  Fenwick makes a wide variety of rods.  Loomis makes a wide variety of rods.   St Croix - Kistler - Dobyns and the list goes on.   The only way to know for SURE which collection is best for you is to buy them all and try them out.   If you're really OCD that shouldn't be an issue.

Now consider that in your neighborhood there is probably someone who builds custom rods.   That guy could make an assortment of rods in nearly any pattern you desire.   Knock yourself out.

Hey - I get the idea of a " matched set."  Personally I haven't taken it that far - yet - but I do apply that concept to cranks, i.e. an assortment of wiggle warts all in the same box, set of Shad Raps in their own box, set of Rogues individually boxed.   The same goes for all the different sizes of Pointers I own and Timber Tigers and so forth.     Some boxes get mixed up - Topwaters for instance, will have Spooks and Sammys and poppers in the same box - sometimes you've just got to compromise.

Compromise is a concept you might apply to your rod collection - just a thought.

[Ktho]

I don't know anything about OCD but I use rods that are all  made by one manufacturer. I like it because they all have the same feel, they're made from the same material, have the same handles etc. it's consistent and I like it that way.

[avidone1]

I understand wanting to stay with one brand.  Every rod company has their own style of building that causes the power ratings, line and lure ratings and action ratings to be kind of unique to them.

that being said limiting yourself to only one is probably too limiting.  I use only st Croix and loomis rods.  I understand how they grade their rods and can read the description and pretty much know what it's going to feel like.  I still need to put it in my hand before buying but i'm usually getting what I expected.

in your price range their are a lot of good brands.  shimano of course, but I like fenwick at your price point.  when I moved up in class from the Walmart stuff, I went to fenwick and was very pleased.