Budget MH rod?

[NYWayfarer]

Fenwick Eagle or Daiwa Jupiter (Walmart exclusive) Both sell for around $60

[HeavyDluxe]

On 5/28/2017 at 2:02 PM, pondbassin101 said:

 

I've been thinking about that. Who really NEEDS a  $500 rod? I can catch the same fish on a $50, probably not the same quality but still a rod

 

The same people who need a BMW... And I don't say that to sound snarky or flippant.  

 

For most people, the price difference is a luxury item.  I get to work every day in a Toyota Corolla and I park next to a friend's Audi.  His car's nicer, capable of going faster, rides quieter, etc etc.  But we both get to work at the same time.  That said, there are plenty of valid reasons you could choose to spend the extra money to get a nicer car.  For example, this guy I know is a sales rep, is travelling constantly, and shuttling clients around.  His Audi is much better for his purposes than my Toyota would be.

 

In most (but not all) cases, a nicer rod is going to be better balanced, more consistent, more sensitive, etc. However, respectfully, you're not at a place as an angler where that difference is going to matter much.

 

Just pick a rod from a reputable brand in your price range and go fishing.  Give yourself a year of really getting after it.  Then, start looking to upgrade if you think you need an upgrade.  By then, you'll have figured out what you like/don't like about your current setup and have a sense of what difference increased sensitivity, etc will mean for you as an angler.

 

At this point, dude, just get to fishin'.

[DubyaDee]

I really like my first baitcasting rod, Falcon Bucoo trapcaster. I still use it to fill in the gaps, it does everything pretty well. 

[WRB]

The OP has specific requirements and only he can determine what feels right on a limited budget. So, go to your local discount store and pick up and feel rods in your price point.

Tom

 

[OnthePotomac]

Yes. the Tourney Trails are excellent rods.  I have their 2-piece I bought 10 years ago and it is light as a feather and going strong.  I paid $80 for it.

[pondbassin101]

3 hours ago, WRB said:

The OP has specific requirements and only he can determine what feels right on a limited budget. So, go to your local discount store and pick up and feel rods in your price point.

Tom

 

 

What do you mean by local discount store?

 

 

[HardcoreBassin]

I picked up and Abu Garcia Vengeance 7MH Mod a while back to replace a rod in a pinch.  I regularly use it as an "all around" cranking rod.  I use it for anything from big square bills, to medium diving cranks, to big spinner baits and chatterbaits.  I've been known to throw smaller soft bodied swimbaits on it as well.  I love the rod.  It is a workhorse.  No complaints about it.  It is a cheap setup all around.  I run an Abu Black Max on it.  Total setup cost me about $75.

[pondbassin101]

3 minutes ago, HardcoreBassin said:

I picked up and Abu Garcia Vengeance 7MH Mod a while back to replace a rod in a pinch.  I regularly use it as an "all around" cranking rod.  I use it for anything from big square bills, to medium diving cranks, to big spinner baits and chatterbaits.  I've been known to throw smaller soft bodied swimbaits on it as well.  I love the rod.  It is a workhorse.  No complaints about it.  It is a cheap setup all around.  I run an Abu Black Max on it.  Total setup cost me about $75.

 

A MH fast action Vengeance fishes pretty much all heavier baits? It would work as an all around rod for cranks, spinners, jigs, t rigs, and pretty much everything?

[WRB]

19 minutes ago, pondbassin101 said:

 

What do you mean by local discount store?

 

 

Any of the sporting goods stores like Dicks/DSG, Cabela's, BPS, etc. all sell discount store brands.

 

[pondbassin101]

1 minute ago, WRB said:

Any of the sporting goods stores like Dicks/DSG, Cabela's, BPS, etc. all sell discount store brands.

 

 

ok makes sense, I have a Dicks, BPS, Academy close by , and the nearest Cabelas is 150 miles away, Guess I'll go in and see what they have and what's on sale

[HardcoreBassin]

25 minutes ago, pondbassin101 said:

 

A MH fast action Vengeance fishes pretty much all heavier baits? It would work as an all around rod for cranks, spinners, jigs, t rigs, and pretty much everything?

 

I've never fished jigs/t-rigs on it.  Nor would I ever try to.  It doesn't have the backbone that you need in my opinion.  I mean, I guess you could use any rod you want, but you'd need to really swing hard with the moderate to set a stout hook. 

 

I do, however, fish pretty much any moving bait that fits into the weight specs of the rod. 

 

I don't think you'll find any 1 rod that is great for every bait.  You can probably break it down to 2 though.  1 rod for moving baits (MH Mod) and one rod for jigs/t-rigs/frogs (MH F or H F).  If I'm pong hopping and looking to only bring 2 set-ups, I bring my 7ft Abu Vengeance with Black Max for moving baits, and my Berkley Lightning Rod with an Abu Silver Max for my jigs/t-rigs and frogs.

 

I'm sure people will disagree with what I've said about these rods.  But I'm a budget fisherman.  I'm not going to spend a ton of money on a rod.  These 2 setups probably cost me a total of $140-$150 and I've been fishing with them for years now.  Are they the best quality? No.  Are they the lightest rods out there? No.  But you'll be able to cover pretty much all of your basic techniques with these 2 rods.

 

 

[pondbassin101]

1 minute ago, HardcoreBassin said:

I don't think you'll find any 1 rod that is great for every bait.  You can probably break it down to 2 though.  1 rod for moving baits (MH Mod) and one rod for jigs/t-rigs/frogs (MH F or H F).  If I'm pong hopping and looking to only bring 2 set-ups, I bring my 7ft Abu Vengeance with Black Max for moving baits, and my Berkley Lightning Rod with an Abu Silver Max for my jigs/t-rigs and frogs.

 

What about a mod-fast?

[frosty]

2 minutes ago, HardcoreBassin said:

 

I've never fished jigs/t-rigs on it.  Nor would I ever try to.  It doesn't have the backbone that you need in my opinion.  I mean, I guess you could use any rod you want, but you'd need to really swing hard with the moderate to set a stout hook. 

 

I do, however, fish pretty much any moving bait that fits into the weight specs of the rod. 

 

I don't think you'll find any 1 rod that is great for every bait.  You can probably break it down to 2 though.  1 rod for moving baits (MH Mod) and one rod for jigs/t-rigs/frogs (MH F or H F).  If I'm pong hopping and looking to only bring 2 set-ups, I bring my 7ft Abu Vengeance with Black Max for moving baits, and my Berkley Lightning Rod with an Abu Silver Max for my jigs/t-rigs and frogs.

 

I'm sure people will disagree with what I've said about these rods.  But I'm a budget fisherman.  I'm not going to spend a ton of money on a rod.  These 2 setups probably cost me a total of $140-$150 and I've been fishing with them for years now.  Are they the best quality? No.  Are they the lightest rods out there? No.  But you'll be able to cover pretty much all of your basic techniques with these 2 rods.

 

 

I don't know about the abu rod, but isn't the Berkley Lightning a moderate rod or is that just the shock models?

[HardcoreBassin]

Just now, frosty said:

I don't know about the abu rod, but isn't the Berkley Lightning a moderate rod or is that just the shock models?

 

You can get the Shock in a few different power/action.  Mine is a 7ft MH/F.  The Abu is a 7ft MH/Mod

[DogBone_384]

Abu Garcia's Veritas gets my vote.  Most retailers are selling them for $79 now, with some cheaper by a smidge.  A Veritas 7' MH/F was my first MH rod.  It, and my other Abu rods are my favorite and most used sticks.

[HardcoreBassin]

5 minutes ago, pondbassin101 said:

 

What about a mod-fast?

I think what you mean is a medium/fast.  I've never actually fished with one. I'm sure a bunch of the guys can chime in.  I think a med/fast would be good for thin wire jigs.  But anything with a stout hook, you'll probably deal with missed hooksets.

[pondbassin101]

Just now, HardcoreBassin said:

I think what you mean is a medium/fast.  I've never actually fished with one. I'm sure a bunch of the guys can chime in.  I think a med/fast would be good for thin wire jigs.  But anything with a stout hook, you'll probably deal with missed hooksets.

 

I meant a MH mod fast action. I have a M power fast action rod that i use for lighter baits

[pondbassin101]

My main question is, would a moderate fast action work for cranks, spinners, AND lures like jigs. specificly mod fast action, not moderate or fast, mod fast

[HardcoreBassin]

1 hour ago, pondbassin101 said:

My main question is, would a moderate fast action work for cranks, spinners, AND lures like jigs. specificly mod fast action, not moderate or fast, mod fast

 

Is it ideal? No. Will it work? Yes.

 

Plenty of people still use ugly sticks for all of the techniques. You just run the risk of missing hits/goofing hook sets.

 

[pondbassin101]

14 minutes ago, HardcoreBassin said:

 

Is it ideal? No. Will it work? Yes.

 

Plenty of people still use ugly sticks for all of the techniques. You just run the risk of missing hits/goofing hook sets.

 

 

So I'll be getting better rod load up but what will I be sacrificing, sensitivity?

[HardcoreBassin]

39 minutes ago, pondbassin101 said:

 

So I'll be getting better rod load up but what will I be sacrificing, sensitivity?

Bingo. Plus, you don't necessarily want the delay of rod loadup when setting the hook on a jig or t-rig.

 

 

[pondbassin101]

12 minutes ago, HardcoreBassin said:

Bingo. Plus, you don't necessarily want the delay of rod loadup when setting the hook on a jig or t-rig.

 

 

 

Can I fish a jig on M power rod? I fish t rigs on it no problem and 3/8 ounce jig is pretty much the same weight. I could get the rod I was talking about, for cranks, spinners, buzzbaits, and smaller swimbaits. 

[DINK WHISPERER]

For $54.99 the blackout rods can't be beat on sale from TW!

[HardcoreBassin]

1 hour ago, pondbassin101 said:

 

Can I fish a jig on M power rod? I fish t rigs on it no problem and 3/8 ounce jig is pretty much the same weight. I could get the rod I was talking about, for cranks, spinners, buzzbaits, and smaller swimbaits. 

Yes. But like I said. Youll probably miss hooksets on heavier gauge hooks because you need more power to penetrate the bass' mouth passed the barb.

[pondbassin101]

17 hours ago, HardcoreBassin said:

Yes. But like I said. Youll probably miss hooksets on heavier gauge hooks because you need more power to penetrate the bass' mouth passed the barb.

 

So it's basically a compromise, I don't want to buy 2 MH setups rn, down the line maybe. One more question, fast action will or will not work for craanks, spinners, etc?