Anyone use rods all from same manufacturer?

[thinkingredneck]

I would like to know if anyone, other than sponsored pros, use rods that are all from one manufacturer?  Mine are a really varied mix of brands.

[Scott F]

I used to have a friend who custom built all my rods for me but he quit doing it several years ago. Since then, I’ve been using nothing but St. Croix. Good rods, you can find them anywhere and if I happen to break one, I’m at the St Croix outlet store often enough I can exchange it over the counter. 

[Chance_Taker4]

I used to use all Carrot Stix. Then about 3 years I started trying different brands and had been doing so for a long time until I got my Kistler KLX in the mail. Now I am slowly converting all my rods to Kistler. I love all 5 of the rods they make and they have Gary Loomis backing their products since he makes their blanks.

[Sam]

Nope, I have an array of rods from various manufacturers.

 

Kevin VanDam at one of his seminars I attended said to use only rods from your favorite manufacturer so you will be familiar with each.

 

I have BPS Extremes all the way up to G. Loomis.

 

Each on has a different use on either wild waters or ponds.

[rippin-lips]

All my rods are Megabass. Most are the Orochi xx series. Their unique tapers allows me to use them for multiple techniques. They have so many series new and old, plus all the limited rods available you could spend years trying them and still not reach the end. 

[Angry John]

I have a mix but i am trending toward only st croix.  My steez flexlight will always stay as i have yet to find a better lighter small crankbait rod but everything else is croix.

[punch]

I WISH I just fell in love with one particular rod lineup or company.. but there's just too many great products out there these days. Just too fun to dabble in budget sticks, midrage sticks, expensive sticks.. I have a mix of stuff myself and I like playing around with different brands.

 

I find myself selling rods in the off season that I didn't love or didn't use very much.. then taking the $$ and grabbing stuff from all the off season sales or splurging on something I've had my eye on. Rinse and repeat every year.  

 

I started bass fishing back when I was 15 (37 now) and the rods & reels really sucked. The gear nowadays is SO much better that I find myself getting giddy over how much of a joy it is to use the latest and greatest gear. 

 

[Poolshark]

 Ive heard it said before that using the same series and manufacturer for all your rods can be more consistent. I used to use exclusively st Croix avids; But, I can't help that st Croix makes my favorite senko rod and Abu makes my favorite lipless rod. It just worked out that way. 

[WRB]

No, I use rods from a verity of rod makers, some custom, some off the shelf, whatever works best for me. There isn't a good reason to be with one mfr unless they giving you the rods free.

Tom

 

[Preytorien]

I like Shimano rods pretty well. I've used others, but I always find myself selling them and buying Shimano. I feel like its a good stick for an either average or slightly below average pricepoint for what you get. Plus even after discontinuing their lifetime warranty, I've always had excellent service from them - actually in both their rod but especially their reel services. 

 

All my rigs are Shimano Rods + Shimano Reels

[Finnz922]

Irod for 95%, but i have a 7H TD Cielo and 610 TDX Drop Shot that will never leave the lineup

[Steveo-1969]

Almost for me.  I have a BPS Carbonlite (black) that sees less than 50 casts a year.  The other rods I use are all G. Loomis.

[shackman]

 I use Powell,Dobyns,Duckett, e21, Hammer, all star,and shimano. Some I like better than others and use them more but I use them all. 

[kickerfish1]

If I was sponsored I would but since I am not I so no need to do so. Too many good rods out there to be limited to one brand.

[new2BC4bass]

I guess some do.  At one time a friend in my area I meet because of this forum used all St. Croix.  Don't know if that is still the case.

 

As for me, I have rods from quite a few different brands....St. Croix, Hammer, ALX, Dobyns, Fenwick, Quantum, Shimano, Daiwa, Abu, Falcon, Airrus, Field & Stream, the unmentionable, Phenix, Powell, Megabass, Hurriccane, All-Star, Berkley plus a couple customs.

 

EDIT:  Looks like a lot of rods, but 10 brands are represented by only one rod and 6 brands by 2 rods.

[DINK WHISPERER]

I use to use Powell exclusively. Now I'm all over the board. Daiwa, Dobyns, irod, okuma and and some Shimano. Too many great options out there. 

[evilcatfish]

I use rods from various companies, but it seems like the Megabass and Dobyns are starting to outnumber everything else

[MickD]

I would never use only one brand. I would always be wondering what the other brands were like.  

[rippin-lips]

18 minutes ago, MickD said:

I would never use only one brand. I would always be wondering what the other brands were like.  

When you try over a dozen of the other brands, having to sell them off each time for a loss and finally find a company that offers what you’ve been looking for... it’s an easy switch to make. 

[tander]

I use 2 brands, Lews and Falcon. Between the 2, I can find a rod to meet my rigging needs.

[FryDog62]

If you look at how much competition there is today to produce the absolute best $100 rod - you could have a different rod from a number of different manufacturers.  Alot of today’s $100 rods are superior to the $300 G. Loomis rod I bought in 2002.  How times have changed in 15 years!

 

That being said - I have a handful of really good $100 rods, but another handful of $200-300 rods.  Nothing higher than that.  Now reels, that might be a little different story ...

[HookRz]

To each his own but I think you are only handcuffing yourself if you stick to one manufacturer. My favorites tend toward Loomis for casting and St Croix for spinning but there are a few oddballs I would never part with. My theory is to stick with a rod long enough for it to become part of you, and extension of your arm. I do find most technique specific rods are over priced and cause fisherman to switch rods constantly, so they never get in a rhythm. I have one rod for topwater, jerks, squarebills, and traps.   It might not be perfect (according to the people that sell stuff) but in my hands it lays every cast out perfectly. Even more so my jig rod, and my finesse stick. 

[kschultz76]

At one point I had mostly St Croix, but I still wanted to see what else was out there and discovered Megabass and Kistler. Now I have mostly Megabass, but I still have a couple favorite St Croixs, I have a few Kistlers, and a couple Loomis sticks.  Oh and before I got serious about St Croix and if her end gear I had all BPS rods. I’m to interested in what other brands have to offer to stop seeing what else is out there. Hoping some day I’m so apply with what I have I stop wanting to try more, it’s not an inexpensive habit. 

[IndianaOutdoors]

With the exception of 3 casting reels all of my rods and reels are from Pure Fishing.  Most of it I bought from FFO tackle.   An assortment of Fenwicks, a lightning rod and a Shakespeare for slip float/crappie rod.  Some Pflueger and Abu spinning reels.  I believe these are good value/bang for the buck pieces of equipment when you get them at FFO discount prices.  Now that I have my bases covered I will be looking at other companies products as I replace and upgrade.  Would like to try more Daiwa, St Croix.  Kind of looking at getting more into walleye next year so we'll see what's down that rabbit hole.

[hawgenvy]

I have several different brands of rods, but more often than not I find myself reaching for one of my Dobyns sticks.