Why on earth would anyone spend $400 on a bass rod?

[DINK WHISPERER]

Here we go again . . . .

[Yumeya]

Why spend a $120 when you can buy a Ugly Stick?

I like Scott Martin but he is kind of a tool...

 

I love my NRX and Megabass rods, they are simply amazing to fish with.

 

I do believe they help you catch more fish when fishing on the bottom, feeling the bite is important.

[Chefster]

Shoot.   I’ll tell you why I did.   Cause my wife said I could.   

 

Would I buy another.   Hell yes.   

 

 

[Raul]

5 hours ago, Further North said:

I own a Legend Xtreme spinning rod.

 

It's got a reel of comparable quality/cost on it.

 

The whole thing, rod, reel, line, leader...weighs about 10.5 ounces.  It's crazy sensitive and I can tell you what I'm pulling my bait through...you can feel it drag over a rock, tell when the bottom transitions and pick up the tiny change when a finicky smallie picks up a 1/8 oz. jig and react before she spits it back out.

 

It's really well balanced, and I could fish it all day, no problem.  I've got a similar BFS rig, and it does exactly what it's supposed to do...Let's not even talk about fly fishing gear...

 

One thing that's worth talking about is that high end equipment often isn't useful to beginners or casual fishermen...they probably don't have a skill set that allows them to use the incremental improvements in away that even remotely makes up for the cost differences.

...and you're having a ton of fun doing it!

 

That's all that matters.

 

 

Do I look happy ? .....

[mcipinkie]

The same reason people will pay $5.00 for cup of coffee.  Someone has convinced them that it's worth it.

 

I like Quik Trip coffee just as well, if not better, than Starbucks.

 

When people quit buying the high dollar stuff, then it will quit selling.

 

Hell, You can buy a Cadillac pick up.

 

 

 

 

[Further North]

9 minutes ago, mcipinkie said:

 

When people quit buying the high dollar stuff, then it will quit selling.

As long as it continues to offer incremental improvements, that'll never happen.

[WI_Angler1989]

I have a St Croix Legend Tournament Bass rod and it cost more than I ever thought I'd spend on a rod. Lo and behold, now I want a an Elite. Why? Every reason others have said. I know how sensitive they are and I love that feeling, I enjoy good gear, they're straight up gorgeous, etc. 

Who knows if I will get it, but it's hard not to look and dream. That's half of the fun of high end gear for me!

[ohboyitsrobby]

Pretty much the same reason the guy who fishes with lightning rods because it's what he can afford and gets the job done would ask why you spent $120 on a rod. I'm personally on the lower end of the financial bracket. But I sure love my falcon rods. I do pair them with low end pinnacle reels because it's what my budget allows. We'd all pretty much get the finest of the fine things if we could I'm sure. 

[Maxximus Redneckus]

My 80s pistol grip lightning rod with fuji guides  top o the line back then with my abu 1500c on it weighs 8.5 oz.maybe im  wrong but rods and handles got longer but  im sure graphite is still the same but just like gas it  went up.im pretty sure st croix and  loomis could have made a nrx or  legend for $80  $100 truth  is the only things that have changed is ppl are to gullible.loomis could sell a rod for 3k all they gotta do is  reword what they been writing 30 yr

[Fishinthefish]

I don't own a rod under 300 dollars retail and I probably never will. I also don't own a reel under 200 dollars retail. I buy it because I can afford that budget range for fishing rods/reels. I would fish with ugly sticks if it's all I could afford. Is there a drastic difference in quality? Absolutely, there isn't a 50 dollar rod in the world that can compare to an NRX, ZBone, Legend Elite rods. It's not even the same ball park when it comes to overall weight, balancing and sensitivity. Does that matter at the end of the day? No, not really. Having fun with that you can afford to have fun with is what's important. Fishing by nature isn't a rich mans sport, you can use an old cane pole and a can of worms you got after a rain and do just fine. Or you can spend thousands of dollars a year on lures, terminal tackle. And thousands more on equipment. 

[roadwarrior]

It's not about the "catching", it's all about the "fishing". For many better gear is just more fun!

 

[senile1]

I can only speculate as to why others would buy a high end rod because I am not a mind reader.  I bought my first high end rod at a lower price on Ebay, out of curiosity.  Like a few have stated, once I bought that rod I realized the incremental improvement in sensitivity for jigs and soft plastics was definitely worth it to me.  I own a few and I can afford them.  I highly suspect they have allowed me to catch a few bass that I would have never had any awareness had bitten.  And I think because I can feel the bottom better, I hang up less.  Like a lot of anglers I did not buy them before because I couldn't imagine the small improvement over a mid-range rod would make a difference.  I was wrong.

[Sam]

19 hours ago, Further North said:

I find this really interesting...why the difference?

Further, so I don't destroy or lose them when fun or prefishing.

 

I have already knocked an Extreme out of the boat and into a pond and have broken two other rods while pond fishing.

 

So I keep my high end rods in my man cave inside my house and use them for tournaments, only.

 

 

 

 

[fishwizzard]

4 hours ago, senile1 said:

I can only speculate as to why others would buy a high end rod because I am not a mind reader.  I bought my first high end rod at a lower price on Ebay, out of curiosity.  

Hah, I did more or less the same thing.  I wanted heavier rod and was like "what the heck, I will spring for an IMX just to see if it's really better the the rods I have now".  Then from there it just progressed and progressed.  I am currently saving up for an NRX JWR so I can see what all the fuss is about. 

 

If there was a place that would rent out high-end rods by the week I thinK I wouldn't own more than a small handful of combos, so curiosity plays a huge role for why I keep buying gear.  I am also dying to try a solid tipped rod, but don't want to buy one blind.  But I know at some point I am gonna have one more beer with dinner and click that button, just so I can see what they are like. 

[Fishinthefish]

18 minutes ago, fishwizzard said:

Hah, I did more or less the same thing.  I wanted heavier rod and was like "what the heck, I will spring for an IMX just to see if it's really better the the rods I have now".  Then from there it just progressed and progressed.  I am currently saving up for an NRX JWR so I can see what all the fuss is about. 

 

If there was a place that would rent out high-end rods by the week I thinK I wouldn't own more than a small handful of combos, so curiosity plays a huge role for why I keep buying gear.  I am also dying to try a solid tipped rod, but don't want to buy one blind.  But I know at some point I am gonna have one more beer with dinner and click that button, just so I can see what they are like. 

I'm warning you now so you can't blame anyone but yourself. There are two rods that once you buy you never go back from. NRX, and custom built rods by a quality dealer. As soon as you handle one, everything else feels like a limp noodle, or a broom stick.

[fishwizzard]

2 minutes ago, Fishinthefish said:

I'm warning you now so you can't blame anyone but yourself. There are two rods that once you buy you never go back from. NRX, and custom built rods by a quality dealer. As soon as you handle one, everything else feels like a limp noodle, or a broom stick.

Yea, the NRX line having a certain jena se quois seems to be a very common thought.  It's hard not go give credence to such an overwhelmingly similar description from so many people.   I have two more "urgent" rods I need to pick up, so the NRX fund is not getting a lot of contributions these days and I feel like the Orochi XX relaunch is going to kill my overall fun-fund for quite some time.  

[Yudo1]

I'm no pro so I fish purely for fun and relaxation. I have no doubt Scott Martin could out fish me with an ugly stik, but I sure do enjoy using my nrx, megabass and kistlers. I also have and use some $100 rods too. Fishing is the only hobby I spend money on. While $400 is a lot of money, it will give me years of enjoyment so broken down over time it's not too bad. Sort of a buy once, cry once philosophy.

 

Higher end rods are like any higher end product. You could get to work in any vehicle, but I'd choose something like a mercedes or bmw over a hyundai (I own a hyundai). Fortunately high end fishing gear doesn't cost as much as a bmw, so I can afford it. I appreciate the light weight, sensitivity and action of higher end rods. Not everyone really appreciates high end gear though. My buddy for instance could afford high end rods, but sticks with rods in the $100 range. He could care less. He points out that my gear doesn't catch more fish and he's right.

 

A $75000 bass boat doesn't fit my budget, but a high-end rod does. Life is too short and unpredictable. The only thing that worries me is if something happens to me, my wife will sell it all for $10 in a garage sale.

[Montanaro]

Scott won FLW using almost exclusively his TCS rods and I watched him use them in those tournaments.

 

They are well made dependable rods that fit his style of fishing and look nice to boot.

 

I cant afford $400 rods, but if I could Id buy one or two for the lightness and sensitivity and comfort.  I have a used steez 6'7" i got for $175 and I can fish it all day and ive caught fish I wouldn't have felt with some low end rods I have owned.

 

However Id prefer to buy a few $200 rods rather than 1 or 2 400-500 rods

[Dtrombly]

I'm revamping my arsenal over winter. Planning on putting the bigger money (~$300) into my jig rod and round out the lineup with $100-$150 sticks. 

[new2BC4bass]

2 hours ago, Yudo1 said:

While $400 is a lot of money, it will give me years of enjoyment so broken down over time it's not too bad. 

 

I don't have any $400 rods, or $300, or $200 (my cost), but I do have way more rods than I should.  My wife complains about how many. I tell her they will likely still be usable after I am gone.  She can't say that about any of the thousands she has spent over the years.

[TnRiver46]

I have never bought a rod over $40, not really sure why sorted through this topic hahahaha

[Deleted account]

God bless the American male sporting goods consumer. 

[RichF]

I don't understand why this is such a highly debated topic.  If you like high end stuff and can afford it...get it, use it, and be happy.  If not, just don't buy it.  What's the point of telling others "they're wasting money" or "it's not worth it" or "I can catch more with my $20 rod than you can with your $400 one."  

 

To answer the OP;  the Legend Xtreme is an incredible line of rods.  There are few others out there that are on par with the build, strength, and sensitivity.  They're also backed by a pretty incredible warranty.  So are they worth the price tag?  I'd say yes. 

[Further North]

10 hours ago, Sam said:

Further, so I don't destroy or lose them when fun or prefishing.

 

I have already knocked an Extreme out of the boat and into a pond and have broken two other rods while pond fishing.

 

So I keep my high end rods in my man cave inside my house and use them for tournaments, only.

 

 

 

 

Makes sense, I guess. 

 

I don't fish tournaments so I don't worry about times when I'm not fishing them.  I booted my Legend Xtreme over the side of the boat on Lake Pepin...only the fast action of my fishing partner...and the fact that we were in about 2 feet of water...saved it.

19 hours ago, Maxximus Redneckus said:

My 80s pistol grip lightning rod with fuji guides  top o the line back then with my abu 1500c on it weighs 8.5 oz.maybe im  wrong but rods and handles got longer but  im sure graphite is still the same but just like gas it  went up.im pretty sure st croix and  loomis could have made a nrx or  legend for $80  $100 truth  is the only things that have changed is ppl are to gullible.loomis could sell a rod for 3k all they gotta do is  reword what they been writing 30 yr

The reel alone weights 9.3 oz...

[Further North]

6 hours ago, Fishinthefish said:

I'm warning you now so you can't blame anyone but yourself. There are two rods that once you buy you never go back from. NRX, and custom built rods by a quality dealer. As soon as you handle one, everything else feels like a limp noodle, or a broom stick.

There is, IMO, not much better than a custom built rod.

 

They can often coast less...far less...that retail offerings, if you are specific about your wants and needs.

 

There's a young guy I work with who has saved me hundreds of dollars while producing exactly what I've been looking for...it's all about leveling expectations up front and having a very, very solid idea of what you want.

 

Going back to a previous post of mine, same goes for custom built shotguns.  When your gun is custom stocked and balanced for exactly the way you shoot...it shoots where you look and you don't have to think about it...or aim...for even a micro-second.  See bird, mount gun, pull trigger...or more graphically: Butt, belly, beak, bang!  You won't even remember mounting, swinging or even pointing the gun...

 

Fishing rods can be the same and cost a helluva lot less...

4 hours ago, Dtrombly said:

I'm revamping my arsenal over winter. Planning on putting the bigger money (~$300) into my jig rod and round out the lineup with $100-$150 sticks. 

Good choice.