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

[Finnz922]

More sensitive? Check and subjective

Lighter? Check

Catch you more fish? Nope

 

Fish what you can afford.

 

There is something to guys getting paid or some other kind of sponsorship that in some way financially benefits them. Look at Luke Clausen. Was with Megabass for years saying they were the best rods available. Now immediately after getting signed by Phenix rods, they are the lightest and most sensitive rods. He also said; "truly the best rods". Not mad at the guy, but I mean, c'mon man!

 

All fairness. I push Irods, but I'm not going to go preach they are the best rods out there. Everybody makes good rods anymore. To each their own. 

[Bankbeater]

It's all about fishing with equipment that makes you happy.  The bass could care less.

[rangerjockey]

I don't think there's a huge advantage to be had, if any. I'm lucky and get a discount on rods,reels baits ect.

 I fish to try to put a couple bucks in my pocket as well as for fun.. I used to have a boat  full of NRX'S but I catch just as many, and do as well with a solid $200 rod.

Heck, there's guys making a living fishing rods I personally would't use for a tomato stake but I guess it's the Indian not the arrow.

 If someone has confidence in a certain brand or model then that's what they should fish but a rod isn't going to make a average fisherman a stick.

 As far as pro's using rods that are different than what you can buy off the shelf, I've never seen that.

 I have a couple that were used this past season by a Elite series pro and other than being more beat up than mine they fish the same as my factory rods.

 

 

 

[detroit1]

To each his own. I fish with rods and reels that would be considered mid-range to lower in price. I would  like to fish with a $400 rig, but it will never happen. And I am fine with that.

[tholmes]

Buy and fish whatever spins your fan. I don't own any "high end" fishing gear, but I enjoy fishing with what I have, and don't second guess what others use. 

Many people would ask me why I would spend 2K+ on a guitar when a $250 guitar will do the same thing.

Everybody has different priorities and different means. Doesn't make them right or wrong, just different.

 

Tom

[new2BC4bass]

20 minutes ago, tholmes said:

Buy and fish whatever spins your fan. I don't own any "high end" fishing gear, but I enjoy fishing with what I have, and don't second guess what others use. 

Many people would ask me why I would spend 2K+ on a guitar when a $250 guitar will do the same thing.

Everybody has different priorities and different means. Doesn't make them right or wrong, just different.

 

Tom

 

And I would argue that just like when fishing, there are those that can make a $250 guitar sound pretty darn good while others couldn't make the $2k+ guitar sound any better than fingernails screeching on a chalkboard.

[Boomstick]

I can think of a few different scenarios.

 

#1) First, the spoiled rich person with too much money where the extra $300 is like the average person buying a 25 cent pack of bubble gum. They can afford it, so why not?

 

#2) A diehard bass fisherman just wanted to see if it's truly worth it.

 

#3) A diehard bass fisherman wanted a rod with a specific grip and decided to get a custom rod built.

 

Myself, I try to aim around $100 for a rod and a reel, although might be willing to spend more on a reel because that's less likely to break from abuse. Past that, it seems like you get less for your money.

 

Say some company found a way to make a rod that has the same bend and weight as other rods made out of something new that was really expensive, but it could easily lift 100lbs before breaking, that would be worth $400 if you really loved the rod, right?

 

[RichF]

13 hours ago, Raul said:

Why on earth would somebody spend 50K in a bass boat ? I do perfectly fine with my 12 ft aluminum tub powered by that massive 6.5 HP Johnson outboard, hell, I bet I have caught more 10+ lbers than most of the fellas in this board from it than they in their fancy bass boats.

I imagine living in Mexico could possibly have something to do with that...lol.  

 

 

[onenutinthewater]

2 years ago I thought the only thing a $300 rod would catch was the sucker who bought it. Then I made the mistake of buying a few used loomis rods. Now I cannot fish with anything less. Once you use quality gear going back to budget gear is not possible. I spent 35 years using budget gear.

We could get to our fishing spots driving a ford pinto but why?

[Raul]

1 hour ago, RichF said:

I imagine living in Mexico could possibly have something to do with that...lol.  

 

 

Living in Mexico helps, but if that were the case everybody should catch 10 lbers on a daily basis and ......99% of the people that fish for bass down here have never even seen a 10 lber, for example, my life long friend and fishing partner Pedro has never caught a 10 lber and we were on the same boat, hell, we were fishing the “same spot” sometimes, and he is a very talented and skillful angler. 

[Further North]

My Mom used to get all wrapped round the axle when she'd be driving along, about 5 MPH over the speed limit and someone would pass her, "Why do they have to go that fast?" she'd grump.

 

One time, tired of the same old, same old and being a teenager, I replied, "Because they can."

 

I earned a "look", but I was right.

 

Same thing with rods, reels, gear, boats cars, trucks...

 

All the "stuff" we buy sits on a curve that's called incremental improvement...and every increment along that curve comes with a price increase...and the price increase isn't linear.

 

Is a $400 rod 333% better than a $120 rod?  Nope...but it is better.

 

I used to spend a lot of time shooting, buying, selling, trading and generally wallowing about in the world of SxS shotguns...

 

The price differences there make fishing equipment seem like nothing...you could buy a "functional" SxS for under $1,000, shoot just fine, enjoy life, and be OK as long as you didn't let the green eyed monsters of envy and jealousy get in your head.

 

You could also without a lot of work, spend $1,200, $2,500, $5000 or $7,500.  Were the guns better?  You bet.  Better wood, lighter, faster, custom stock dimensions, really nice 100% coverage in hand engraving began to show up at the higher end of that curve.  Was it worth it to everyone?  Not a chance.

 

You could also, without a lot more work, double that and spend $15K.  Better?  Sure.  At this point you begin to get wood to metal fit so good you can see it, but can't feel it.  You get engraving that'll knock the socks off anyone with any appreciation for art, craftsmanship and attention to fine detail...along with everything on the $7,500 gun.

 

You  could also, without a lot more work, pretty rapidly ramp that cost up to $20, $40, $50 or even $100,000...but every step was a very steep incremental improvement.  The difference in engraving alone could be several hundred hours and delivery of the gun could be a couple years out from conception to delivery.

 

...and no, nowhere near all the folks buying those guns were stuffy, arrogant captains of industry, or royalty.  I know a guy who worked as a tradesman his whole life who has several custom made Fox shotguns that are as fine as anything made by Purdy, Boss, or Holland & Holland.  Wears jeans and work shirts, scuffed boots, drinks beer and lies about fishing just like the rest of us...

 

With any of this stuff, it's all about finding the place on the curve that best suits you and being happy with it. 

 

Happiness ain't getting what you want it's wanting what you've got.

 

Sorry for the ramble, too cold to do much else today.

 

PS: I never spent anywhere near top end money for a shotgun, not by a several decimal places...but I've got a couple "keepers" that suit me very well.

[scaleface]

There are people on this forum buying their  "first"  baitcasting combo paying more than I ever had . 

[Further North]

1 minute ago, scaleface said:

There are people on this forum buying their  "first"  baitcasting combo paying more than I ever had . 

Yup.  The culture is different - way different - than it was when I started fishing, and that's kind of expected these days.

 

Lotta folks trying to buy the "best rod" and the "best reel" and the "best lures" and the "best line" thinking it'll help their fishing more than getting a decent rig, hitting the water and figuring out what they like, what works best for them and learning the "how to" side of things.

 

...that's how I got my boat...guy thought he'd go out and get a really nice boat, with a lot of high end equipment on it...and go start catching fish like the pros....

 

8 years later, I bought it for 1/4 of new $$$, with less than 10 hours on it...

[Further North]

17 hours ago, FattyWnnaCookie said:

Well thats kind of my question. What about the rod its self is fun? It can only change so much before it is just another rod with a higher price tag. I can gauge the difference in a phone because of its internals and capabilities that come with the bigger tag. However, with a bass rod, does the rod it self really continue to change with almost triple the price. I will almost certainly never get a chance to use one, so i can't really figure it out for myself.

 

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.

15 hours ago, Raul said:

Why on earth would somebody spend 50K in a bass boat ? I do perfectly fine with my 12 ft aluminum tub powered by that massive 6.5 HP Johnson outboard, hell, I bet I have caught more 10+ lbers than most of the fellas in this board from it than they in their fancy bass boats.

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

 

That's all that matters.

[Further North]

6 hours ago, Sam said:

I use my high end rods for tournaments. Otherwise, the less expensive rods and reels are fine for prefishing and fun fishing.

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

[Further North]

6 hours ago, 68camaro said:

I have one custom made rod over $400, I use it for blade baits. It's made by guy who does it part time and has big following with 4 plus month wait. With a custom you get exactly what you want - everything from size, handle type & length, to color to action and everything in-between. For example, mine was built on 7'6" Point Blank blank cut down to 7'3", it's made for exactly what I wanted it to do.

 

I have mostly Dobyns, Megabass and another semi-custom rod but neither is in class like this.  Its ability to throw bombs and insane sensitivity is unparalleled. 

 

Now with that said did it make me a better fisherman, don't know, but it really increased confidence and I now use and have much more success with bladed baits than before i had it. It's just so sweet and so much fun to fish, it kinda has feel like my Megabass Aaron Rogers spinning rod I use for finesse baits but has other design advantages and fishes up to 3/4oz.

 

Now why did I buy it? I'll quote Darren's response...."because I can". I don't say this arrogantly but I know it sounds it. It's just that I am at the point in life when disposable income is more than when younger. I would never buy a rod this expensive when I was in 20's, 30's, or even 40's. But I am 54 almost 55, our financial house is in great order so I do have disposable income that allows me to enjoy some finer things without blinking.

 

Do I need a $400 rod with reel to match? No, but I enjoy the search, interaction with builder and fishing with rod that I helped design. But really I could fish with sub-$100 rod and still catch fish so the argument can be made why buy a $300 or $200 or $150?  Heck, I go to my little pond sometimes and struggle and down the bank are a group of 12 years olds having a time of there life using walmart bought setup and catching fish under bobber/worms....

 

I used to collect and target shoot 1911's several times a week. Fishing is cheap compared to some shooting sports, so I figure now that I  don't shoot so much I am actually saving money:)

  

Nailed it, IMO.

 

I found your example interesting, because I had a young guy near me build me a rod specifically for in-line spinners...specifically #5 Mepps or similar.

 

Why?  It's my top search bait, and I want to be able to feel the blade spin...and when it stops...and be ablt to tell (most of the time) if it stopped because it ran into a weed, clipped a sunken tree branch, bounced off a rock...or got sucked in from behind by a 3 ft.pike...

 

PS: I'm 55, going on 56...funny how that works out...

6 hours ago, S Hovanec said:

 

Kinda like putting steel wheels and hubcaps on a Benz, huh?  They're all round and will roll, but one just looks better and gives more pleasure!

They work better too...

 

Less unsprung weight improves a lot of things on a car...

[Russ E]

discussions about why would anyone pay a certain amount of money for a piece of equipent, is nothing new.

in my opinion, let your budget determine the cost of your equipment.

when I was younger and money was tight, I used low cost equipment and caught plenty of fish.

As my finances improved over the years, so has the cost and value of what I fish with.

Do I catch more fish with the higher end equipment? Maybe .

I will say higher end rods and reels are more fun to fish with all day and my bass boat is a lot safer and more comfortable to fish out of than my first jon boat.

[Johnbt]

"First, the spoiled rich person with too much money where the extra $300 is like the average person buying a 25 cent pack of bubble gum. They can afford it, so why not?"

 

I'm 67 and I woke up one morning after 5 years of retirement and said, "Why not?"

 

So I ordered a Metanium MGL and a Steez SV TWS, just in time for winter. I have a nearly new St. Croix Sniper Spinnerbait LTB, but I think I'll look for a couple of nice rods to go with my nice reels. I've never fished a tournament, so there are only a few guys who will ever know what I bought and one of them will probably still outfish me 9 days out of 10.

 

I have a fair amount of fishing gear and still have two of my original casting outfits from the '50s and '60s - you know, metal rods and heavy reels better suited for worm fishing. Real worms. I've caught black sea bass with them and a variety of other things salty and fresh.

 

But I'm not a child anymore living in a row house in Baltimore. I'm also not 16 and working at McDonalds in D.C. for $1.15 an hour hauling big burlap bags of Idahos up from the basement and turning them into fries. Thank goodness I'm not.

 

My girlfriend says I'm rich and she's always right.

 

John

[Stingray23]

For all the guys saying that they dont need it, or dont want it or wouldnt get it even if they could, just dont make the mistake of fishing with high end gear. You will eat those words and will end up buying better rods and reels.

[YaknBassn]

While I'll never spend that kind of cash on a rod, I certainly understand why someone would.  Especially if they regularly fish tournaments. 

 

A fishing a rod is a tool, no different than the tools I use to make my living.  I can get by with a $4 pair of Wal-Mart linesman pliers, but the more expensive Klien Tools are better made, more comfortable, and make my job easier.

 

I used to scoff at the idea of spending  $150 on a rod, believing that an Ugly Stik was just as good.  Then I bought a $150 rod.  There isnt a comparison.   The more expensive rod is hands down a better tool.  I can catch fish with an Ugly Stick, but I'm not as comfortable and the rod isn't as dependable.  

 

I can buy that a Megabass rod is way better than an ALX rod.  If it's in your budget and you can personally justify the need for a high end rod, then by all means, use one.  

[Scarborough817]

main reasons are sensitivity and weight. go to your local shop and feel the difference in weight between a $100 rod and a $400 rod

[WRB]

On December 30, 2017 at 4:39 PM, FattyWnnaCookie said:

Off the top of my head I don't recall you as a BR member? Good question to stir up replies during the cold winter period.

Most bass anglers do not have the means to pay more then thier expendable income on fishing tackle, but they do anyway. For the fortunate few who have the means and time to buy whatever they want price isn't a factor, they want the best availble.

When I started off shore fishing my partners didn't know how to fish but wanted learn so we started off with Penn Senator reels and local Sabre rods and caught lots of tuna and a few Marlin. We all joined the Balboa Anglers club and started tournament fishing, the boat went from 31' Bertram to 54' Pacifica, reels went from Senators to Internationals, the rods changed from off the shelf to custom, the sonar, radar, radios all upgraded, far above my pay grade but not my partners who now belonged to the Avalon Tuna club. I had to use vacation time to fish, they owned thier business. I own 2 each tricked out International reels from 30W, 50 & 50W, 80 and rods for each that I could afford then and no longer use today. I look back at those off shore trips to Mexico Baja and Cabo as being priceless. Yes the tackle was expensive, but needed for big tuna and Marlin.

Today's highend bass tackle cost as much as my off shore tackle did back 25 years ago. I can't justify paying $400-$800 for a rod or a reel and try to keep within 1/2 those amounts, not because I can't afford it, they aren't worth it to me and I don't need them to catch bass.

Tom

 

 

[Angry John]

The real truth is you can not change someone's mind if they are ignorant and don't have the means.  Maybe they want to be happy with there cheap gear.  We waste our time trying to convince someone who does not want to be converted.  I see this thread every winter.  If you don't want to spend the money dont.  We're not communist yet.

[Columbia Craw]

The answer is simple.  Because it was a $500.00 rod that was 20% off.  How could anyone pass up saving a hundred bucks ??????  That's enough to buy a pair of Plizzers. 

[BrackishBassin]

29 minutes ago, Columbia Craw said:

The answer is simple.  Because it was a $500.00 rod that was 20% off.  How could anyone pass up saving a hundred bucks ??????  That's enough to buy a pair of Plizzers. 

 

Only the freshwater ones though.