Mid to High end rod options (also what is difference in price ranges)

[Cgolf]

7 hours ago, kickerfish1 said:

Look no further than your first post. Mid to high end rods and your ultimate concern was sensitivity. Loomis and MB will have rods that top out at $500+. With that said if you look at the Tackle Traps website they offer the GLX and NRX rods in rep sample models that are right around 25% off but with full warranty. That to me would fit your description of: 1. Sensitivity being of high importance 2. Mid to high end rod. 3. Under or around $400. Some rods will be $350 and some a bit over $400.

 

For what it is worth I have a Sage Fly rod as well. Heck I have an Orvis one too!

I will put what I meant there a different way. 

 

I started with 30 dollar glass rods and very low end graphite rods and whatever uglys are and fished those for years. When I upgraded to the st. croix premier and the prodigies I felt a big difference in sensitivity, especially in the spinning rod (premier). Last year I tried the Avid X and saw a big difference in sensitivity between the prodigies and the Avid X.

 

The question I was wondering if say I stuck with St. Croix would I see the same % difference I saw in sensitivity between the prodigies and the avid when I jumped from the avid to  the legend elite or legend extreme. Or will I see other benefits, better guides, better build, lighter stick, and say a smaller % gain in sensitivity than I saw between my other jumps in rod quality. Of the things I just listed, sensitivity is what I value most, I don't want to pay more for lighter, better build, guides etc. Hope this helps clarify what I am looking for. To me spending an extra 200 bucks is not worth say a 10 to 15% gain in sensitivity, I probably am not a good enough angler to take advantage of it.

[Cgolf]

1 hour ago, PatrickKnight said:

Honestly once you start getting near $400 just go custom. For me my most expensive rods would be my jig rod and my spinning rods. St. Croix makes good sticks but when you go truly top end imo they don't compete with Megabass, Loomis NRX and Conquest, or even the Phenix K2. The Avid is likely the best bang for the buck rod out there but I can't stand the super fast actions St Croix likes to use.

Same here, the eyecon spinning rod I have is extra fast and I lose casting distance and a bit of accuracy with it. Perfect world, your right custom might be a good way to go, since I could just give them the prodigies and say replicate these in a better blank. From my years of fishing glass and lower end rods, my hookset style and how I fight a fish suits a more moderate action. That might be why I like that clunn rod so much too. St. Croixs only moderate action rods I could find were in the Avid series.

 

It was interesting though that I was just reading an article on fly rods and how they are starting to slow them down a bit too. I think they got caught up in the faster is better too with the graphite fly rods, wonder if the same happened at St Croix thinking faster is better?

[Boomstick]

I think the sweet spot for rods is around $130-150 (in retail pricing) with a few exceptions that are slightly more expensive, and the same rods can be had for much less as well. More than that, you're spending a lot more money for a only slightly better rod.

 

That said, I have an Avid X spinning rod for finesse and it's the most expensive rod that I own. It's a good rod, but I will note that if you're on a budget, the Mojo Bass has the same blank and retails for $130 -- nice and light rods as well. The Avid X is made in the US though

 

So if you are looking for some high end rods, maybe check out the St. Croix Legend Tournament Bass or perhaps the new Legend X rods, or perhaps the G Loomis NRX or GLX series, or a Daiwa Steez or the like, but I doubt you will find any of them to be $200+ difference over your Premier.

[Tim Kelly]

4 hours ago, cgolf said:

Of the things I just listed, sensitivity is what I value most, I don't want to pay more for lighter, better build, guides etc. Hope this helps clarify what I am looking for. To me spending an extra 200 bucks is not worth say a 10 to 15% gain in sensitivity, I probably am not a good enough angler to take advantage of it.

Sensitivity is a blend of a good blank and a good build. You can have a fantastic blank and ruin it's advantages with too heavy a guide train.

[blckshirt98]

Look into the Phenix Feather line of rods.  Bang for the buck is arguably the best on the market right now.