Great rods that get no love

[HogsNHawgs]

Okuma makes a heckuva swimbait rod.  I also like Lamiglas as well. Growing up on the west coast in the saltwater I really wish the Seeker Rod company would make a line of freshwater rods.  Their saltwater sticks are amazing.

[HeyCoach]

I had a medium Falcon Lowrider rod I bought about 10 years ago. I caught many a river largemouth on Christmas tree Swim Senkos swimming it by lay downs. 

 

It was my favorite rod, I think I paid around $100 for it, and it was stolen last year. Thief broke the lock off the boat’s rod locker. 

[NorthernBasser]

12 hours ago, the reel ess said:

That's the other $100 rod I have and it's good. Mine could probably be better, but I have the frog model. It could double as a pool cue.

I think they updated the models because they had them $20 off for a while before they went MIA.

What do you mean by updated? The ones back on the site are still called ZX Tournament and look the same??

[the reel ess]

12 minutes ago, NorthernBasser said:

What do you mean by updated? The ones back on the site are still called ZX Tournament and look the same??

There may not be anything new that you can see about them on the site. But they went on sale at the end of the year. Some of them were sold out. They came off the site and now there they are, regular price. Either way, they're good rods. My 7'3" frog rod is the lightest rod I own. Granted, I don't own any $200 rods. The Falcon LowRider is still better a better rod though.

[smithy97]

Love my Vexan 7'4 froggin rod. You can pull a truck out a ditch with this rod yet its very sensitive. Best $120 rod out there in my opinion. Very few people have ever heard of them, but worth checking out (not associated with them in any way just love the product). 

[Jaderose]

BPS Extreme with the Power Hump grip.  6'6" MH.  My first "nice" rod bought many years ago.  Always meant to get more but never did and now they are gone.  Not particularly refined but I have yet to find anything I can't do with it.  It's been my frog rod, my "finesse" rod, my cranking rod, and for awhile anyway, my ONLY rod.  Today it does d**n fine duty as my spinner bait rod and shows no sign of slowing down.  Love it and wish I had 10 of them.  It served emergency duty today as my topwater rod, too.  The day it breaks will be a sad day indeed for me.  I should add that it also has my first PQ on it, too.  A reel that works better now, 10 years later, than it did new and that's after doing all the duties I mention above and being broke a couple of times.  Clean it, repair it, lube it, abuse it.  It takes it and smiles

[GReb]

19 minutes ago, Jaderose said:

BPS Extreme with the Power Hump grip.  6'6" MH.  My first "nice" rod bought many years ago.  Always meant to get more but never did and now they are gone.  Not particularly refined but I have yet to find anything I can't do with it.  It's been my frog rod, my "finesse" rod, my cranking rod, and for awhile anyway, my ONLY rod.  Today it does d**n fine duty as my spinner bait rod and shows no sign of slowing down.  Love it and wish I had 10 of them.  It served emergency duty today as my topwater rod, too.  The day it breaks will be a sad day indeed for me.  I should add that it also has my first PQ on it, too.  A reel that works better now, 10 years later, than it did new and that's after doing all the duties I mention above and being broke a couple of times.  Clean it, repair it, lube it, abuse it.  It takes it and smiles

I have the same rod that has been abused for 15 years now. Still use it today mainly for spinnerbaits. It’s my beater that I throw in the back of the truck and my go to pond hopper. All around great versatile rod

[puddlepuncher]

On 6/20/2018 at 5:44 PM, SMITTY0045 said:

Falcon and Fenwick both don’t get enough recognition. A surprisingly good one is Cabela’s Rods. Their ZX tournament series is probably one of the best Rods in the $100 segment

 

The Fenwick AETOS is one of my favorite spinning rods I've ever owned.  Super light and the skeleton seat is a great fit.  

 

The Cabelas fish eagle is another way under rated cheap rod.  I have a few of the older generations before they went to micro guides on the casting line and they are the most versatile rod you can buy.  They lean more towards moderate action and I've thrown weightless plastics to cranks with great results.  When I fish deep in the woods and only bring 1 rod, it's a fish eagle.  I'd check out the ZX if I didn't already love the FE.

[Beam]

Quantum EXO Tour Casting 6’10”. Great rod.

[FishTank]

The Fenwick Elite Tech Rods.  I have abused the two I have and they have been great. 

[KP Duty]

4 hours ago, FishTank said:

The Fenwick Elite Tech Rods.  I have abused the two I have and they have been great. 

Great rods, but I'm not sure you could say they dont get any love.  I hear them praised quite s bit... a lot of dudes were dismayed when they discontinued them.

On 6/22/2018 at 9:38 PM, Jaderose said:

BPS Extreme with the Power Hump grip.  6'6" MH.  My first "nice" rod bought many years ago.  Always meant to get more but never did and now they are gone.  Not particularly refined but I have yet to find anything I can't do with it.  It's been my frog rod, my "finesse" rod, my cranking rod, and for awhile anyway, my ONLY rod.  Today it does d**n fine duty as my spinner bait rod and shows no sign of slowing down.  Love it and wish I had 10 of them.  It served emergency duty today as my topwater rod, too.  The day it breaks will be a sad day indeed for me.  I should add that it also has my first PQ on it, too.  A reel that works better now, 10 years later, than it did new and that's after doing all the duties I mention above and being broke a couple of times.  Clean it, repair it, lube it, abuse it.  It takes it and smiles

The power hump is gone?  That's s shame.  That was their trademark...and comfy.  

[Jaderose]

6 hours ago, KP Duty said:

 

The power hump is gone?  That's s shame.  That was their trademark...and comfy.  

The whole rod is gone.  I think they still have the power hump on a rod or two but they don't make the Exteme anymore

[NittyGrittyBoy]

On 6/20/2018 at 8:43 PM, Way north bass guy said:

I picked up a Berkley series one rod last year, heavy action, I believe it’s about 7’3”. Super nice action, light weight rod for pitching. I’ve had a number of Berkley rods over the years and enjoyed them all. Still have a couple 7’ Hank Parker series lightning rods in the mix, great rods for burning heavy spinnerbaits for Great Lakes smallies.  

I got a few berkley lightning rods, caught a pile of fish on em!

[YaknBassn]

I have this thing about using something different than everyone else, so I made a blind buy on an Ark Rods Invoker.  I'm glad I did.  I've since acquired at least one from each series, except the Sniper lineup.  I love the feel and finish.  

 

Another rod I have that I love is the Daiwa Aird.  Feels so much better than a $50 rod.  I use mine as a topwater rod, so I can't speak on sensitivity, but it does exactly what I need it to dom. 

[Chance_Taker4]

Anything that's not St. Croix, G Loomis or Dobyns.

 

But all seriousness my list is:

Kistler Magnesium 2 (See lots about the KLX and Helium 3)

Denali Kovert and Kovert Lite

Phenix M1

Enigma Aarons Edge

Falcon Bucco

Okuma TCS

[thinkingredneck]

Lamiglass, Okuma.   BPS Tourney specials have been serviceable and reliable.  I just picked up a used American Rodsmith and Ozark rod at an estate sale.  They are 6 ft but easy to use in a kayak.  MH and sensitive for bottom contact plastics.  For sheer toughness, get an Ugly stick.  I really like Ugly Stick spinning rods.