NRX 895 vs Custom

[Mikeltee]

I have waited long enough for a god tier rod. I have done my due diligence reading about the 894 vs 895 vs zbone and GLX vs NRX threads. The one remark that always pops up is that you should at least consider custom. I want a 1/2-3/4 bottom contact rod. If I went custom I wouldnt know exactly what I wanted to so I need to be coached by the builder. I guess I could say I want something at least as good as the 895 and go from there. Should I enter this arena of custom or just get the well proven off the shelf 895?

 

I don't find many custom rod makers specializing in bass rods. Who are some guys that could handle this and keep my budget under $400 as that's what I will pay for the NRX?

 

I feel that the customs are more for guys that have fished 20 years twice a week, have tried a million different rods, and can pick one up and say... man if there was only 2 inches added to this handle, 2 more guides added, and a different reel seat I would love this rod. Although I have a dozen $200+ rods, I am definately not that guy!

[punch]

I would go NRX everyday simply because of the resale value. You can get a used NRX for 350 bucks, use it for a few years, and sell it for 350 bucks. If you keep it nice you can basically "rent one". It's amazing how they hold their resale value.  

 

If you buy a custom for 300-400 bucks you could list it for 125 and nobody will even sniff it.

 

If you have a custom built, you better like it because nobody will want to buy it off you in the future. Custom rods are radioactive on the fishing aftermarket. 

 

 

[Dwight Hottle]

Custom rods are great if you can get the blank that you want with the components you want & the craftsmanship that you desire. Unfortunately the NRX blanks are not available for a custom purchase. If you want an NRX there is only one choice.

To me the Z bone on a xray blank is a semi-custom rod you can select the components from their list & chose the wrap colors & handle style. Or you can purchase the already finished Z bone for $399 on sale. I have owned three NRX's & I prefer the Z bones.   

[Stephen B]

Definitely the NRX! Try and find a used one to match your budget and youll be so happy.

[Diggy]

31 minutes ago, Dwight Hottle said:

Custom rods are great if you can get the blank that you want with the components you want & the craftsmanship that you desire. Unfortunately the NRX blanks are not available for a custom purchase. If you want an NRX there is only one choice.

To me the Z bone on a xray blank is a semi-custom rod you can select the components from their list & chose the wrap colors & handle style. Or you can purchase the already finished Z bone for $399 on sale. I have owned three NRX's & I prefer the Z bones.   

And you can add a coupon code that brings it to $359 shipped 2 day

[Mikeltee]

That's an offer I couldn't refuse had I had the money. The plan is 895 first then a MH zbone for 3/8 to 1/2oz so I can make my own comparison. I see zbones pop up for $250 - $300 upon occasion. As soon as I see an 895 for sale I see nothing but 10 guys calling dibs sent 15 minutes after the guy posts it. NRX resale ain't no joke. Heck that's enough of a reason to be brand loyal. Fish it for 10 years and then make money off it. Color me impressed.

[22RangerZ520R]

Imo the 895 NRX is very tip heavy.

[Stephen B]

Conquest is another option

[Mikeltee]

3 hours ago, 18RangerZ520L said:

Imo the 895 NRX is very tip 

 At what point besides holding a rod with no lure on the end does balance come into play? This isnt a smart ars question. I really want to know as we are talking grams here. 

1 hour ago, Stephen B said:

Conquest is another option

Out of my budget but if I ever get a spinning outfit this will be the one. I'm trying to avoid spinning like the plague.

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

1 hour ago, Mikeltee said:

 At what point besides holding a rod with no lure on the end does balance come into play? This isnt a smart ars question. I really want to know as we are talking grams here. 

Out of my budget but if I ever get a spinning outfit this will be the one. I'm trying to avoid spinning like the plague.

Not about grams but more so the effort to hold the rod in position. There are many times with many different lures where you will remain motionless. If say a jig/senko/ika/ned rig is on the bottom and you want it to rest for 20 seconds or so, with just a smidgen bit of tautness on the line, on a tip heavy rod your grip has to be increased much more than balance set-up. This increases fatigue at the end of a 10 hour day. On better balanced rod less grip pressure also let you concentrate on the subtle motions down below.

[Mikeltee]

5 hours ago, QUAKEnSHAKE said:

Not about grams but more so the effort to hold the rod in position. There are many times with many different lures where you will remain motionless. If say a jig/senko/ika/ned rig is on the bottom and you want it to rest for 20 seconds or so, with just a smidgen bit of tautness on the line, on a tip heavy rod your grip has to be increased much more than balance set-up. This increases fatigue at the end of a 10 hour day. On better balanced rod less grip pressure also let you concentrate on the subtle motions down below.

That makes sense. I didnt even think about that. I appreciate the comment. I can definitely see a tip heavy rod being a huge disadvantage in this case. On the other hand, I think a tip heavy rod might be preferred for jerkbaits. I wonder if any manufacturers consider this a feature in their jerkbait specific offerings. 

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

We steelhead fish all day with a 13’ rod held with the tip at between 12 & 2 to hold line off the water for drag free drifts. After that tip heavy bass rods don’t mean much. It’s more personal preference than right/wrong good/bad. 

[new2BC4bass]

On 9/2/2019 at 2:42 PM, punch said:

I would go NRX everyday simply because of the resale value. You can get a used NRX for 350 bucks, use it for a few years, and sell it for 350 bucks. If you keep it nice you can basically "rent one". It's amazing how they hold their resale value.  

 

If you buy a custom for 300-400 bucks you could list it for 125 and nobody will even sniff it.

 

If you have a custom built, you better like it because nobody will want to buy it off you in the future. Custom rods are radioactive on the fishing aftermarket. 

 

 

I feel bad for the seller, but I like my end of the bargain.    I've got 4 custom rods that I wouldn't have if I was the initial purchaser.  I have mentioned custom resale value before.  Not to discourage anyone from having one made, but to make them aware they will lose more should they decide to sell it then they would a factory rod.

[S Hovanec]

On 9/2/2019 at 2:42 PM, punch said:

If you buy a custom for 300-400 bucks you could list it for 125 and nobody will even sniff it.

 

If you have a custom built, you better like it because nobody will want to buy it off you in the future. Custom rods are radioactive on the fishing aftermarket. 

 

 

 

Start building your own.  I've never taken a loss on one of my customs.

[WRB]

I suggest you contact a custom rod builder like DVT or ALX and inquire if they can biuld you a rod using blanks and components equal or superior to NRX or TBone with a warranty and price including shipping.

You may be surprised what $300 can get you.

Tom

[Yumeya]

NRX

[LegendaryBassin]

1 hour ago, WRB said:

I suggest you contact a custom rod builder like DVT or ALX and inquire if they can biuld you a rod using blanks and components equal or superior to NRX or TBone with a warranty and price including shipping.

You may be surprised what $300 can get you.

Tom

TBone lol. IMO ALX doesn't have a blank to remotely compete with the NRX, GLX, K2, Conquest, Destroyer, Z Bone, Legend Elite, etc. I too would go with the production rods for the many points brought up earlier by other members

[WRB]

Alex uses every available rod blank on the market not just his own blanks, he was a custome rod builder long before offering his over the counter rods.

Tom