Best Rods

[NathanDLTH]

Yes, I am asking a very subjective question with which I expect very subjective answers. I am looking at going with one brand of rods. Simple. I want the same feel through all my rods. 
 

Standards:

Warranty-who takes care of their customer the best

 

Price-best bang for your buck(money doesn’t grow on trees)

 

Balance: how the rod feels with reels in a variety of weights

Fishability-fishing for long periods of time without causing fatigue

 

Lastly, appeal. Appeal matters to an extent, but that’s it. 
 

Now for my resume of rods I have owned and own currently. 

Dobyns 755 Xtasy 

Dobyns 744(sold)

 

Megabass Orochi XX n XXX(jdm rods)

Tour Versatile n Braillist, Destruction(jdm)

 

Tatula Elite: with n w/o AGS guides

7’3 MH Multi-Purpose

Sold both7’ M/MH/XF, 7’4 Ish Frog rod

 

Daiwa Cronos Spinning 7’3 M/F, 7’6 ML/F(Sold)

 

13Fishing Omen Black 7’1(sold)

 

G-Loomis GLX 893(sold) 

 

By now you’re wondering why would anyone make a list like this. I’m doing this out of a desire for simplicity and knowing how my rods will behave when hooking into a fish. Also it’s just easier to have one brand. 

 

[Stephen B]

Warranty: G Loomis and St Croix

 

Price: Shimano and Megabass

 

Balance: Dobyns

 

Fishability: Shimano

 

Appeal: Megabass

 

Overall, I think G Loomis, St Croix, Shimano, Megabass, and Daiwa make the best rods in the industry. You can't go wrong with them. Depending on what you want to spend, and what application you plan to fish determines which company I would pick. 

 

 

 

 

[Efishin]

Warranty: G Loomis wins as it's the best in the industry. 

Price: Shimano. Picked Shimano as they provide great value in all of there rods. Plus, the offer a ton of rods across price ranges.

Balance: Dobyns is known for great balance.

Fishability: This is tough as everyone may prefer different reel seats, etc as we all hold our setups differently. 

Appeal: Megabass always has amazing aesthetics. Shimano is second IMO. 

 

 

[punch]

3 hours ago, NathanDLTH said:

Yes, I am asking a very subjective question with which I expect very subjective answers. I am looking at going with one brand of rods. Simple. I want the same feel through all my rods. 
 

Standards:

Warranty-who takes care of their customer the best

 

Price-best bang for your buck(money doesn’t grow on trees)

 

Balance: how the rod feels with reels in a variety of weights

Fishability-fishing for long periods of time without causing fatigue

 

Lastly, appeal. Appeal matters to an extent, but that’s it. 
 

Now for my resume of rods I have owned and own currently. 

Dobyns 755 Xtasy 

Dobyns 744(sold)

 

Megabass Orochi XX n XXX(jdm rods)

Tour Versatile n Braillist, Destruction(jdm)

 

Tatula Elite: with n w/o AGS guides

7’3 MH Multi-Purpose

Sold both7’ M/MH/XF, 7’4 Ish Frog rod

 

Daiwa Cronos Spinning 7’3 M/F, 7’6 ML/F(Sold)

 

13Fishing Omen Black 7’1(sold)

 

G-Loomis GLX 893(sold) 

 

By now you’re wondering why would anyone make a list like this. I’m doing this out of a desire for simplicity and knowing how my rods will behave when hooking into a fish. Also it’s just easier to have one brand. 

 

Hah another person who sold their 893c GLX. I really didn't think mine was anything special, let alone $400 special. 

 

I've tried many.. many.. many rod lines and my collection has distilled down to Megabass (orochi and destroyer), Exprides, St Croix Legend X and a couple speciality rods like a NRX 873c.

 

If I had to pick one rod line to use ONLY, it would be all Exprides HANDS DOWN (I have 6 of them). They are light, sensitive, look good, balance well, have good resale, and the lineup is very diverse. Several rods in their lineup are straight up GREAT and considered the best for that technique. Like their 72MH glass chatterbait rod, their 7'3 XH frog rod, and their flippin stick. Their 7'2 MH is so versatile I have two of them. 

 

You can get them for around 200-220 new from certain shops. 

[22RangerZ520R]

Shimano/G Loomis

[NHBull]

If I had to pick one company that checked all the boxes it would be Loomis.  If I wanted a similar feel in all of them, I would look to the MBR flex, available on many offerings. 

2 hours ago, 18RangerZ520L said:

Shimano/G Loomis

??? somehow I knew that would be your answer, and I fully agree

[Dens228]

I was a St Croix guy and still am.  Have been for many years.       But........................this year I purchased a Levante 19 Braillist, which led to two Orochi XX Braillists.  They serve as my bottom jig, swim/chatterbait, and plastics rods. 
Now I have a Flatside Special...........

Oh the financial agony of having a new fave.............lol

[STBen1215]

G Loomis or Megabass, if only one. 

[Dwight Hottle]

My best rods to meet your list of standards have been: St Croix, G Loomis & Kistler. 

My list of honorable mentions include: Megabass & Shimano.

[Tizi]

Shimano or Daiwa

[ww2farmer]

My favorite rods that I have ever owned in separate category's:

 

Best built : St. Croix Legend Tournaments

 

Best Warranty/Customer service: St Croix

 

Best bang for the buck: Dobyn's Fury

 

Best balance: Dobyn's 

 

Best Budget Rods: Daiwa Aird X's

 

[22RangerZ520R]

5 hours ago, NHBull said:

 

??? somehow I knew that would be your answer, and I fully agree

 

I've got 14 of the Conquests, so I'm a little biased.... 

[CrankFate]

I don’t know, but I would never pay more for a rod to get a better warranty. IMO, warranty is irrelevant to the usefulness of a rod.

[NathanDLTH]

1 hour ago, CrankFate said:

I don’t know, but I would never pay more for a rod to get a better warranty. IMO, warranty is irrelevant to the usefulness of a rod.

Accidents happen and for some of us we want the warranty in case of accidents. Murphy’s law. 

[Fried Lemons]

If I was going to make a lineup of just one brand of rods it would be shimano. I’m a big fan of their tapers and if you find a particular model you like you can find the same model in their flagship lines. There is a rod at every price point. For example if you like the 6’10 medium Zodias(awesome jerkbait rod) and want to upgrade at some point you can find a rod with the same length and taper in the expride, poison adrena, poison glorious and poison ultima series. The rods get lighter with nicer components the higher up you go.

 

Technically G Loomis rods are also Shimano rods and the conquest blank is a shimano blank so if you prefer simpler USDM styling you have options.

[Catt]

Best Rods

 

The ones on the deck of my boat & no you can't use them!

[MN Fisher]

3 minutes ago, Catt said:

Best Rods

 

The ones on the deck of my boat & no you can't use them!

That ones that catch fish - which is all of my 'budget' rods.

[ike8120]

1 minute ago, MN Fisher said:

That ones that catch fish - which is all of my 'budget' rods.

You got that right

[FishTank]

G. Loomis and St.Croix would be my choices.

 

If I am going for all around best bang for the buck line up of rods from one manufacture where I am buying 5 to keep on the deck.  Easy.....  St. Croix Avid.  It checks all the boxes........  Price, well made, sensitive (there are several better but best for the money), and tons of choices to suit my needs. 

[Mobasser]

I don't think there is any one brand that's the best. I've got rods from Berkley, Fenwick, Shimano, and an older St. Croix. They've all caught fish, irrelevant to cost. 

[WRB]

Best or best warranty or both.

When G.Loomis rods introduced the $500 NRX series about a decade ago I seriously considered buying them because my partner loved them and I liked them.

When I went to purchase the rods at a local shop the rod replacement warranty required  additional $100 certificate at the time of purchase, $500 + $100 = $600 rod cost out of pocket. Loomis would replace a rod that failed from a factory defect in the rod blank for $30 shipping without the certificate, not damage to the reel seat, cork handle or locking ring or guide failures, those required the certificate for a no questions asked replacement outside of a rod blank material issue. The $100 certificate was reasonable for a no questions asked replacement but the standard limited life time warranty didn't cover the entire rod,only the blank. I passed and didn't NRX rods for that reason.

Today Loomis offers an expedite rod replacement program very similar to the certificate program except you must buy another rod equal to the replacement rod ending up with 2 rods. You get the replacement rod for $100 plus shipping and that is a good deal if you want 2 rods. No other rod company requires you to buy additional rod as condition for replacement outside of warranty.

Go with whatever company provides you the customer service support you like, all the highend rod companies have good products.

Tom

 

[CrankFate]

4 hours ago, NathanDLTH said:

Accidents happen and for some of us we want the warranty in case of accidents. Murphy’s law. 

I know that’s what people say. But I’ve never had a rod break. I would pass on getting any rod that I thought might break from fishing. 

[MN Fisher]

4 hours ago, NathanDLTH said:

Accidents happen and for some of us we want the warranty in case of accidents. Murphy’s law. 

 

11 minutes ago, CrankFate said:

I know that’s what people say. But I’ve never had a rod break. I would pass on getting any rod that I thought might break from fishing. 

I've got my three old rods gathering dust as I've upgraded. All were 'cheap' rods, the most expensive being an original Ugly Stick. They're all 30+ years old, still intact, and usable, but don't have the action I want, so they sit unused. They've caught hundreds of fish without a problem.

 

Statistically, if a rod is going to break from accident, it'll happen in the first year - which is what my Aird-X rods are warranted for.

[Westcoast]

I think for one brand of rod I’d go with gloomis. And that’s not just for bass rods either, they make great salmon/steelhead rods and awesome fly rods too. 

[FryDog62]

I would pick either Daiwa, ALX, Megabass or Kistler.  I like NRX but not a fan of GLX because of the grip.  
 

The one rod manufacturer I would not select for sure would be St. Croix.  Heavy rods, poorly balanced.  Had them for years (12 of them, various models) and am amazed at the above 4 mentioned rods how much better they are in terms of being light, crisp, balanced, yet powerful.  Hate to say it despite my Wisconsin roots, but I’m a recovering SC fan-boy.  No more...
 

You and I have also talked about Dobyns rods.  I absolutely love my flippin stick, but personally don’t think they make a great bottom contact or sensitive rod (many others do however).  Therefore I would not be able to use Dobyns, despite good overall quality, as the one manufacturer to use for all rods I use... but that’s just me... am probably in the minority on that..