What’s the last rod/reel you purchased that you ended up regretting?

[Columbia Craw]

Most of the rods I’ve purchased over the last 30 years have been good to great but two stand out as a mistake.  The Fenwick Elite Tech spinnerbait model.  One trip and it was gone.  The other was a St Croix Mojo spinnerbait rod.  It had the sensitivity of a garden hose.  I bought a Diawa  Procaster back when magnets first came out.  This was pre mag force.  It was terrible.  It soured me until the Tatula came out. Diawa has come along way.

[dodgeguy]

14 hours ago, NavyVet1204 said:

A lot of flak headed my way for this one, but I bought a Lews tournament SLP at bass pro last year that is just not enjoyable. It looks decent, but feels like something I dug out of a Cracker Jack box even though it functions just fine as intended. 
 

The only rod I own that I have any discord with is the Abu vengeance rod I bought 6’9” for my shakey head set up. The reel mentioned above is what it is paired with. It’s a med/hvy fast but isn’t sensitive at all and feels like I may as well be fishing with a broom handle.

If you don't want it I'll take a donation !!!

9 hours ago, SloatsburgPete said:

NavyVet - I'll share any flak you get over Lew's. A few years ago I bought an Abu Pro Max - great, "inexpensive" reel, I still use it. I thought I'd "upgrade" and bought a Lew's Tournament MB - about 2x the cost of the Lew's. I didn't expect 2x the reel, but the Lew's was not much of an upgrade at all, and stopped working within a year of moderate use (spindle disengaged from the handle). So I'm done with Lew's for now - will give Daiwa and Shimano a try next.

Sobwe didn't notice it was loose and get Lews to fix it ?

[NOC 1]

On 1/19/2021 at 6:46 AM, NavyVet1204 said:

 

The only rod I own that I have any discord with is the Abu vengeance rod I bought 6’9” for my shakey head set up. The reel mentioned above is what it is paired with. It’s a med/hvy fast but isn’t sensitive at all and feels like I may as well be fishing with a broom handle.

Yeah, I think I might have mentioned that back when you soliciting opinions on that Vengeance rod. in my opinion among the worst rods out there.

[NOC 1]

On 1/19/2021 at 6:46 AM, NavyVet1204 said:

A lot of flak headed my way for this one, but I bought a Lews tournament SLP at bass pro last year that is just not enjoyable. It looks decent, but feels like something I dug out of a Cracker Jack box even though it functions just fine as intended. 
 

The only rod I own that I have any discord with is the Abu vengeance rod I bought 6’9” for my shakey head set up. The reel mentioned above is what it is paired with. It’s a med/hvy fast but isn’t sensitive at all and feels like I may as well be fishing with a broom handle.

To answer the original question, the last rod I bought that I regret was either of a pair of St Croix Legend Tournament rods. Heavy, clunky, poorly balanced, and to me a really weird feel to the actions. They didn't fish as bad as they feel , but still I've used them maybe twice and will probably never use them again.

 

The last reels I regret buying weren't too much regrettable really. On a whim I bought a few of the KastKing reels when they were first coming out. Terrible reels. Any of my old $40 Diawa Laguna reels put them to shame. But, as I said, not too much regret. They are cheap reels and I guess not worth that much regret. I'll probably give them away to someone who has no money at some point. Or donate them to the DNR so they can use them as loaners for the city kids who come out on outings and want to try fishing.

[Shimano_1]

3 daiwa tatula ct reels when tw had their sale. I swear those reels used to feel amazing and all 3 of these were loud and not what they used to be in my opinion.  

[NOC 1]

On 1/19/2021 at 10:56 AM, waymont said:

Two Kistler rods. Both were bought on sale, and both had a weird taper that I couldn't hang with and too small of guides for me. I sold both after two outings with them. They seem so over priced to me.

I have a Z-bone that I really like. I too bought it on sale for about $350 and am happy with the price. It has all Titanium Torzite guides (yes, the small ones). and I love the X-Ray blank It is well balanced and very light and I am in love with the action. The cork is not that great and the workmanship... meh. I think that at the list price of $550 it would most definitely be overpriced though. I can build them myself at least as well, using top of the line Carbon Fiber handles  and build them cheaper too.

[Log Catcher]

I bought two Gen 3 Revo S reels that were absolute junk. Sent them to a repair shop that says he fixed them. I will never know as I took them to the local tackle shop and they sold them for me. I will never buy another Abu Garcia reel. I still have a 1st gen Revo S that works just fine.

[RoLo]

 

Daiwa Tatula      

 

Roger

[papajoe222]

Although I've given away quite a few rods over the years, I can say I never disliked any of them (except for the spinning rods?). I did, however, purchase a Daiwa Exceler that I was very dissatisfied with. After using it twice, I traded it for a BlackMax.  My only regret in doing so was that fact that I'd spooled it with Sunline Sniper FC.

[mcipinkie]

Every rod, at least every one I've bought this century. 

 

I have a couple old (20 plus years) rods that feel good. 

 

I can't find anything that I like new.  Of course, I won't spend over $150 for a rod.

 

Reels, I don't really care.  Just something to spool line on.  I am perfectly happy with a $50 BPS PQ2.  I use Lew's Super Duty's more than anything else, but I'm just not into reels, as long as they cast well.  I don't mind a little roughness or "geary" on retrieve.

 

The last half dozen reels I've bought have been Revo - X's.  I'm happy for $100 per.

[FishTank]

In the past few years I have purchased several new reels/rods and a few were duds..... Some of the notable bad ones....

 

Abu Garcia STX Gen4 

Quantum Accurist (Generation before S3)

Shimano Vanquish > great reel but I was excepting more for the price tag.  Should     have gotten a Stradic or waited for the Vanford

Okuma Helios Air 

 

Fenwick Elite Tech Walleye Spinning and an Elite Tech Bass Casting

G. Loomis GLX 803C > I do love this rod but I had the original and was sent a newer version (2nd generation?) when I did a warranty exchange.  It's not as good as the one I had.  

 

 

[waymont]

St Croix 6'8" MHF Legend Tournament bass rod. It was so tip heavy, and stiff I sold it after a week of fishing it. It was beautifully put together, with excellent components but it was so uncomfortable for me. My Legend Tournament Walleye spinning rod is so totally fantastic, I was surprised by how much the LTB rod was not for me.

[Nibbles]

Hmm...

 

TD-Z 103HL R+

Nice reel, just didn't feel all that different from a standard TD-Z/Zillion and was quickly forgotten about

 

Steez Megatop 6101MXBA-SPX

Thing is way too noodly/whippy for me to make accurate pitches/casts with, may as well be a dropshot rod. Is sensitive though.

 

 

[Born 2 fish]

Last reels I bought I wouldn’t say I regretted buying but didn’t live up to the hype were my tatula sv reels.

[J Francho]

Sometime around '93 or '94 I bought a Curado Bantam.  It was $10 more than the Citrica, and I did some major hemming and hawing over that $10.  Minimum wage was like $3.50/hr back then.  I ended up returning it, and going back to a Team Daiwa, which was $30 more at $120.  The Curado just didn't turn my screws like my other Shimano reels.  

[JohnFromLisbon]

The Shimano Curado 7'2 Heavy rod. I had handled the MH, and it felt fine. But the 7'2 was noticeably tip heavy - even with a Curado reel on it, which is weird considering they were literally made for each other. Ended up selling it. I still have an old 7'3 Loomis, the 875 MossyBack, that balances better and is slightly lighter too, even with one more guide on it, and can handle a bigger range in weights.

 

In short, I don't miss it.

[The Maestro]

A 7'6 heavy 13 Fishing Envy Black. 

[txchaser]

MH Avid X Spinning. Had to buy it sight unseen for someone I fish with that couldn't use a baitcaster at the time. It's a broomstick compared to every other MH I've held. Is somewhere in a closet now. 

[NOC 1]

On 1/19/2021 at 8:26 PM, Bankbeater said:

I inherited an Abu Vendetta mh casting rod.  The only good thing I can say about it is that I didn't buy it.  It's like fishing with a light weight pool stick.

Lucky you..I actually bought one, used it once. It's probably the 2nd worst rod ever second only to the Vengeance rods.

[NavyVet1204]

27 minutes ago, NOC 1 said:

Lucky you..I actually bought one, used it once. It's probably the 2nd worst rod ever second only to the Vengeance rods.

I one two of the vendetta’s and one of the vengeance. The vendettas are amazing IMO for their price point, but the vengeance is terrible.

[PourMyOwn]

My SLX reel. It has a whirring gear noise and I didn't even use it last season. 

[NYWayfarer]

I regret nothing...

[NOC 1]

On 1/21/2021 at 10:58 PM, NavyVet1204 said:

I one two of the vendetta’s and one of the vengeance. The vendettas are amazing IMO for their price point, but the vengeance is terrible.

If you think the Vendetta is an amazing rod, I wish I could be there to see your reaction when you get to fish with something that is actually good. At that price point try a Falcon HD.

 

I've bought and tried just about every US market ABU rod there is. I was sort of brand loyal for quite a while. Imagine my consternation when I got around to fishing other brands only to find that almost any of them we're better than my Vengeance, Vendetta, Veritas, Volatile and Villains. They tell me that the $400 Yablai is good, but I'm not spending the money to see. To be 100% honest The Villain is a pretty well constructed rod and is not horrible. I still use a couple of mine for spinner baits and a few other things where sensitivity is not required, but well constructed or not it, like all the other of ABU's American market offerings, they too have all the sensitivity of a broom handle.

 

On the other hand, if you find the Vendetta amazing, do yourself a favor and don't stray far from the ABU lineup. It will save you a ton of money.

[NavyVet1204]

6 minutes ago, BaitFinesse said:

Daiwa Fuego CT.  A fine workhorse for the price but it was scratchy feeling when reeled.  Bought it to drop in a cheap finesse spool and use it as a pixy replacement for kayak use.

 

Daiwa Coastal SV.  Scratchy feeling out of the box.  Returned it for a refund 

 

 

17 Tatula SV.  Got it for free with gift cards for $140 but it was scratchy and not very smooth compared to my other Diawas including a pre CT Type R Tatula.  With use it developed gear noise.  Hard casting bombing casts eventually broke the SV ramp spool side.  Dumped a $33 finesse spool in it for now to use as an UL casting reel.  Might repair and tune the stock spool with aliexpress parts as well as get an aliexpress gear set in a slower ratio.

 

Casitas MGL.  Spent $130 + $20 shipping for that plastic thing.  Really hoping it would be a poor man's Chronarch MGL but it was geary and noisy out of the box.  Casted light weight baits well.

 

I've been ruined by my nicer reels.  Tatulas just feel like garbage.  No more Tatula platform reels for me.  No more """carbon""" reels for me.

I hate that you have had a bad time with tatulas my friend. I only have one tatula 100 that I bought last year and I put a lot of miles on it and it’s still going strong. 

[Jaderose]

St. Croix Mojo Glass Cranking Rod.  Hated...HATED the way that thing casted and most of the time, I would backlash.  Gave up after 2 YEARS of trying and sold it  Only rod I've ever purchased without at least feeling how it felt in my hand.  Won't happen again