High end Bottom contact rod or two middle/upper tier rods? which would you do?

[Chris at Tech]

3 hours ago, clemsondds said:

So in your opinion what are some rods that are a step up from Expride in bottom contact sensitivity?

I've never fished an Expride so I cannot offer real-world experience.  I would assume the high-end offerings by Megabass, Loomis, St Croix, Shimano, Daiwa etc would offer "more" sensitivity.  The point I was trying to make was better said by DVT.  

[roadwarrior]

33 minutes ago, clemsondds said:

 I was really just looking for those guys that have had an expride, glx, imx pro, adrena, and xtreme…compare those on a sensitivity scale.  

My production rods are GLX, but I have customs built on RainShadow Immortal and

Eternity blanks.  In my hands the GLX series max out my "sensitivity".

 

[clemsondds]

12 minutes ago, Dye99 said:

I own a handful of loomis stuff and love it. My NRX is one of my favorites by far. The Megabass stuff, especially the Brailest is a super fast tip but its more backbone and stiffer than the Loomis.

Can you compare the briaillist with the nrx? Are they even in the same ballpark?  Sounds like you would definitely go for the nrx…what do you think?  Is there a big difference in sensitivity between the nrx and briaillist? 

[ATA]

I did go Wirth high end gloomis conquest rods and I am happy with my choice everyday, going to fishing tomorrow and thats what I have ready.

as you can see, except my frog rod, the rest are conquest.

[Dye99]

18 minutes ago, clemsondds said:

Can you compare the briaillist with the nrx? Are they even in the same ballpark?  Sounds like you would definitely go for the nrx…what do you think?  Is there a big difference in sensitivity between the nrx and briaillist? 

These conversations could go one forever. Its all so personal preference based. Is the NRX better than the Brailest? Yes and no. They do different things. Sensitivity they are pretty close in my opinion. I would actually chose the Orochi due to the cost if I was to do it again.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

1 hour ago, clemsondds said:

Yes I know this…I was just trying to narrow down some models where you feel that curve starts to taper off…eg thr glx bottom contact is way more sensitive than an expride, but the nrx is not that much more sensitive than the glx. Something like that. I was really just looking for those guys that have had an expride, glx, imx pro, adrena, and xtreme…compare those on a sensitivity scale.  I’ve pretty much made up my mind but still just curious. 

For rods , around $300 

for reels , $250

[DogBone_384]

23 hours ago, clemsondds said:

would you get two middle of the rod rods?

I’d go this route. I don’t have any big dollar rods, but rather a lot of Kistler KLX/Helium/Magnesium (spinning) rods and don’t think I’m missing out on anything.  I don’t consider myself a good enough fisherman to justify $500+ rods. My two bottom contact rods are Heliums.

 

Kistler has sales throughout the year, so don’t be scared of his retail pricing.  If you have any questions, call their office, Trey will likely be the one answering the phone.  
 

If something off the shelf doesn’t meet your requirements, he’ll build what you want for not much more dough.  To that end, I had a spinning jerkbait rod built last fall and @Saltysmalljaws, our local jerkbait guru, was very impressed with it when last we fished together.

 

There are many great rod manufacturers out there. I ended up a Kistler fan because they’re made in the USA and just feel right to me.  Their customer service is also A+.

 

Best of luck getting the rod you want.

 

 

12 minutes ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

For rods , around $300 

for reels , $250

Right about where I buy.

[roadwarrior]

1 hour ago, ATA said:

I did go Wirth high end gloomis conquest rods and I am happy with my choice everyday, going to fishing tomorrow and thats what I have ready.

as you can see, except my frog rod, the rest are conquest.

 

 

[WRB]

My late friend Fred was an avid tournament bass angler and all his tackle was highend  NRX rod and Shimano Core casting reels. Fred had 15 of each yet was a mediocre jig angler, worms he did OK. Unless a bass choked a jig he couldn’t detect a jig strike. The rod/reel set looked great but wasted on Fred’s skill set.

If the highend rods are within your disposable income what you buy is your choice.

IMO highend rods alone will not improve your strike detection skills.

Tom 

[evo2s197]

It seems like there are countless X brand rod vs NRX posts online, the NRX is not the lightest, nor is it the most sensitive, and for sure not the best built, but some individuals are obsessed with whatever special powers they believe these rods possess.

 

My suggestion is to just buy a NRX then you'll know, otherwise even if you choose a better rod, which there are a lot, you'll always wonder if the NRX is better, if you can't find one in stock then just wait until you do.

 

 

[clemsondds]

NRX is just a benchmark. Just like there are “better” and faster cars than the 911…everything is compared to it

[Boomstick]

11 hours ago, GetFishorDieTryin said:

Do you think the AGS guides add enough sensitivity to nearly double the cost of the rod?  Its the same blank as the standard Tatula, I think you get 1 more eye depending on rod model and that weird grey paintjob for another 30 or 40$

I have read the blanks aren't entirely the same, they are tweaked from the non AGS line, and I'd believe it. At the very least, the action is very different than any of the regular Tatula or Tatula Elite non AGS models.

 

I do not actually have a regular Elite to compare it to, but the Tatula Elites are definitely quite the step up from the regular Tatulas I own. I can definitely feel vibrations in the Tatula Elites that I have that I cannot in the regular Tatulas simply by tapping the tip on something and it's not minor, which is taking the guides out of the picture.

 

Getting into it more, the 7'1" M/F spinning rod is awesome. The casting rod isn't quite as sensitive but it's not bad either, but it's definitely not my Steez AGS which I could honestly mistake the spinning rod for. I could probably feel a baby breathe on that thing. But even so I bought the 7' M-MH/XF first for the power and action and I got it used which helped the price a bit. If I had to pay full price for it, I probably would.

[DitchPanda]

Honestly if I was gonna drop 500+ on one rod I'd get a bottom contact rod in the $200-$250 range and 2 rods in the $150 range. Of course that's just me. I will echo what was said above. I have a buddy that had a $450 st Croix for bottom contact while I had a $180 rod. If we fished Texas rigs or jigs I always out fished him. Why? Because I'm a better jig fisherman. Point being is yeah it was a nice rod but it was totally wasted on him.

[GetFishorDieTryin]

1 hour ago, Boomstick said:

I have read the blanks aren't entirely the same, they are tweaked from the non AGS line, and I'd believe it. At the very least, the action is very different than any of the regular Tatula or Tatula Elite non AGS models

There are only 2 Tatula rods, the Tatula and Tatula Elite.  For another $100 you get a Tatula Elite with AGS guides.  According to Daiwa the Tatula and Tatula Elite/AGS use the same SVF X45 blanks in the Tatula line and the upgrades are mostly in the guides which go from Fazlite (Tatula), Alconite (Elite) AGS Elite (AGS). 

Theres a rod snob on YT called punchfishing that has some real in depth video on mostly high end gear.  He goes into some detail about the diffeences of the Tatula and Tatula Elite, but doesnt include the Tatula AGS.  I considered a the Tatula Elite but decided against it because the AGS guides are a little more fragile compared to other material guides. 

I remember the first selling point of the AGS guides is weight reduction and not sensitivity which is what I had thought the purpose of the guides were.  I think one of the reasons Daiwa has different length rods for each Tatula line to make it harder to determine how much of an upgrade the AGS guides really are because they are the only rods I know of on the market that any accurate comparison can be made because the blanks are the same material just with different components.  

In no way am I trying to say your wrong or correct you, its just the info I got from contacting Diawa and researching the internet. The Tatula rod was changed a few years ago and I believe there were changes made so it can get confusing at times if I didn't check the date of the post or video when I was researching.  Thanks for taking the time to answer I appreciate it.  Tight Lines  

[Deephaven]

8 hours ago, ATA said:

I did go Wirth high end gloomis conquest rods and I am happy with my choice everyday, going to fishing tomorrow and thats what I have ready.

as you can see, except my frog rod, the rest are conquest.

What?  The frog rod is the most important.  Hurry up and finish what you started.

[WRB]

Loomis NRX series came out in 2010, now over a decade old technology. NRX+  series came out last year to replace the original. The original NRX was state of the art and one of the most expensive OTC at that time plus $100 replacement certificate. 

I liked the NRX series my friend Fred had and considered buying a few back then but the $100 certificates added to the price was $600 a decade ago.

Being custom Lamiglas user I went with ALX who had topof the line Lamiglas blanks. A custom rod built to your exact requirements is the way to go if you know what your needs are.

Tom

[Boomstick]

1 hour ago, GetFishorDieTryin said:

There are only 2 Tatula rods, the Tatula and Tatula Elite.  For another $100 you get a Tatula Elite with AGS guides.  According to Daiwa the Tatula and Tatula Elite/AGS use the same SVF X45 blanks in the Tatula line and the upgrades are mostly in the guides which go from Fazlite (Tatula), Alconite (Elite) AGS Elite (AGS). 

I have read they are and are not the same blanks, so I am really not sure, but the AGS rods I have are fairly unique to the Daiwa lineup which is what I was trying to say. Like I said I don't have any Tatula elites to compare to.

 

1 hour ago, GetFishorDieTryin said:

I considered a the Tatula Elite but decided against it because the AGS guides are a little more fragile compared to other material guides

Fair enough. This really does not concern me too much because I'm good about not abusing my rods, so I hope I won't have any problems.

 

1 hour ago, GetFishorDieTryin said:

I remember the first selling point of the AGS guides is weight reduction and not sensitivity which is what I had thought the purpose of the guides were.

It's hard without a Tatula Elite non AGS guide rod to say how ten AGS guides affect sensitivity but I can tell you that putting a rod sleeve on, I feel vibrations everytime I brush the rod sleeve against one far more than I can with any non AGS guide. They do seem to transfer vibrations straight to the blank.

 

Weight reduction on the other hand is a moot point. If I was trying to get the lightest rod I could, I would probably go with a St Croix that is much lighter. The Daiwa rods balance pretty well though, which I prefer to shedding maybe an ounce and being tip heavy.

 

1 hour ago, GetFishorDieTryin said:

The Tatula rod was changed a few years ago and I believe there were changes made so it can get confusing at times if I didn't check the date of the post or video when I was researching.

The first gen Tatula rods were better. Better guides, and the first gen 6'10" MH/F I daresay is more sensitive than any of the many second gens I have although I don't have the same model. The 6'10" in particular has a very thin tip, where I lost an insert and couldn't find a tip thin enough for the rod and had to get it straight from Daiwa which might have something to do with it. I also prefer a split grip for vertical presentations, but that's personal preference.

 

The Tatula Elite line remains the same.

[ATA]

1 hour ago, Deephaven said:

What?  The frog rod is the most important.  Hurry up and finish what you started.

Yes it is important, just dont need the sensivity that much ?

anyways my 905 conquest can be the frog rod in next life, But the curado will do the job for now.

about finishing what I started, I have one more in line up to get and thats 903 :). I have anteras 21 here already just need budget to get the 903.

47 minutes ago, WRB said:

Loomis NRX series came out in 2010, now over a decade old technology. NRX+  series came out last year to replace the original. The original NRX was state of the art and one of the most expensive OTC at that time plus $100 replacement certificate. 

I liked the NRX series my friend Fred had and considered buying a few back then but the $100 certificates added to the price was $600 a decade ago.

Being custom Lamiglas user I went with ALX who had topof the line Lamiglas blanks. A custom rod built to your exact requirements is the way to go if you know what your needs are.

Tom

I am totally agree with you, Just some people like me are brand freaks. I really tried most of the things and I end up to choose conquest. to be honest with you my other choice was NRX at the time but when I study more, I learned Concuests are NRX with additional spiral wraps which adding the feeling of strength to your rod specially for heavier fish. I had the experience of spiral wrap from Shimano shaula an ultra high end travel rod. So once I see that addition to conquest I made my choice. I am almost done with what I need as bank fisherman, Just need. to get my 903 and I am done for good for my life.

[roadwarrior]

6 hours ago, ATA said:

Just need. to get my 903 and I am done for good for my life.

 

[clemsondds]

Thank you all for your help and advice. I guess what I have found is that I like rods that perform above their price…not sure why lol. I guess that’s why I love exprides. So I think I am going to stick with the mb p5 series. From the reviews I have seen, they seem to be really well regarded. I haven’t made up my mind completely but that’s the way I’m leaning. I’m sure an NRX or steez will eventually make it into the boat though once things become more available. Thoughts? 

[evo2s197]

You could also go the custom route and not have a off the rack rod that anyone can walk in and buy.

 

Here's one of my bottom contact custom rods, it's built on a ST. CROIX SCV 7FT MEDIUM HEAVY FAST blank in a raw finish, it has carbon grips and titanium torzite guides that are spiral wrapped, it's perfectly balanced and is extremely light and sensitive, this rod with a reel attached floats in your hand and feels weightless, when your fishing and you forget your holding a fishing rod then you are on to something, this one rivals my Daiwa Racing Designs and Evergreen Rapid Gunner.

 

 

 

[Deephaven]

On 7/24/2021 at 11:08 PM, ATA said:

Yes it is important, just dont need the sensivity that much ?

anyways my 905 conquest can be the frog rod in next life, But the curado will do the job for now.

Has nothing to do with sensitivity and everything with me taunting you into another.   

 

[fishwizzard]

22 hours ago, evo2s197 said:

 

 

 

I didn't scroll down right away and thought that rubberband was a pencil and hurt my brain trying to figure out the angle of rod, arm, and camera.  

[evo2s197]

1 hour ago, fishwizzard said:

 

I didn't scroll down right away and thought that rubberband was a pencil and hurt my brain trying to figure out the angle of rod, arm, and camera.  

That rubber band was the only thing that wouldn't want to slide off the hood of the reel seat, it does look weird at first glance ?

[SteveG]

On 7/24/2021 at 8:29 AM, GetFishorDieTryin said:

Do you think the AGS guides add enough sensitivity to nearly double the cost of the rod?  Its the same blank as the standard Tatula, I think you get 1 more eye depending on rod model and that weird grey paintjob for another 30 or 40$.  I think the SC3 in the Victory gives me more feedback then the Tatula.  I like them both, but I actually think the Tatula is more versatile and if I had to pick the 7'1 ML Tatula or the 6'10 VIc it would be the Tatula for sure even though the Vic is more sensitive IMO.

I fish the 7’ MMH AGS Tatula Elite.  Extra fast action isn’t my favorite because I’m a lazy caster and like the MBR Loomis rods (glx for me) but this rod has serious sensitivity.  I love it for T rigs with tungsten weights.  It is practically equal to my NRX JWR spinning rod at a bargain price.  I did have broken a guide within the 5 year warranty and was well taken care of by Daiwa.  Not sure how it happened and am more than reasonably careful with gear.