Rod selection decision

[BassSteve]

Hey,

 

When it comes to selecting a new rod over the years, what have you mainly based your decision on? Some people may buy just strictly on price point, others may buy just based on certain components (if it was made with Fuji guides/reel seat for example). Some people may just be brand loyal...what would you say that your decision was mostly based on? Thanks 

[garroyo130]

Price point tells me where to look, reviews/bass resource posts tell me what to look at, and beyond that it just has to feel right in hand. Some rods that others love just haven't done it for me. My only preference is no micro guides and full cork when available. The decision to buy can be made in the store or online but the decision to keep it has to be made on the water.

 

I by no means consider myself a rod expert but after some trial and error I'm fairly happy with what I have which ranges from $40 for a berkley lightning rod for crankbaits to a $160 tatula rod for jigs. 

[BassSteve]

7 minutes ago, garroyo130 said:

Price point tells me where to look, reviews/bass resource posts tell me what to look at, and beyond that it just has to feel right in hand. Some rods that others love just haven't done it for me. My only preference is no micro guides and full cork when available. The decision to buy can be made in the store or online but the decision to keep it has to be made on the water.

 

I by no means consider myself a rod expert but after some trial and error I'm fairly happy with what I have which ranges from $40 for a berkley lightning rod for crankbaits to a $160 tatula rod for jigs. 

Interesting, thanks for the response 

[new2BC4bass]

Price is critical.   I'd love a $600 rod, but that is so far out of my budget that it's laughable. After that I go by reviews on the rod.  Not reviews on Amazon, tho.  ?

 

I'm not knowledgeable enough to worry about which guides are on the rod.  Nor do I worry about what type of seat the rod has.  I've only had one rod that caused me pain, and it was the trigger causing the pain.  I did get used to it after awhile so that it didn't bother me anymore.

[Columbia Craw]

Great question.  The more exposure you have to different brands, series and models, the clearer it will be to you what you are seeking.  For me it’s starts with the budget. No reason to research rods outside your price range.  I look for a rod with specific power and action and how they compliment each other.  The blank is the heart and soul of the rod.  Then comes the build. It’s possible to nullify much of the quality of a good to exceptional blank with a poor build and poor components.  I look for  the best quality guides and reel seat that are proven.  I look for a full rear grip where possible and no for grip.  The build MUST be balanced!  That’s part of the build.  I want super clean fit and finish.  The cosmetics are the last consideration. I prefer the minimalist look.

 

So if there is a brand, series and model that have the weight range, line range and action to fulfill the techniques, I’m probably there.  A company with good service and warranty is gravy. 

[WRB]

1. Rod builder/ mrf has excellent customer service and warranty with point name of contact to call and talk to.

2. Bottom contact rods must be light weight state of the art rod planks made in the USA, perfectly balanced using state of the art guides and reel seat.

If you can pick up and handle the off the self rod do it.

Tom

 

[PBBrandon]

After trying many different rods at different price points I’ve settled on pretty much 200-300 dollar rods. They are the most I can afford with my patience level and most I can spend without being super scared of breaking it. (I would baby the heck out of something like an NRX+ to the point where I wouldn’t even be focused on the fishing). As for brands, Shimano, Daiwa, and Dobyns will pretty much always be what I get. I have been intrigued by Megabass after holding some Levantes though. Going forward I’m pretty much set on Exprides and Rebellions for bottom contact and Champion XPs for moving baits. However, sales on certain rods can get the monkey to bite

[Bird]

I'm around a $200 rod and don't conform to the longer is better.

Shorter produces much better casting accuracy and will produce more fish, in most cases..... perhaps a fine line.

 

[FrnkNsteen]

For me, price only sets the ceiling I am willing to go up to, but doesn't necesarily mean quality to me. I go by feel in the hand and how balanced it is. I've got cheaper rods that lay nice in my hand and have put more expensive rods back on the rack.

 

For instance,... I've never liked the feel and balance of most Loomis rods. They may be popular and I know they have their fans, but I'm just not one of them. Kind of like on the gun market,... I don't like Glocks even though so many people brag on them.

 

I'm honestly not overly concerned about guides and reel seats either. I must not be very rough with my equipment because in all my different rods over the years, I have have only had a couple issues with line guides, and only one issue with a rod seat. 

 

If they feel good in my hand with a reel on them, and the price isn't above the ceiling,... I will try them. I have rods ranging from $35 Berkley Lightning Rods to $350 Dobyns Extremes and lots in between from H20 Express, Lews. Fenwick, Phenix, Daiwa, Falcon, etc,... Not real brand loyal, but I do have more Dobyns than any other

[Captain Phil]

34 minutes ago, FrnkNsteen said:

For me, price only sets the ceiling I am willing to go up to, but doesn't necesarily mean quality to me. I go by feel in the hand and how balanced it is. I've got cheaper rods that lay nice in my hand and have put more expensive rods back on the rack.

 

 

Me too.  My old Bass Pro rods that I bought for $39.95 fish better than some of the $600 rods I have fished with.  It's all about comfort. Comfort varies with the person and what you are doing with the rod.  Today's rods are lighter and more sensitive.  I have large hands and today's rod grips don't feel right to me.  You can't tell how a rod is going to fish by the price tag, you have to hold and feel it for yourself.  That's why I prefer buying rods where they have a large selection.  It may take me over an hour to choose.  Once I know what I want, I buy another like it.

[Jrob78]

This is an interesting question. These days when I buy a rod it's usually not a rod that I absolutely need. So I am buying just because I want a new rod, I am curious about a brand I've never used before, it's a brand new technique I feel I don't have a proper rod for or I think I can improve an existing rod in my lineup. 

 

With those things in mind I'm not usually looking at lower end rods but I'm also not necessarily looking at the very top end either. My most expensive rods are generally for bottom contact techniques and I tend to go more middle of the road for cranking and moving bait rods. I prefer rods with micro or at least a smaller guide train but no Recoil guides or guides with no inserts. I am not particular about reel seats as long as they aren't skeleton seats. I prefer split grips but I'm less concerned with grip material. Cork is great but eva, carbon fiber or something like the Monocoque grips that Shimano uses work for me too. 

 

I have a bunch of custom rods and rods from most of the major manufacturers and I've not found too many that I hated.

[swhit140]

I like a rod that feels balanced/comfortable with a reel on it, if it doesn't feel right or tip heavy to me I'm not buying it. If I'm gonna fish 8-12 hours of a day I'm going to want a balanced setup that isn't going to wear me out after fishing. I've tried rods from $75-250, I've had a couple different brands that were at the higher cost point but they just didn't feel right for me. I've been happy with Daiwa & Dobyns rods that I've used throughout the years.

 

The other things I look at for rods are build quality/components and epoxy application, guide alignment and manufacturer warranty. I did have a guide on a Daiwa Tatula rod come out of the wrap/epoxy, they repaired/shipped it back for free so they took care for me as a customer.   

 

[A-Jay]

Wow, you guys are very detailed.

I just go by color.

Sometimes I like blue ones.

Other times red is nice.

I just never never know what I'll be wanting on any given day . . . 

?

A-Jay

[FishTank]

Once I got past the main 5 or 6 rods I use, I started to look for specific things that increase my fishing fun.

 

Price really isn't an issue.  If I can save up $200 for rod, I can be patient and save up $400. It's just a matter of time. I also try not to pay full price. The JDM exchange rate has been a problem for me though.  Sometimes it's to good and I can't pass up on what seems to be a once in a life time deal but in reality, I really should. 

 

I research everything I can. Sometimes that leads to an expensive rod but sometimes not. I also like specific brands for specific techniques.  Lately, hard baits on Megabass rods, soft plastic and jigs on Loomis, and I tend to like St. Croix rods for just about anything when it comes to their technique specific rods. The warranty the rod comes with can be a factor as well.

[Hulkster]

so I am a fan of fuji components, especially reel seats. 

 

I don't like the 'custom' reel seats that many shimano and higher end G. Loomis had. 

 

I upgraded an old E6X to an IMX Pro this past summer mainly because of the fuji reel seats. the next level up the GLX has a custom seat that a lot of people don't seem to like (MBR903c)

 

[Will Ketchum]

I don't need anymore rods than the ones I have already. Some I have had for so long that there is a certain nostalgia connected to them. One in particular is a fiberglass rod I bought while in the service in the 60s that I landed my PB LM with. I still use occasionally. Others too I can connect with certain events.

[Darth-Baiter]

brand reputation and price.

[Susky River Rat]

I run ST. Croix premiers across the board. Spinning and casting. I do this because of the price point. Being made in the USA. I also stick with one because a heavy in this brand might feel like a medium heavy in that brand. I want consistent feel. I also do like the way it looks to have a whole row of the same rods on deck. 

[GetFishorDieTryin]

Balance, splined correctly, sensitivity, weight, comfort and customer service.  

[Gera]

I got a tier system for cost.  

Bottom contact $400 max limit (nice round number)

Moving baits $270 Max (max limit set by the price of an Expride for their quality/price ratio)

Frog rods $150 Max (no need for much) 

Like many state here I do not have the experience to judge reel seats or guides. I found that that these price ranges I get quality components. 

[T-Billy]

Best bang for the buck. Ark Rods provide a lot of rod for the $$$ IMO. If they have the taper I'm looking for, that's the route I'm going. I'm not sure how many Ark's I have now, but it's getting close to 20. Never an issue with any of them, and I'm not easy on 'em. I have several Lancer's, Tharp,s and Invoker's, and a Cobb. All are outstanding rods at their respective price points.

[BrianMDTX]

I’ve based a lot of my rod purchases on reviews from folks here. While I am not a believer in everything that’s ultra expensive is best, I also tend to shy away from ultra cheap items due to quality concerns. And yet, had I not read many reviews about Daiwa Aird-X rods, I likely would have shied away from them due to the low cost. The two I have work well. Yes, they may not be the same quality as my Dobyns, St. Croix and Falcon rods, but they are very fishable. 
 

Having said that, for the fishing I do, any new rods I look at tend to be in the $120.00-$150.00 range or so. 

[Big Hands]

TL/DR: I would like to have the bases covered that I have interest in, and redundancy where it makes sense at a price point I am comfortable with. I only need to like that particular rod, and don't particularly feel the need to be loyal to or encumbered by all of it's brothers, sisters, and cousins if it doesn't make sense.

---------------------------------

Details: I wish I could find a rod line that was within my price range where I simply loved all of their rods in each category. Life would be so simple and easy. The steps between each power and action would be consistent, the intent of the design would work for me, and I would love the handle layout, and reel seat treatments and placement, guide trains, etc.

 

Similar to picking out a set of golf clubs, but I think it's more important to start with a full set of irons and a set of drivers, and then fill in some specialty clubs like putters and wedges. But so far, that has not happened for me.

 

I have found some rods that I can live with from the same brand and model line that are in a price range I can count on for the performance I get from it. Currently, all of my rods come from the $120 to $220 price range with the single exception being an Expride that I bought used for $200. For me, once I would get much over the $220 mark, the returns on the investment aren't what I consider to be worth it and I can generally find what I am happy enough with at that price point. I wouldn't rule out an exception if I found a rod that I wanted for a technique that I spent a lot of time with and that could be much improved with just the right rod, like (for me) throwing weightless Senkos.

 

I have tried to look at my quiver in the overall sense so that when I am done, I will have a set of rods that can cover all of the bases I am interested in covering, which is pretty broad. Once the price point hurdle is cleared, the search can open back up before it narrows back down. I have usually looked for the niche I am looking to fill within lines I am familiar with.

 

Within my 'first team' set of rods I have:

1) a set of fast action spinning rods (in L, ML, and M)

2) a set of fast action casting rods (in L, ML, M, MH, and H)

3) a set of crankbait rods (in M, MH and H)

4) two heavier swimbait rods (1 for treble hook baits and 1 for single jig hook baits).

 

I have three niches that I have two rods for, and that would be M/F spinning, ML spinning, and MH/F casting as I am more likely to have days where their versatility might have me using two different baits where the same rod would excel.

 

Brands vary, and I think that allowing for not feeling the need to stick to one or two brands has made it possible for me to get more of what I want for an individual type of application. I also haven't been in a position to be able to just go out and get a bunch at once. Models lines get updates too, so I have just accepted that I won't be on the matchy-matchy train for numerous reasons and I am fine with that. I don't have a rod locker on my boat and normally just grab three to five rods and that's what I'll be using on that trip. I have rods from Daiwa, Shimano, Phenix, St. Croix and Dobyns. At this point, and although Bait Monkey may have other plans for me, I don't feel that I have gaps that are not adequately covered. But, it's only one in the afternoon here on the left coast.

[CaughtMeABiggun]

 I typically go in this order.

 

-Technique

-Budget

-Environment that I am going to be using it in

-What is the best bang for buck based off the previous three. 

 

I'm open to any brand and after doing research I sometimes find that the brand I am not familiar with is a sub brand of a major brand. I just ran into this with the Kalex brand found on Amazon and Sportsman Warehouse. Kalex is a sub brand of Abu Garcia that goes back before they were purchased by Pure Fishing. From everything I can tell the Kalex XR5 rod is a Abu Garcia Vengeance for 35 bucks. I bought two of them to pair with two 5.4:1 gear ratio Revo X's. They work great for crankbait rods. The black and green rod looks really nice paired with those reels.

 

I have yet to be convinced that every sub-100-dollar rod is bad, and every above 100-dollar rod is good. 

 

I'm currently debating on a Piscifun serpent rod. The specs seem really good for the price and for the price they seem to be worth taking a chance on. 

 

For what I do I cap myself at around 150 for a rod. Maybe someday I'll spend more, but not right now.

 

I also try to go no longer than 7' 3".

 

I'm not a big believer in longer the rod the better.  I fish a lake with a ton of docks and a 6-foot rod is hard to beat for accuracy. I enjoy using a pistol grip when throwing small to medium cranks around docks too. 

 

If you're fishing from a boat, I think the size of the boat plays a part in rod selection too. Using a 7' 6" rod on a 17 or 18-foot boat can be difficult if you are not the only one on the boat.

 

 

[Catt]

16 hours ago, FrnkNsteen said:

I go by feel in the hand and how balanced it is. 

 

To me ergonomics is just as important as sensitive, I think it adds to sensitive.

 

I've brought rod-n-reels to lake on Friday & returned them on Monday.