What do you want your rod to look like?

[Hulkster]

12 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

these look right

awesome! what rod is that with the trout ? GCX inshore?

[bulldog1935]

Thanks @Hulkster

The big spec (my lifetime 28" fish from this May) is on an Omen Green 7'1" ML - I've heard they're closing out and I say do not pass go if you have an ML casting niche.  

This is the least expensive rod I fish, and will just never be without one.  

A friend on TKF forum who moved to the area last year, spent the summer into the fall with good time in the flats and bays, and with no results.  When he bought one of these on my lead and could fish 1/8 oz, he's been tearing them up ever since.  

Same redfish in the post you quoted, peeling drag (from my buddy Josh's camera), shows the long fast mid on this rod.  

 

And if you're asking about the 28" rainbow buck (which I think you were asking above) that was on a 1918 FE Thomas Special light-ferrule 4/5 wt.  

[you]

My priorities are action, then balance, then handle comfort, then looks. I would only consider one of my rods a 'looker': a lews custom speed stick.

 

The covered real seat looks sleek and feels amazing in hand. I like the matte blank finish, too.

[galyonj]

Yo I have that same rod, but different.

 

[santafish]

Performance is key but it can't look like a total POS. I'm not a fan of cork.. as least in most modern rods due to pitting etc. I am a fan of carbon fiber or high quality EVA, just don't show wear as much and feel like they're going to last longer. Out of all the rods I own have to say my favorites are by far the poison adrenas, crazy light and very sensitive with an unconventional but very comfortable grip. I will admit though that the OG st croix legend Xtremes with the shark skin handles were the first rods to really get me to consider a non cork handle. Since then I've never looked back.. especially as cork quality in even high end rods have gotten worse.

[GReb]

Preferences:

- Dark colored blank

- Split grip

- Small guides but not super micro

- No Winn grips

[Alex from GA]

I roll my own and like comfortable reel seats, prefer cork and are usually dark one color wraps.  Function over form.

[Scott804]

17 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

these look right

Wow! I really love rods 2 & 4. I am a sucker for brown rods. 

 

17 hours ago, SproDD79 said:

Sensitivity is the priority,  I second NorthernBasser with the Expride B, they are a straight up winner for sure. I would add the Zodias to the list as well, I think they look great and I find them to be plenty sensitive. Honorable mention going to the Daiwa Rebllion spinning rods.

I have a lot of Zodias rods, but yet an Expride. I really like how the Zodias looks, it's almost edgy. I love those rods, need to get around to trying the Exprides to see what I am missing. 

 

8 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

naah, there's nothing brutal about kayak fishing - how you take care of your tackle is a choice.  

It is definitely the effort you put forth imo. I use nice, pretty rods but I am at peace with them bouncing around in my pro angler horizontal rod storage 'lockers'. It's just too much easier and worth it to me. In my last kayak where I kept them in the truck while transporting all my rods still looked primo at the end of the season. 

[A-Jay]

I do have a preferred appearance preference. 

However as stated here several times already,

performance plays a role in what I use as well.

Regardless of looks, I don't fish anything that doesn't do a job for me. 

So I have some sticks that I really like the looks of

and a few that I don't actually love but their 'performance' trumps the appearance.

I have an affinity for quality cork handles; fore and full rear ends. 

Also enjoy the Xtreme-Skin handles St Croix uses on the Extreme line and used to use on the Rage rods line (which is what I have). 

Not a giant fan of foam or split grips but I fish them. 

The guide train needs to be decent quality and correctly spaced to allow for a smooth transition down the entire length of the blank. 

Price point does not make a rod look any better or worse to me. 

Additionally, I am quite a bit less interested in the 'technology' that companies are putting into

(or at least advertising) blanks these days. 

As long as it's got some freaking bend parabolic action and not a pool cue, I can at least give it a look. "Sensitivity", IME is a user based deal. 

I prefer to get the job done in the lower/middle price range.

IMO, the point at which I reach the law of diminishing returns on rods happens pretty quick.

Finally, one of my favorite sticks of all time is a G. Loomis Travel rod.

No longer in production.  @Dwight Hottle turned me on to that gem. 

I have two left.

Landed quite a few giants for me.

A-Jay

 

 

 

[Big Hands]

15 hours ago, Columbia Craw said:

 

And, you look marvelous!

 

12 hours ago, Catt said:

I do like a "split" reel seat like this.

 

I do too, but it isn't always a deal breaker if it isn't.

[LrgmouthShad]

1 hour ago, A-Jay said:

I do have a preferred appearance preference. 

However as stated here several times already,

performance plays a role in what I use as well.

Regardless of looks, I don't fish anything that doesn't do a job for me. 

So I have some sticks that I really like the looks of

and a few that I don't actually love but their 'performance' trumps the appearance.

I have an affinity for quality cork handles; fore and full rear ends. 

Also enjoy the Xtreme-Skin handles St Croix uses on the Extreme line and used to use on the Rage rods line (which is what I have). 

Not a giant fan of foam or split grips but I fish them. 

The guide train needs to be decent quality and correctly spaced to allow for a smooth transition down the entire length of the blank. 

Price point does not make a rod look any better or worse to me. 

Additionally, I am quite a bit less interested in the 'technology' that companies are putting into

(or at least advertising) blanks these days. 

As long as it's got some freaking bend parabolic action and not a pool cue, I can at least give it a look. "Sensitivity", IME is a user based deal. 

I prefer to get the job done in the lower/middle price range.

IMO, the point at which I reach the law of diminishing returns on rods happens pretty quick.

Finally, one of my favorite sticks of all time is a G. Loomis Travel rod.

No longer in production.  @Dwight Hottle turned me on to that gem. 

I have two left.

Landed quite a few giants for me.

A-Jay

 

 

 

You have a completely different attitude towards rods and their uses than pretty much anybody I know on this forum. It’s really interesting. 
 

Question for you sir: What percent, if you had to guess, of your rods feature a taper other than “fast” or “extra fast”

 

If it happens to be abnormal, I’m not gonna start copy catting. I’ve got my own thoughts too. But I get the feeling your percent is high and maybe it will make me think a bit

[A-Jay]

Hate extra fast sticks.

Hate them.

In fact there's probably going to be a few available in the flea market this winter. 

Combined with super fast reels, might be half the reason for many of the

I LOST A BIG Bass threads. 

I fish my style.

Not right, not wrong.

Just works for me.

A-Jay 

[Hulkster]

Quote

Finally, one of my favorite sticks of all time is a G. Loomis Travel rod.

No longer in production.  @Dwight Hottle turned me on to that gem. 

I have two left.

Landed quite a few giants for me.

oh yeah the Escape Series are/were awesome. I have two of the Spinning models. 

 

I will never part with them unless they break 

[txchaser]

I don't care at all what they look like as long it isn't white or some other bright color. But I'll match my shirt to the sky color too. 

Unsanded/unpainted is just fine by me. Just make it ugly and give me better guides or something.

 

What I care a lot about though:

Hook keeper, open on one side. the fuji addon keepers are junk, and the closed hook keepers don't work for t-rigged baits. I get frustrated every time I use a rod with no hook keeper. I suppose I can have them added but ... yeah there's not much time for that project.

 

Locking nut on baitcasters should be covered in foam or cork. I don't want to have my hand on threads all day, and I don't want my hand on a lock nut all day. It's my single complaint about the St Croix Legend X I just got. Kistler and Loomis get this right, some of the shimano rods do too, but not the adrena.

 

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

On 8/22/2023 at 6:04 AM, Catt said:

Long, skinny, tapered on one end!

 

I don't care as long as it doesn't have EVA grips. I do like a "split" reel seat like this.

 

Split seats are love ‘em or leave ‘em deal. I never hear and ambivalent response to them. 

[JN94]

Split cork grips, black/gray blank with minimal writing/logos. Cork locking nut

[J Francho]

Bent. 

[Catt]

15 hours ago, Big Hands said:

I do too, but it isn't always a deal breaker if it isn't

 

10 hours ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

These are love ‘em or leave ‘em deal. I never hear and ambivalent response to them. 

 

My first Crucial was purchased more by accident than on purpose! I was browsing the aisles at our local K-Mart back when they had a decent tackle section. I noticed a little sales girl grab 4-5 rods & start marking them down. The last rod was a 5' 6" medium heavy fast Shimano Crucial & marked it $24.99! 

I picked it up walked to the register & paid for it!

 

Probably the most sensitive rod I've ever owned & at the time I was a Loomis fan boy.

 

[LrgmouthShad]

12 hours ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

These are love ‘em or leave ‘em deal. I never hear and ambivalent response to them. 

The way the reel seat has material that extends partway through it? I don’t think I’ve seen that before, and you can count me as part of the “leave ‘em” crowd. I don’t like that at all

[Darth-Baiter]

okay..honest answer.

 

i want all my rods to look like MegaBass P5 Destroyers.  too bad all my currency looks like 10's and 20's. 

[Gera]

Black rod, on black grips (love the Poison Adrena grips) and a black reel.  remove all color accents and of possible minimize the text, no huge (or any) branding please. 

 

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

3 hours ago, Catt said:

 

 

My first Crucial was purchased more by accident than on purpose! I was browsing the aisles at our local K-Mart back when they had a decent tackle section. I noticed a little sales girl grab 4-5 rods & start marking them down. The last rod was a 5' 6" medium heavy fast Shimano Crucial & marked it $24.99! 

I picked it up walked to the register & paid for it!

 

Probably the most sensitive rod I've ever owned & at the time I was a Loomis fan boy.

 

My comment was just for split seats not that particular rod

1 hour ago, LrgmouthShad said:

The way the reel seat has material that extends partway through it? I don’t think I’ve seen that before, and you can count me as part of the “leave ‘em” crowd. I don’t like that at all

Yes we call them split seats. Threads and trigger with no insert/ barrel 

[Catt]

1 hour ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

My comment was just for split seats not that particular rod

 

The only reason i referred that rod, it was the first rod I ever seen with a split seat.

[casts_by_fly]

Assuming the performance is there and the rod gets the job done, I don't have too much preference on looks.  I don't like foam- much prefer cork.  I fish a 70/30 mix of split cork and full cork.  I think I prefer the full cork, but its mostly all the same (unless I'm power casting all day, then I want full cork).  I don't want a split seat.  Give me a straight ECS or equivalent.  Monday I fished my dad's crucial IM10s since we were in the small car to travel and I couldn't bring mine.  Foam grips, split seats, not my cup of tea.  The performance was there though and we caught a bunch of fish.  But if I was designing for myself then that wouldn't be it.

 

When I was building a ton of rods (mostly fly rods), my build style was complementary thread/blank colors with a contrasting accent wrap.  I don't want color preserved thread- I want the thread to go translucent and the accent wrap to be metallic usually.  Grey matte blanks are a blank slate and you can do just about anything on them.  I love maroon blanks (old Pac Bay IM6 was a good one) with dark cherry red wraps and either gold or silver trims (depending on the reel seat trim).  The older powell rods that were dark blue with a darker navy wrap were very sleek. The older rainshadow green blanks are a great looking blank but limited what you could do color wise on them.  One of my favorite individual color sets was the brown SC2 St Croix blank with (I think) brown thread, teal blue trim band, and a pearl foiled 3 line inset wrap.  Very cool color set on that blank.  Another that I did for my (now) wife was purple/grey/smoke on the mate grey rainshadow.  If I were building my own bass rods right now, I'd be in similar color sets on whatever blank I chose for the power/action.

[Bankbeater]

I'm not too worried about what the rod looks like as long as it does its job.  I do wipe them down after a trip to get the muck off.