Rod brands with great customer support and "warranties" (insurance)?

[txchaser]

Kistler and Daiwa have both exceeded my expectations. 

[GReb]

The cool thing about kistler and ALX is if you call there’s a good chance Trey or Alex will answer the call and are happy to field any questions about their rods 

[swhit140]

Falcon, Kistler, Daiwa have all been great service and lowest cost/warranty related.

[F14A-B]

14 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

yeah, they call them drift socks. But I find them a little snug. 

You dream Holmes. 🤣😂🤣

I’ll second Kistler. I have older and newer, the newer is quite good, I’m not sure it’s NFC good but they’re definitely solid.. 

 

10% off if a veteran and he runs sales.

[rangerjockey]

18 hours ago, MediumMouthBass said:

Im bank fishing with rods i bought for $33 im not going to baby them, and they dont need it as all are showroom like condition (minus the 2 with top guide issues). I dont have the luxury of spending 10 minutes each time i move to put rod socks over the rods when im moving every so often down the bank. I also had lots of stiffness in the back from injuries, there was a time it was very hard to bend down or forward so tossing the rods onto grass was my best option. I eventually had to kneel down to pick them up, but there was no way i was doing that twice per stop along the bank. I also fish some places where walking through skinny trails for miles through the woods was the only way to get a good spot, im more focused on not stepping on the rattlers we have everywhere than looking for a tree that might be overhanging and hit/brush up against the rods. I then fish a very small creek with branches and rocks everywhere, i try to be careful but sometimes you hit a branch. The stepping on it was my fault, i didnt think my foot was near the rods. What you call careless i call finding a way to do what i love and enjoy life. To each their own.

 

Id say you must be fun at parties, but im not sure you get invited to many.

 

If i were to snap a rod over my knee, that would be comparable to what you are talking about. In that case i wouldnt ask the company for any help, however if the company takes a $100 rod, and adds $30 to the price for their built in "insurance" based warranty and even has in their website description it covers accidental breaks and encourages you reach out to them and use it then im going to use it. Dobyns has had this program for awhile, want to know why? Because you still pay $80 to get it shipped to you, they gain lifelong customers, and when you go to tell your friends what happened they just gained a few more. When people hear Dobyns rods, they dont think about the rods, they think about the legendary warranty.

 Where do you fish, in your living room with bubble wrapped rods? This is life, stuff happens, you cant control everything, and accidents occur.

Nor should i have to pay $100-200 for a rod that i take a total loss on if it were to break because your ethics dont agree with it.

 

I feel this is worth adding, accidental damage causing a break isnt always the rod owners fault, say you buy a rod from a big box store. These stores treat their rods/kayaks/reels horribly, theres many ways something can occur damage.. I bought a rod last month that i had to straighten out a few guides, the other rods that were with it had snapped/smashed tips, all kinds of damage. Most people entering the hobby wont know what to look for, so imagine how much money they will be out come spring when its past the return date and the manufacture tells them its not a defect? (and when i went back last week all the rods had sold) Shipping today is a disaster, and people that have no idea about fishing gear making minimum wage are the ones stocking them on shelves. And if they drop a rod on concrete (not grass) when stocking the aisles all it has to do is hit the right spot to create a small fracture.

 

I also talked to the local DSG manager, he sold us an Old Town for 50% off because it looked like it went through a warzone. He told us they have many items that come damaged or get damaged in the fishing/kayaking section when they unload the trucks.

 

18 hours ago, MediumMouthBass said:

Im bank fishing with rods i bought for $33 im not going to baby them, and they dont need it as all are showroom like condition (minus the 2 with top guide issues). I dont have the luxury of spending 10 minutes each time i move to put rod socks over the rods when im moving every so often down the bank. I also had lots of stiffness in the back from injuries, there was a time it was very hard to bend down or forward so tossing the rods onto grass was my best option. I eventually had to kneel down to pick them up, but there was no way i was doing that twice per stop along the bank. I also fish some places where walking through skinny trails for miles through the woods was the only way to get a good spot, im more focused on not stepping on the rattlers we have everywhere than looking for a tree that might be overhanging and hit/brush up against the rods. I then fish a very small creek with branches and rocks everywhere, i try to be careful but sometimes you hit a branch. The stepping on it was my fault, i didnt think my foot was near the rods. What you call careless i call finding a way to do what i love and enjoy life. To each their own.

 

Id say you must be fun at parties, but im not sure you get invited to many.

 

If i were to snap a rod over my knee, that would be comparable to what you are talking about. In that case i wouldnt ask the company for any help, however if the company takes a $100 rod, and adds $30 to the price for their built in "insurance" based warranty and even has in their website description it covers accidental breaks and encourages you reach out to them and use it then im going to use it. Dobyns has had this program for awhile, want to know why? Because you still pay $80 to get it shipped to you, they gain lifelong customers, and when you go to tell your friends what happened they just gained a few more. When people hear Dobyns rods, they dont think about the rods, they think about the legendary warranty.

 Where do you fish, in your living room with bubble wrapped rods? This is life, stuff happens, you cant control everything, and accidents occur.

Nor should i have to pay $100-200 for a rod that i take a total loss on if it were to break because your ethics dont agree with it.

 

I feel this is worth adding, accidental damage causing a break isnt always the rod owners fault, say you buy a rod from a big box store. These stores treat their rods/kayaks/reels horribly, theres many ways something can occur damage.. I bought a rod last month that i had to straighten out a few guides, the other rods that were with it had snapped/smashed tips, all kinds of damage. Most people entering the hobby wont know what to look for, so imagine how much money they will be out come spring when its past the return date and the manufacture tells them its not a defect? (and when i went back last week all the rods had sold) Shipping today is a disaster, and people that have no idea about fishing gear making minimum wage are the ones stocking them on shelves. And if they drop a rod on concrete (not grass) when stocking the aisles all it has to do is hit the right spot to create a small fracture.

 

I also talked to the local DSG manager, he sold us an Old Town for 50% off because it looked like it went through a warzone. He told us they have many items that come damaged or get damaged in the fishing/kayaking section when they unload the trucks.

Where do I fish ? I have a place on Table rock. Also fish Bull shoals and some on the St .Johns /Lake George. About 50 years now.