Higher end rod companies

[airborne_angler]

I was at a tackle store recently and asked the guy to show me a good dropshot rod. He handed me a few different ones and I about fell out when I saw the price tags $235-$269. I told him it was out of my price range and he told me a regular trout rod would work too.

So then I posed my question: So whats the difference between the ones he showed me and a rod from Walmart.

His answer: Break the tip on a WalMart rod and it goes in the trash,Break a tip on a high end Rod,ship it back to the company and they'll replace the whole rod with a brand new one,no charge.

Is this info hes giving me factual? I still cant see spending that much on a rod when I can go to Walmart and purchase a light action 6'6" micro graphite rod  for a mere $14.95,and it will perform just as well as the high end rod.

[Jimzee]

To each his own my friend,  it's all a matter of personal preference.  Just enjoy the day fishing,  that's all that matters anyway.

[Ozarker]

As I always say, What you have is always good enough untill you try something better.

I'm sure others will comment about the warrenty thing.  But what he said is true in some cases.

[burleytog]

Good luck finding a L-action rod with enough backbone to set the hook on anything but a mega-dink.

If you can find Fenwick Eagle GT's, they make a nice 6'6 ML that is passable for drop-shotting.  Decent backbone, extra-fast action.  Should cost around $60 with a 5 year warranty.

[Cephkiller]

So then I posed my question: So whats the difference between the ones he showed me and a rod from Walmart.

Sensitivity

Weight

Quality components

Casting accuracy

Warranty

[Red]

i have returned several rods to walmart over the years, and every time i walked out with a brand new one

Cliff

[fish-fighting-illini]

I don't have high end experience but from I've read on this site sensitivity is a huge factor. You know you have a fish on a high end rod that you would never have felt on the cheap rods.

[GaryO]

Like one of the other posters said, just fish and have fun. It's really a matter of what you can afford regardless if they are that much better or not, so spend what you're comfortable with and enjoy the sport.

[roadwarrior]

GaryO,

Welcome aboard!

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What are you paying for in high end rods?

Design, engineering, components, craftmanship, reputation and sometimes warranty. To a varying extent these factors affect sensitivity, strength, casting distance and accuracy, special features and most importantly, dependability.

Are high end rods "better" rods?

Yes, there is at least a casual relationship between cost and quality.

Are they worth the additional cost?

Well, that depends on what you expect from your equipment. Fish can be caught with a branch from a tree and kite string. Better equipment is all about what makes "fishing" more enjoyable for YOU. It's not the same for everyone.

[fish-fighting-illini]

Nicely put RW. about as well as it could be said

[TOYOTAGUY2006]

I AGREE WTH RW ON THIS ONE IT IS WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT I AND YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR YOU BUY A ROD AT  WALMART AND USE IT TWO OR THREE TIMES A YEAR IT WILL LAST YOU A LIFE TIME BUT USE THAT STUFF ALL THE TIME 4 OR FIVE TIMES A WEEK AND SEE HOW LONG IT LASTS YOU WILL BUY 15 OR TWENTY OF THE WALMART STUFF BEFORE YOU WILL WEAR OUT THE TOP END STUFF MY DAD HAS HAD THIS BROWNING TENNESSE HANDEL ROD WITH A DAIWA TOURNEMENT SS FOR PROBLY CLOSE TO TWENTY YEARS AND BACK THEN IT WAS THE BEST ON THE MARKET AND TO THIS DAY HE STILL HAS IT AND IT STILL LOOKS AND WORKS LIKE BRAND NEW YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR IF YOU WANT IT TO LAST A LIFETIME AND ENJOY IT EVERYTIME YOU CATCH A FISH AND NOT HAVE TO FUMMBLE AROUND WITH DEADSPOTS IN THE REEL OR BROKEN GUIDES OR NOISEY BERRINGS THE STEP UP AND BUY THE GOOD STUFF IM NOT TRYING TO SOUND SNOTTY HERE CAUSE BELIVE ME I BOUGHT MY FAIR SHARE OF WALMART STUFF OVER THE YEARS BUT KNOW THAT IVE STARTED BUYING THE HIGHER END EQUIPMENT IM ALLSET WITH THE QUALITY OF THE WALMART STUFF IT WONT STAND UP TO THE ABUSE I GIVE IT ON A DAILY BASIS AND WARRANTY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT IF A MANUFACTURE SAYS IT WILL STAND UP TO THE ELEMNTS THEY NEED TO STAND BY IT AND IF YOU PURCHASE IT FROM A QUALITY DEALER THEY WILL STAND BY IT AND THEY WILL DEAL WITH THE MANUFACTURE. ANY BODY ELSE HAVE A GOOD OPINION

[Guest avid]

He was selling you on a value based warranty pitch , which as wal mart shows doesn't really work.

He was foolish for not asking your price point and then shwoing several rods in and slightly above that range.

I like to compare these things to musicians.  Assuming it wasn't warped, if you put a pawn shop no name guitar in the hands of Eric Clapton and stood him on stage next to the lead guitarist of the local bar band with his stratocaster, who would make the better music?

Any rod will catch fish.

It's your level of enjoyment that is what you pay for.

A name brand expensive rod will be light, sensative, with quality components.  It will load up more syemetrically, and cast more accurately.

Yet if you have a custom spiral wrapped Loomis GlX but still can't hit your plate with your fork. A skilled angler will out fish you with the cheapest wal-mart combo including the sponge bob square pants.

[Lightninrod]

a light action 6'6" micro graphite rod  for a mere $14.95, and it will perform just as well as the high end rod.

Far from true....  But, whatever works for you is what you should use .  I like the feel and the appearance of my rods but just about any rod 'can' catch a Bass but how many soft, subtle bites are you missing?  Is the rod balanced with the reel you have mounted on it?  Are you tired and or aching from countless casts with an unwieldy, unbalanced rod?  

There are many reasons for higher-end products but in and of themselves, they don't catch a Bass; we do but I choose to use a rod that makes that 'job' enjoyable .

Dan

[Fish Man]

Good luck finding a L-action rod with enough backbone to set the hook on anything but a mega-dink.quote]

my gander mtn guide series 5,6 light action pole has plenty of backbone and i have hooked into many good sized fish, the same goes for my 5 foot UL

by the way when i first got into fishing i wa given a shakspear mantis it was 6 feet,after about 3-4 months of maybe 2-3 days a week on the water it snapped,so i uggradded to my current rod and am about to upgrade again to a st croix

[Guest SkyChimp]

I don't have any rods that cost more than $100 or so.  I have a few Team All Star IM10s and like them a lot.  But I seem to fish the most with my $50 Browning Medallion rods.  They are very sensitive, have good backbone and have sufficiently fast actions.  Frankly, I just like the way the feel and fish.   I've gotten enough use out of them that if I were to break one I wouldn't cry about it.

[Fishing Buds]

Had to comment, ;D

The last few rods I purchased have been the Graphite Berkleys, Got them both from Walmartbut, not on purpose tho.

I think the more you want from a rod is from you understanding what you have.

If your fine with what you have, then what more do you want to know

I spin cast for a couple of years, bought my first Quantom Bait caster (on sale $30.00) man I thought that was big money then. I was learning what was what.

Its what makes you happy right? :-?

happy Thats where I'm at and I want to go up another level in fishing. So I want to know more about rods, reels and lures, which the more I know the more I realize whats out there-----for me ;D