Is high priced rods really worth it??

[koko36265]

I have 3 bait casters one Abu Garcia 5600, Abu Garcia revo STX, And a Daiwa viento.... On the 5600 I have a $30 Berkley 6'6" med. rod, on the STX I have a $40 Abu Garcia 7' med. Heavy road, and on the Daiwa I have a 7'4" $40 Abu Garcia Med. Heavy rod. My question is how many of you think that more expensive rods are really worth it, like All Star, G. Loomis, St. Croix, Ex....... When purchasing a combo should someone look to buy a more expensive reel and get an ok rod or should they get a ok reel and a really good rod?

[Guest the_muddy_man]

Absolutely. I can't afford them but i have seen a lot of RW's and r Riskkids stuff, and fished with such on loaners down on lake Fork. Just look at the work: Alpster,Fletchero and ReelMech do. Those rods not only look great they arre immpecable in performance. They are way lighter and more sensitive than anything i have ever seen before. SOMEDAY>>>>>>>>>>>

[David P]

Eh, as I'm learning, rods make a HUGE difference. You have two $200 reels, and very in expensive rods.

I've been buying $120 reels ( Citica and Currado will be the next reel I get ), and I just ordered a nice light Gblanks rod.

I never thought much of rods, until I used one in the tournament I fished last weekend, and was in HEAVEN. Light rods make a big difference. Good light rods make all the difference.

I was fishing a no name rod for months, and just after switching rods, same lake same baits, I was feeling more fish, and catching more fish.

Makes a big difference.

[koko36265]

Eh, as I'm learning, rods make a HUGE difference. You have two $200 reels, and very in expensive rods.

I've been buying $120 reels ( Citica and Currado will be the next reel I get ), and I just ordered a nice light Gblanks rod.

I never thought much of rods, until I used one in the tournament I fished last weekend, and was in HEAVEN. Light rods make a big difference. Good light rods make all the difference.

I was fishing a no name rod for months, and just after switching rods, same lake same baits, I was feeling more fish, and catching more fish.

Makes a big difference.

That is exactly how I am now...... I did think that reel's was the main thing to look at.... Now I am seeing that rods are just as important if not more important than the reel you put on it..... How much of a percent difference do you think the better rod made?

[David P]

For me, it's tough to tell. I jumped from a garbage rod and reel, to a Shimano Stradic ($120) / Bps Extreme rod ($100), so both were you could say Mid-Grade.

I do credit some of it to just reading bass resource more. But rod and reel made a huge difference.

If anything, it gave me so much more confidence, made me feel like a pro!

Now if you see my thread, I'm concerned with weight, so I just ordered a 3oz rod as opposed to my current which is around 8oz.  I can't wait!

To be honest I'm not sure what is more important, rod or reel, that is way I paid a mid price of roughly $100 for each or $150 for each that way I was in between with both, instead of having a very expensive reel and a cheap rod.

[Guest the_muddy_man]

Man the G.Loomis I like the best as far as off the rack. When you are in my range 50 to 125 per rod i think the Fenwicks,St Croix,Okuma ,Old All Stars and BPS offer the best. The Techna AV's and the pricer Shimanos and St.Croix seem next ,Then I belive the Powells are next up, I have never held or cast a Kistler so I have no opinion as with those new Dobsyns

But when I got to the Fork and seen,held and fished Alpsters and Fletchero's rods WOW thats heaven.

ReelMech has been at it a lot longer than any of em so I guess hsi stuff is even better than the begginers, as hard as it is to believe but take a look at his stuff.>SOMEDAY>>>>>>>>

[David P]

Powell rods are wonderful, that's what I used some of the time at the tournament this past weekend. That's what god me wanting a light rod

[fish-fighting-illini]

I jumped from $20 rods to a BPS extreme and can't honestly say that I notice that much difference ( could just be the fisherman ).

You guys sure make me want to try a Loomis or Croix premeie

as Muddy said someday>>>>

[senile1]

I think that there is a big jump in quality when one moves from the 80 - 100 dollar price range into the 150 - 200 dollar range.  You'll also notice a difference in warranties.  Once you reach the midrange prices, most rods have a limited lifetime warranty of some sort.  I don't think the difference is quite as noticeable from these midrange rods to the highest priced rods.  As for quality rods, I think Muddy_Man gave you a pretty good list.  

[David P]

 I jumped from $20 rods to a BPS extreme and can't honestly say that I notic that much difference ( could just be the fisherman ).

You guys sure make me want to try a Loomis or Croix premire or something

as Muddy said sooooomeday>>>>

What kind of extreme rod, size action etc??

I noticed such a big difference in feel and the confidence booster was nice too.

i think you notice the most difference when you step into the Loomis and rods of that sort. You get such a sensitive rod that is so light but so strong.

why can't they be cheaper ? =P

[burleytog]

Powell rods are wonderful, that's what I used some of the time at the tournament this past weekend. That's what god me wanting a light rod

Then why not make do until you have enough $$ for a Powell?

[burleytog]

I jumped from $20 rods to a BPS extreme and can't honestly say that I notic that much difference ( could just be the fisherman ).

You guys sure make me want to try a Loomis or Croix premire or something

as Muddy said sooooomeday>>>>

That's because the Extreme isn't a $100 rod.   :-/

[David P]

Powell rods are wonderful, that's what I used some of the time at the tournament this past weekend. That's what god me wanting a light rod

Then why not make do until you have enough $$ for a Powell?

Cause there are other solutions better then an Extreme, not to mention why not try out other companies and rods to see if you find something else you like? Experimenting.

[Lightninrod]

The rod is more important IMO.  Sure, you need a reel that will store line and allow for casting whatever bait you choose and then have the drag system that can wear down a Bass but the rod makes for great casts, feeling the bite, and also wearing the fish down.  Either can be a thing of beauty:

Dan

[Guest the_muddy_man]

I jumped from $20 rods to a BPS extreme and can't honestly say that I notic that much difference ( could just be the fisherman ).

You guys sure make me want to try a Loomis or Croix premire or something

as Muddy said sooooomeday>>>>

That's because the Extreme isn't a $100 rod. :-/

WHEN YOUR RIGHT YOUR RIGHT: they are only99.99.   I have one myslef last Fathers day they were on sale for 79.99 but a penny is a penny so i guess it is not techniqely a 100.00 rod The Link with the price:

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_59070_100002006_100000000_100002000_100-2-6

[cart7t]

Once you start getting above $200 dollars for a rod you start to lose the ROI.  The added sensitivity, if any, you'd get from a $350 rod over a $150 rod doesnt' justify the increased chance of rod breakage due to the extremely thin walled construction of the uber rods.  Lifetime warranty or not, the last thing I want is a fishing trip ruined due to a broken rod.

OTOH, when you're talking about a rod like a BPS tourney special or Wally world $40 special vs say an Extreme or a Pro Qualifier or any rods like the Falcon cara, AS team series, Quantum PT or Shimano Crucial and you're talking night and day in sensitivity.

[Guest the_muddy_man]

Holy Crap Dan : That is a beautiful rod!!!!

[Red]

well, i have never used or held a top end rod or custom rod so i cant really say if it is worth it or not, so i voted no....i do fine with my $20-$50 walmart rods...i guess i would rather spend my money on more baits

Cliff

[Guest SkyChimp]

I have 3 bait casters one Abu Garcia 5600, Abu Garcia revo STX, And a Daiwa viento.... On the 5600 I have a $30 Berkley 6'6" med. rod, on the STX I have a $40 Abu Garcia 7' med. Heavy road, and on the Daiwa I have a 7'4" $40 Abu Garcia Med. Heavy rod. My question is how many of you think that more expensive rods are really worth it, like All Star, G. Loomis, St. Croix, Ex....... When purchasing a combo should someone look to buy a more expensive reel and get an ok rod or should they get a ok reel and a really good rod?

IMO, price is comensurate with quality only to a certain extent.  Once that extent is reached, anything more is just for show.  

Is there a practical dfference between a top-end St. Croix and a more expensive top-end G Loomis?  Are you such a good fisherman that you can really obtain a beneift from whatever the Loomis offers over the St. Croix?   If you are, great.  Or if you just want the Loomis name, great.  If not, why spend the extra money?

[FishTank]

IMHO, the rod should be the largest part of your investmnent.  It transmit all the info on what's going on when it counts most; the bite, hookset, and bringing in that once in lifetime fish.

Is an expensive rod necessary?  That is up to the fisherman.  But my case, I believe big fish are few and far between and I want all the odds in my favor when I hook into a large fish.  Plus, if the rod makes it more fun then it's a bonus.

[Raul]

For me the rod is more important than the reel to a certain point, I 'd rather have a great rod than a great reel sitting on it. Of course I would love to have a setup like the one Dan showed, got the reels but not those rods however I do have top end, mid end and entry level end GLoomis, I 've had Pro Qualifiers, Extremes, Bionic Blades, Compres, they are not bad but they don 't come close to what at least IMHO GLoomis has to offer even at entry level ( GL2s ) not only in sensitivity buy in lightness, balance and feel.

Of course that a GL2 is not a GL3, an IMX or a GLX but still it 's one heck of a rod, Cart also made a good point, for example GLXs are not for everybody and for everything, that thin wall can be extremely brittle, do something stupid and there goes your 350 dollars rod ( yeah you can have it back with only 50 bucks but so far it 's going to ruin your day preciselly that day ), he also is right about another point, I can feel the difference between a GL2 & a GL3 & an IMX but I swear that I can 't feel that much of a difference between the sensitivity of IMX and a GLX worth those extra 120 dollars, go figure.

There are many really good rods in the 100-150 class and the difference between those and a BPS Tourney Special or a Lightning Rod or one of the mid end All Stars, Falcons, Shimanos, etc is like night and day, not that they are bad but they are not as good as the other ones.

[Redlinerobert]

You have to ask yourself.  Does the fish know how much you spend on your tackle?  

I personally like the high end tackle like several other enthusiasts on this board.  I know it does not make me a better fisherman, but an 8 oz rod AND reel combo is hard to put down when you start fishing.  

[shogun]

This is a great thread. I actually just moved from a Berkeley lightning rod, which is a decent rod for the price tag, to a gloomis imx. I contemplated for a very long time on stopping 'midway' with something like a fenwick or bps extreme, but decided that I would EVENTUALLY move up to something like a gloomis anyway. So I decided to go ahead and make the big jump now rather than later. Like others have mentioned, I don't think it will necessarily help you catch significantly more fish, but it does make the entire fishing experience much better. Also I don't know about you, but I'm a bit of a gear head when it comes to hobbies like fishing - I like to own nice quality equipment that I know will last me for a very long time and make no regrets later. So I say it's worth it. Good luck!

[burleytog]

I jumped from $20 rods to a BPS extreme and can't honestly say that I notic that much difference ( could just be the fisherman ).

You guys sure make me want to try a Loomis or Croix premire or something

as Muddy said sooooomeday>>>>

That's because the Extreme isn't a $100 rod. :-/

WHEN YOUR RIGHT YOUR RIGHT: they are only99.99. I have one myslef last Fathers day they were on sale for 79.99 but a penny is a penny so i guess it is not techniqely a 100.00 rod The Link with the price:

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_59070_100002006_100000000_100002000_100-2-6

:

When BPS is selling them for $60 or so, it isn't a bad rod for that price.  But at $100?  Not only no, but hell no.

Not when that same $100 would get you a St Croix Premier.

[fish-fighting-illini]

I jumped from $20 rods to a BPS extreme and can't honestly say that I notic that much difference ( could just be the fisherman ).

You guys sure make me want to try a Loomis or Croix premire or something

as Muddy said sooooomeday>>>>

What kind of extreme rod, size action etc??

I noticed such a big difference in feel and the confidence booster was nice too.

i think you notice the most difference when you step into the Loomis and rods of that sort. You get such a sensitive rod that is so light but so strong.

why can't they be cheaper ? =P

It is a MH rod ( I don't think they list action ). All my other rods are M or ML so that could be some of the difference. Plus a little too oearly to tell.