First expensive Rod

[MikeG3Boat]

Guys,

looking at possibly purchasing an expensive rod. I have always spent less than $100 on a rod.  Are the expensive rods really worth it?  I am speaking of rods over $200 and up to over $400 the makers I am looking at are st. croix, g loomis, and high end fenwick.  

I know this could be a ford vs. chev type question, but you can't test drive a rod so how can you evaluate the rods and their differences. I have some cabelas tourney trails, Jason Mitchel walleye series and I can have a half oz weight with a lindy rig set up and I can feel perch messing with my crawler in 25 ft of water. So how are these spendy rods going to improve things?

 

thanks in advance for your time to give your opinions. 

 

 

[Cheers]

I fish with a st.croix avid and my buddy has a walleyworld special, He usually catches as many as me . I think I get more enjoyment because of the sensitivity , I feel a bite he just gets a fish !

[leechlake]

back when I was younger I really thought it mattered more than I do now.  I have a good collection of Fenwicks, the less expensive HMX's and the more expensive HMG's.   In the Summer I slip bobber walleyes on our lake almost all the time.  All I want is a 6'6" rod or longer for setting the hook if the bobber is a ways out.  Any old thing will do for that.

Spring we jig or lindy rig it.  The line is always on my finger and I suppose with mono a more sensitive or expensive rod may matter.  When I rig with my bait casters I use a Fireline equivelent and I feel almost every little tick on the bottom and I'd assume most if not all walleye "taps".  I think the line matters more than the rod.

The things I started looking at rods for were cork handles, the little eye thing to hook your hook on when you're done fishing etc.  Most rods have them.  I'd buy a few less expensive, good rods rather than one super expensive rod.  With the spare change buy a super expensive fishing rod hat and wear that while you fish with a nice but less expensive rod!

[Jim Almquist]

I have high end GLoomis, St Croix and do not feel that they catch me more fish. I would look at rods that have a higher modulus count of graphite because that is what gives it the sensitivity. One of my favorite rods still is a Bass Pro 6' 6"  that was a $40 rod but you had to buy 3 at $120.

I have a friend that bought a $200 rod and I have never seen the rod without a float. Now that to me is a huge waste of money. I feel the same way about rods that are used for trolling only. Just get a cheap rod with a fast tip to see the bite if the rod is going to sit in a rod holder.

[delmuts]

The high dollar rods are nice, But! There a re many great rods out there for ALOT less money. Do a lot of looking and testing. You can do this by taking your reel with you, with line on it. ( most stores will allow this) run the line thru the rod leaving a couple of feet past the end. Have some one tick the line with their finger. A good quality rod you will feel the tick. Length comes into the equation also! I've gone mostly 7 footers so I can get a better hook set, but that is up to you preference, and how you plan to use it.    

[RebelSS]

back when I was younger I really thought it mattered more than I do now.  I have a good collection of Fenwicks, the less expensive HMX's and the more expensive HMG's.   In the Summer I slip bobber walleyes on our lake almost all the time.  All I want is a 6'6" rod or longer for setting the hook if the bobber is a ways out.  Any old thing will do for that.

Spring we jig or lindy rig it.  The line is always on my finger and I suppose with mono a more sensitive or expensive rod may matter.  When I rig with my bait casters I use a Fireline equivelent and I feel almost every little tick on the bottom and I'd assume most if not all walleye "taps".  I think the line matters more than the rod.

The things I started looking at rods for were cork handles, the little eye thing to hook your hook on when you're done fishing etc.  Most rods have them.  I'd buy a few less expensive, good rods rather than one super expensive rod.  With the spare change buy a super expensive fishing rod hat and wear that while you fish with a nice but less expensive rod!

Exactly.I look for the same things, along with ceramic guides, thru the handle blanks, and good grade solid cork.  I've had Loomis, Fenwick's, St. Croix's,etc. Ended up selling half of them, because I actually liked some of my middle of the road rods better. I really did not notice an appreciable difference betwen my spendy rods and mu middle of the road "tournament series" type rods.

[BoxMN]

I am sort of agreeing, but not exactly   I have a bunch of upper-middle of the road class rods, and some St. Croix Avids, and one very high end custom rod. I like them all, I think it depends on how you use them, of course.

I would not trade my 6'9" Avid "Drop Shot" ML casting with Xfast tip for anything when it comes to casting senkos, light or heavy plastics, or long lining a sucker in the fall with a small split shot. You feel everything, and lots of backbone for setting hooks. You get real long casts too, that is one of the best advantages.

My custom rod is similar blank specs, but 7" and extremely lightweight, and spinning. Coupled with the slick8 line I can cast  tiny jig (I mean tiny) far, but with a senko it will goa country mile. I use those two above rods 80% of my bass fishing time now, except cranks or topwaters.

I also have some cheaper Fenwick Eagle GTs 6' medium spining rods that I bought as "guest rods" but really these rods are great for the $$, and I love them. Have a couple older lightning rods or Berkley Series One rods (real old now, both casting and spinning) but they are just awesome rods. I think all IM7.

Agree cork handles are a must, my custom rod has a larger grip on the rod in front of the reel seat, and I love that. Really really comfortable. The hook keeper is must too - if you get custom rod, have them put the hook keeper on the side of the blank rather than the bottom. It works better there, wish all rods would do this.

I have one medium Avid 6'4 spinning rod that is very nice, and I use it a lot, but honestly it doesn't do much that the much cheaper Fenwicks don't do as good.

Beware - Luxury once tasted becomes a necessity  

Edited September 21, 2015 by BoxMN

[RebelSS]

Have a couple older lightning rods or Berkley Series One rods (real old now, both casting and spinning) but they are just awesome rods. I think all IM7.

 

Boy,ain't that the truth! I'll never part with my Gary Roach, Ken Cook, or the other Lightning rods. 

[slipperybob]

Everyone has a preference.  Some rods just simply operate as an extension of oneself, while others may be an annoyance eating away at you.  In general I did find some more expensive rod to work artificial lures better.  However the very expensive rods, did not provide any noticeable difference in cost performance.  

[delcecchi]

Where do the guys that make these very expensive rods (Loomis, etc) get their blanks?  Do they make them themselves, or do they buy them from some other company? 

 

[Northlander]

These days there are a ton of very nice rods in the $100 range. On sale you can get some very nice rods. With the invent of superlines a less expensive and less sensitive rod can feel as much as higher end rods. I have tons of rods from $70 on sale to $300 plus and truthfully I wont spend $300 on a rod. All the expensive rods I have I got on sale , won or as gifts. If I have to buy one these days I go in that $100 or less and spool up with a superline like Suffix 832.