sweept

[sweept]

I am thinking of purchasing a new walleye rod, it will be used for vertical jigging and lindy rigging. 150 is my budget. What do you guys recommend?

[gunflint]

Midwest rod and reel. You won't regret it

[gspman]

My guess is you'll get a lot of plugs for the St. Croix Avid rods. They are a very good rod and right in that price range.

[Guest]

I will second the midwestrodandreel,they build some quality poles.They are a sponsor of FM and you can find them on this page. Give them a call and they can built you what you want and need. Bill and Al know there stuff and are local also very nice to deal with.I dont believe you could go wrong.

[priorbass]

hey sweept give Al or myself a call...we can get you into a real nice rod in that price range....we will be at the mpls. northwest sportshow...or come over to the shop...we will fix you up...hey lee and gunflint...soft water is getting closer

[The_Duckslayer]

Hmmmmmm. Things that make ya go Hmmmm. I can not wait till I make enuff money that I can blow a hundred and fifty bucks on a fishing rod. Hmmmmm. I hope that after you get it it will do all that you wanted it to. Take care and N Joy the Hunt././Jimbo

[matthothand]

If you're looking to spend every bit of that $150.00 I'd go with a St. Croix, but if you want to have some left over for hooks and line I'd recommend a Gander Mountain Guide Series rod. I bought a couple this past season and they worked great. Their rod blanks used to be made by St. Croix, though I'm not sure what they use now. I like em, fish don't.

[gunflint]

Duckslayer,

What does a good duck hunting shotgun go for?

[The_Duckslayer]

Quote:

---

Duckslayer,

What does a good duck hunting shotgun go for?

---

Actually you could get a good used duck hunting gun for $150.00. However, that is like comparing apples and oranges I think. There is a lot more to a shotgun than there is to a fishing rod. Take care and N Joy the Hunt././Jimbo

[LiLBro]

i agree with duckslayer, i'm in high school trying to save up and buy a car and pay my own insurance, plus with sports equipment, clothes and a girlfriend i'm almost cleaned out. i'm wondering weather $60 bucks is too much for a rapala combo and people are buying $250 vexes like it's no thing. i hope when i grow up i'll be able to pursue my passions like that. i'm lucky because my birthday is Nov. 5 so i get hunting and icefishing stuff. my uncle gave me his old like 1900 marlin 30-30 with iron sights for my birthday, thats the only rifle i've ever used hunting. he wouldn't give it to me until i earned around camp either. not that anyone wants to hear my sob story!

[Guest]

I wouldn't consider buying a custom made rod "blowing money".

Just like anything, if you can afford it and its what you want, go for it.

I think I'd go with Midwest.

$150.00 is a good deal for a custom made rod.

Get it made the way you want and the colors you want.

[The_Duckslayer]

Quote:

---

I wouldn't consider buying a custom made rod "blowing money".

Just like anything, if you can afford it and its what you want, go for it.

---

I guess you are correct "blowing" may not be the correct word, though for me I think that it would be. Much the same as shotguns range in price from the low end to the extragavent. I would not spend $1,200.00 dollars on a shotgun either. I guess to each their own... Hope that I have not PO'd anyone just expressing my opinion and we all know about those huh!? Take care and N Joy the Hunt././Jimbo

PS if I had that 150 I would add it to the 150 that I have from christmas gift money and go buy a Winnie!

[Fish Head]

I absolutely love the St Croix Avid rods. I don't own any of the midwest rods so I can't really comment on them, but you just can't go wrong with a St Croix Avid.

[CorynTracySellHomes]

It's all about what you enjoy, and what you can afford. Midwest Rod and Reel rods for $150.00 is a good value. Something that is to be enjoyed for a lifetime. Alot folks do not think twice about dropping $250.00 plus for a G Loomis IMX. Think of it in the line of tools, my tool chest contains ALOT of cheap wrenches. Do they do the job? Sure! Than why do people pay ALOT more for good tools? Quality!

If you have ever fished with a high quality rod and reel you will know the difference. Is it for everybody? No. That is why the golf set I purchased at a garage sale for $20.00 works just fine for me. Most golfers would not even pick up my set of golf clubs. It is all about what you enjoy, how you fish, and what you can afford.

Cory Frantzick

[walleye_guy18]

my vote is for the st. croix. I have never fished with the midwest rod and reels you guys are talking about, but I have fished with scheels guide series, g-lomis, gander guide series, and fenwick, and I still personally prefer my st.croix.

[MrSenarighi]

Cant go wrong with an Ugly Stick in the 6.5 to 7ft range. You will have an extra 110 bucks left for bait, too.

[Chris Haley]

Nobody has answered your question about what rod though. Here you go. The St Croix Avid series in a AS66MF this is a medium action rod rated for 6-12lb test line and 3/16-5/8oz lures. It is just a tad on the heavy side for the live bait rig, but will be perfect for your vertical jigging. When I say a tad heavy I mean if you want to fish an 1/8oz slip sinker it's a little stiff. You probably won't notice a difference.

[guideman]

Shimano makes a great over the counter rod that a guy on a budget can afford. Expensive custom rods and high over the counter rods are great, if they fit into your budget however, you still need to buy a reel and who wants to put a cheap reel on a $150.00 rod.

Think about how much your going to use it, before you spend your money, you may not need as much rod as you though. I have watched many a $250.00 custom rod snap in half, when their owners tried to snap a jig out of a rock.

"Ace"

[Chris Haley]

Terry' right on!! The nice thing about the St Croix Avid is that I have to pay to replace a broken one. Guiding is tough on equipment as Terry would attest. There are a lot of good rods out there for less than $150, you just need to find one that fits your needs.

[LocalGuide]

I have all St.Croix rods that I fish with. I have about 10 of them or so. Theres just one little catch. They don't say St.Croix on them (big deal!). They either say Hagens or (Scheels) Guide Series. They cost me around $110-$130. They are a bit cheaper for the same rod. They all come with Fuji guides/cork and have the lifetime warranty. I think its a great rod for that price and I wont ever go back to something cheaper.

If you really want to spend some $$$ get a Gloomis rod. IMO they are the best rod out there. They have a great sensitivity and are almost unbreakable. But for that nice of a rod you need to give up a nice penny. Thats the only reason I don't have any of their rods. Maybe when I win the lottery I will though!

I'm sure Midwest R&R makes a nice rod too. So what ever you decide you shouldn't go wrong.

[Paul Waldowski]

Cory,

Great post and you're totally right. I could walk into a Target tomorrow and buy a rod for $12.99. Would it catch fish? Yes! Would I be satisfied with it? Absolutely not!!! With Rods and Reels you get what you pay for. <a href="www.midwestrodandreel.com" target="_blank">Midwest Rod and Reel</a> builds a great rod, whether for Icefishing or Open water. Why not get a rod that is built EXACTLY how you want it to be built, for your fishing style and species? Talk to Bill or Al and have them hook you up. You will not be disappointed...they will guarantee it

[muskybuck]

I'll second that Ugly Stick, for 150 bucks you can buy five of them from ultra lites to bait casters to great walleye poles. They are very hard to beat.

[buzzsaw]

I agree 100% with CorynTracySellHomes, he hit it right on the head! I personally prefer the St. Croix line but there are alot of quality rods available for less money... try any of the Gander Mtn or Cabellas labeled items for starters.... or just pony up the money.

[The Yeti]

You can't go wrong with a 6 1/2 foot St Croix premier with a shimano 2000 Senora, Sedona or Sahara. Alot of places will have closeouts on last years Shimano's. You might be able to find a good deal. Also, the St Croixs tend to be pretty beefy, so you may want to look at a medium light instead of a medium.

[Dave]

As mentioned already, and I'm sure it happens in the fishing gear industy, many manufacturers produce and label gear for other companies. Investigating could get you top quality gear for less money.