21 hours ago, punch said:

There's just WAY too many quality rod brands these days. It's really difficult as a consumer to pick something. 

My only complaint about Fenwick is IF you send back a warranty rod.. they make you ship the busted rod to Canada. Shipping a tube to Canada is expensive. 

 

Not really, in my email just last week for warranty on Ateos from Fenwick, they give me option to ship to either US location or Canada, but on my own dime.

2 minutes ago, JustJames said:

Not really, in my email just last week for warranty on Ateos from Fenwick, they ask me to ship to either US location or Canada.

Wow, they didn't give me such an option. They emailed me just a Canadian address. This was last summer. 

On 1/28/2018 at 5:53 PM, Chefster said:

I don’t think there is really a bad rod brand. They all serve a purpose within the given price range.   My 5 year old fishes a ugly stick and she can catch them.   I think a better question would be what is the best rod within a given price range.  It’s so hard to choose.  So many great options.   But if I had to give my favorite 3.  St. Croix. G. Loomis. Megabass.   I did just buy a Phenix feather that I am really impressed with.      

This post was a while ago, but I'm hoping you see that I quoted you. I just want to know what model Phenix feather you got and if you still like it? Is the taper and power what they say? 

Dobyns everything 

G Loomis, Lamiglas & St Croix. I am becoming fond of Dobyn's as well. 

Shimano/Loomis for me.  I have some others I kept from other brands because I liked them a lot for certain things though.  I find that there are just rods from different brands that just work great for the way I fish a certain bait or situation.  

 

- St Croix Avid 6'6" M/F, great Jerkbait Rod (Not the new Avid X)

- Abu Garcia Gen 1 Veritas 7'3" MH/F (Awesome Multipurpose rod for everything 1/2 oz)

- BPS Carbonlites (2) Best pond beaters when I don't want to bring my more expensive rods.

 

I have a rod from just about everyone. I have no consistency really  I like some Phenix rods and dobyns but  I've liked about every rod I've purchased. My favorites right now have to be Phenix I like the M1's and the feathers a lot.

The Cabela's rods have really grown on me.  I think they can hold their own against the top names, and they carry a lifetime guarantee 

Currently my favorites are Cajun Custom Rods out of Jacksonville. They have a rod for everything I do. Great rod for the money imo.

G loomis, Dobyns, and Shimano for me. I hear great things about Megabass and am gonna try one, so maybe I’ll report back on that .

 

I like G loomis for faster action techniques (jig & worm), Dobyns tends the offer a more moderate taper so I like those for things like (cranking, spinnerbaits, and bladed jigs), they also make some killer swimbait rods.

My favorites are

 

1. Ark Rods

2. Falcon

3. Daiwa

 

They may not be the "best" but they do what I need them to do and I enjoy using them.

Dobyns and st.croix are tied for #1 for me other good rod brands I've either owned or tried are irod, 13.

 

I haven't tried the gloomis or diawa rods that people like.

 

BPS carbonlite are nice rods also

Love my St. Croix Rods. Just got a Dobyn a couple weeks ago and it equals St. Croix in my opinion. 

There are a lot of really good rods on the market and I've fished with Abu, Daiwa, Shimano, St Croix, Berkley, South Bend, Quantum, *** and more....here are my favorites right now:

 

1) Team Daiwa S (Green Blank from the 90s, discontinued)

2) Abu Garcia Veritas 

3) St Croix Premier

 

all excellent rods in the $100 dollar category

St. Croix is my favorite BC.   I bought some used American Rodsmith, Ozark rods thatare pretty good.  I have a Lamiglass I like. It is a beast in cover.  I use an Abu spinning, some BPS that are okay.  I hate to admit it, but my Ugly Stick, is my favorite spinning rod.

I bought my first two St. Croix this winter.  By the end of summer all my rods will be St Croix.

I'll go with:

 

Shimano (original cork Compres, spinning)

St. Croix (own Legend T, Premier, owned Avid)

BPS rods (Carbonlite, MicroLite)

 

I feel if I can stay within the range of $100, I'll

be happy. Such good quality there now-a-days.

Problem being, I like shorter rods in the 6' range

and that automatically limits the brands I can

buy.

I fished only spinning gear for 40 years with St. Croix and Shimano being my go to rods for years. A few years ago I started experimenting with baitcasters and Dobyns seems to be the road I'm going down for those rods.

Love my St. Croix Rod 

Kistler and Dobyns

#1 for me by far is Phenix.  I have ten of their rods and if they had a trade-in program I'd have twenty more.  #2 is St. Croix, and #3 on the basis of a single rod that I own is Megabass (Orochi Swingfire for crankbaits, probably my #1 favorite rod to use, it's just a one-trick pony, but man that pony is the best of them all).

After years of using many St. Croix Rods, I finally dumped them.  I gradually fished a number of other brands and realized how tip heavy and poorly balanced many of the SC rods were.  Especially as you go up in size.  I prefer all of the below now:

 

•Megabass

•Dobyns

•Kistler

•Daiwa

 

No longer a proponent of Loomis or St. Croix. 

 

> Shimano

> Dobyns

> Kistler

 

Roger 

 

Of my newer rods, I’d say Daiwa Aird-X and Fenwick HMX. I have no top-end rods, so I can’t comment on them. 
 

Most likely never will. At this stage of life I can’t see spending $200-$500 on a rod. 

After some beginning purchases, I've settled on Dobyns.

 

All are from the Fury line, I'm afraid to try anything better.

 

However the Monkey is pushing for me to try a Taipan.