I’m looking for additional info on this series of rods.  I really like how they look and I am thinking about getting some. How do these compare to others in the price point?

5 hours ago, papagravey said:

I’m looking for additional info on this series of rods.  I really like how they look and I am thinking about getting some. How do these compare to others in the price point?

I got mine in earlier this week.  Haven't had the chance to test it yet as I'm using it for a new setup that I don't want to use at my current winter spot.  I did play around with it a little and it is super light.  It's a 7' medium moderate glass composite and yeah they look pretty sweet.  I'm pairing it with a metanium 13 and as far as looks go, you can't beat that match up.  All the other rods I looked at in that price range did not seem they would really match, which makes sense as both reel and rod are Shimano.  

 

That being said, looks are secondary to performance, which is of course the main thing here.  I would say it's comparable to other rods in its price range and have read mainly good things about it.  I would say that if you're sticking to a certain price range, a lot of it comes down to personal preference at that point (at least when you're dealing with known brands like Shimano, dobyns, st. Croix, g Loomis, etc.)  There's also warranties to consider which I mentioned in your other thread.  

 

Beyond personal preference, there may be some things to consider based on what you're using it for.  If it's mainly cranking I would go with the expride cranking models as they are made of glass composite, which offers the best of both worlds between glass and graphite (parabolic bend where you need it and backbone where you need it). The comparable st. Croix models are only available in 100% glass, which I've heard mixed reviews about.  

 

If you're already leaning toward the expride and are looking for a way to be convinced otherwise, you probably won't find a good reason that doesn't fall into personal preference, again outside of the warranties.  I'm very happy with my purchase. 

Another thing - Shimano is one of the clear forerunners in the fishing industry,  so it's hard to go wrong there especially when I've heard so many good reviews about the expride series.  

3 hours ago, Riazuli said:

I got mine in earlier this week.  Haven't had the chance to test it yet as I'm using it for a new setup that I don't want to use at my current winter spot.  I did play around with it a little and it is super light.  It's a 7' medium moderate glass composite and yeah they look pretty sweet.  I'm pairing it with a metanium 13 and as far as looks go, you can't beat that match up.  All the other rods I looked at in that price range did not seem they would really match, which makes sense as both reel and rod are Shimano.  

 

That being said, looks are secondary to performance, which is of course the main thing here.  I would say it's comparable to other rods in its price range and have read mainly good things about it.  I would say that if you're sticking to a certain price range, a lot of it comes down to personal preference at that point (at least when you're dealing with known brands like Shimano, dobyns, st. Croix, g Loomis, etc.)  There's also warranties to consider which I mentioned in your other thread.  

 

Beyond personal preference, there may be some things to consider based on what you're using it for.  If it's mainly cranking I would go with the expride cranking models as they are made of glass composite, which offers the best of both worlds between glass and graphite (parabolic bend where you need it and backbone where you need it). The comparable st. Croix models are only available in 100% glass, which I've heard mixed reviews about.  

 

If you're already leaning toward the expride and are looking for a way to be convinced otherwise, you probably won't find a good reason that doesn't fall into personal preference, again outside of the warranties.  I'm very happy with my purchase. 

Another thing - Shimano is one of the clear forerunners in the fishing industry,  so it's hard to go wrong there especially when I've heard so many good reviews about the expride series.  

I’m thinking of getting the 7’2 mh for jigs and the 7’2 glass for chatters and a 6’10 m for trigs to start then I will try to add more.  I haven’t used many high end rods so I don’t know what to expect. And I can’t even go somewhere to put the rod in my hands which is fustrating.  What other rod series around this price that are worth considering 

3 hours ago, papagravey said:

I’m thinking of getting the 7’2 mh for jigs and the 7’2 glass for chatters and a 6’10 m for trigs to start then I will try to add more.  I haven’t used many high end rods so I don’t know what to expect. And I can’t even go somewhere to put the rod in my hands which is fustrating.  What other rod series around this price that are worth considering 

I would start with one and see how you like it before buying the second one.  Also, the tackle trap has good descriptions of what each model is suited for (click on the rods you want and look at the bottom of the page) 

http://tackletrap.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=78_210_2444

 

Pretty sure the 7'2 mh glass is fine for the chatterbait and good for heavier cranking. 

3 hours ago, papagravey said:

I’m thinking of getting the 7’2 mh for jigs and the 7’2 glass for chatters and a 6’10 m for trigs to start then I will try to add more.  I haven’t used many high end rods so I don’t know what to expect. And I can’t even go somewhere to put the rod in my hands which is fustrating.  What other rod series around this price that are worth considering 

St. Croix legend tournament bass, Dobyn's (not sure which series) to name a couple - those are the two I was considering before I went with the expride. 

On 2/16/2018 at 1:41 AM, papagravey said:

I’m looking for additional info on this series of rods.  I really like how they look and I am thinking about getting some. How do these compare to others in the price point?

 

I've slowly upgraded my Zodias rods to Expride A's, and they are exceptional rods. Sensitivity, esp slack line sensitivity, is in a different class from the Zodias line. Lighter, better balanced...those are what you'd expect when you move up in price range, but being able to feel bites when your jig is freefalling on slack line, reliably feel them through the blank, even when the wind is howling...that was a pleasant surprise. 

 

Having said that, I would strongly recommend the 6'10 and 7'2M Zodias rods for chatter/spinnerbaiting duty. They have the perfect med-fast (leaning towards fast) action, and for those applications sensitivity isn't paramount. 

 

But def check out the 7'2 mh Expride A for bottom contact!