Yes iam kinda addicted to buying new fishing gear. Iam starting to get into the high end gear. However i still dont want to over spend. What rod do you guys usely spend the most on in your line up and which one doesent have to be as great. Thanks!

Moving bait rods don't need the sensitivity of bottom contact and finesse rods. Personally I spend more on spinning gear to fish finesse and much less on casting gear.

I spend more money in gears for the techniques I like more, jigs, drop-shot and texas in my particular case. I think this depends if you used to compete or not, if you compete you will need to have the best you can afford, if not I would spend my money in what I enjoy more.

I have spent the most on my jig, worm, Texas rig rods.  For spinner bait, chatter bait, swim jig, cranking, and top water, I'm not as concerned with sensitivity or weight, so those rods are a bit less $.

 

I can say for now, I have 5 bait casting and 1 spinning setup and I'm finally pretty content with rods.  Just need 1 more reel.

The consensus is to put the money into bottom contact rods, but if you fish purely for recreation then I say put the money into your favorite techniques because it will be the one in your hand the most.

My hands are usually the problem with my fishing so I like something well balanced but light both in spinning and casting.  Recently put a KastKing Assassin on a Dixie Custom Jerkbait Special....it's amazingly light and for a decent cost.  Love it...we're gunna be friends I believe.

1 hour ago, Yudo1 said:

The consensus is to put the money into bottom contact rods, but if you fish purely for recreation then I say put the money into your favorite techniques because it will be the one in your hand the most.

 

I absolutely agree!

 

I aint that good with crankbaits, I can feel the bait going through the water, I can feel it when it hangs a limb, & I can feel when a bass hits it.

 

I have friends who at excellent crankbait fisherman, they can feel the line contacting the limb before the crankbait hangs the limb!

My most expensive rods are my finnese rod and jig rod. My least expensive rod is my frog rod.

I spent the most on my finesse rod. I figure the better sensitivity really helps with lures you fish in a vertical presentations where with moving baits that they chase, they're going to swallow the bait anyway so it's rather hard to miss a bite.

If I ever started fishing live bait again, that would be my least expensive rod.  Most expensive would be for a versatile rod.  Hopefully with enough sensitivity for fishing jigs.....if I ever get into jigs more than I am now.

if price equates to"sensitivity" ill go with an expensive jig/worm and a cheap topwater rod.

I’m the same as most others here. I’d recommened spending the money on finesse and/or bottom contact like a jig and worm rod, dropshot rod, shakey head something like that. My least expensive rod is for my chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, and small swimbaits. I actually spend a good amount on my crankbait rod and frog rod and it’s mad a world of difference for me but it’s not something I see you need to spend the big dollars on

I think "feel " rods get the nod, both casting and spinning.  My upper tier rods are all feel rods, jigs, finesse plastics, drop shot, tubes and so on. My mid tier are moving baits, cranks, jerk baits and swim jigs. The lower tier are frogs, spinnerbaits, and some top water.  My buddy is very new to the drop shot and fishes with a Dobyns Fury. He does well. I let him borrow my Extreme HP 702SF for a day on the water. He's saving for one this spring. That sums it up.

11 hours ago, Yudo1 said:

The consensus is to put the money into bottom contact rods, but if you fish purely for recreation then I say put the money into your favorite techniques because it will be the one in your hand the most.

 

X3

Thanks guys. What i was allready thinking so this sums it up for me. Really appreciate you all takeing your time to comment.

All my rods are ten thousand dollars if their not ten thousand then I won’t buy them.?

I’ve spent the most on the rods I use for jigs and soft plastics. The rods I use for moving baits aren’t necessarily cheap, but they are less expensive. I don’t need a lot of sensitivity for crankbaits, but I don’t want the rod to break either. 

I read an article years ago by Denny Brauer, in which he stressed the importance of his rods and reels being of one brand and believed it provided him the right "feel" no matter which rig he picked up.  Interesting take and I have no idea how other pros feel about this. Of course sponsers make a difference. 

2 minutes ago, OnthePotomac said:

I read an article years ago by Denny Brauer, in which he stressed the importance of his rods and reels being of one brand and believed it provided him the right "feel" no matter which rig he picked up.  Interesting take and I have no idea how other pros feel about this. Of course sponsers make a difference. 

I feel like I notice this. Maybe it’s just a mental thing but I just couldn’t do lews and shimano consistently... so the shimano had to go?

As a recreational bass angler put your money where it does you the good, the rods and reels you use most often. Why put good money into a rod or reel you don't use often?

1 good quality rod and reel combo is worth more than 2 mediocre combo's.

Tom