kb here    what is the best rod  man if there was a clear answer  who ever makes this rod would be a multi millioner

  how can you take some one's idea of a good rod. they probley fish different than you and fish different water than you.  and how can a person tell what rod is best for himself  without trying all the good rods out there.  you cant do that the price would kill you.   i have a couple 5ft 6in rods  with a pistol grig handle from bass pro i gave $19.99 on sale that i think are good rods   is a $90.00  st croix pc56 mf 4times a better rod .how the he$$ do i know. if i had to buy all the brands of rods  in that size  i would have to rob a bank. then go to a worm rod. crankbait rod , spinnerbait rod, then spinning rods.  drives you crazy   some one please give me a answer kbkindle :-? :-/

You ask a difficult question.Yes the higher priced rods are better in my opinion, They are lighter and usually more sensitive, but there are some very good mid priced rods on the market that will have good components, be sensitive and fairly light in weight.IMO, The Berkley series one rods for $60.00 is a great rod for the money, but there's nothing wrong with spending more if you can, or spending less if your on a budget.Buy what you can afford, but the rod, in my opinion is more important than the reel, but there will be other people who say different. I am not always correct.The important thing is to get out and fish.  ;DIvan

I agree with castaway on this...

IMPO the reason why it is so hard to know what you are getting in a rod is that many retailers cannot display all of the rod models that are available to them (mostly because of cost and display space issues).

Where as in the reel market you can stock fairly deep into a manufacturers models and display them in those cases, and the consumer has more of a chance to handle and feel what he/she likes.

But it all comes down to personal preference and personal budgeting. All this aside the most important part of the rod/reel combo is the rod.

The reel holds the line, pay the line out on casting, and retrieves the line when landing the fish or retrieving the lure.

The rod on the other hand cast the lure, feels the bite, set's the hook, and fight's the fish. If you were to look at the 3 most important factors of the fishing rig they would be rated #1 rod, #2 the weakest link (the line), and #3 the reel.

I can catch as many fish if not more with a $70 reel on a $150 dollar rod as the guy that has paid $200. for the reel and $300+ for the rod.

The other good point that castaway makes..

The important thing is to get out and fish

Just my .02¢

Tight Lines All!  

A fishing rod is like anything else.

Take cars for example.  A kia will get you from here to there, but then again so will a Lamborghini.  Which ride would you rather take?

When it comes to rods, break the bank.  The rod is the key part of the angling equation that you are in contact with.  It is worth every dime you can scrape up to get the best.

This post is exactly why I won't spend over $100 for an "off the rack" rod.

I am finding that saving another $100-$150 and having a rod built FOR YOU is the way to go.

Flechero is building me a rod and you wouldn't believe all the factors that go into choosing components and styles to match my preferences. Now, mind you, I am getting a rod that is "tailor" made for me personally. many builders, if not most, don't like to build for people "on-line" only because they feel they cannot provide the customer with the level of "custom fitting" that they are capable of delivering if you are there in person. (Reelmech, flechero, etc). These are the kinds of builders you want to work with.

I really have no way of being there for the fit but I know even at that, I will have a rod that is very suited for what I do compared to trying to match somthing off a rack.

And last but not least, support an artisan!!!! A hand-made rod, in my opinion, already comes with mojo, or karma, built right into it, from the hands of the builder. These guys that build these things usually began out of a passion for the art and sport. I cherish my time on the water enough to use the very best, made by the very best.

Support a builder, support the arts, support a fellow fisherman.

l.b.h. kb here when you say you tell the rod builder what you are looking for in a certain rod. what are you asking him to do. to me there are just a few things you can have built in a rod. if you are fishing for bass lets say about you can ask for is the weight and to me this is a problem you look at kisl$r rod they say they are the lightest which is wrong. backbone and what kind of tip like a fast tip. please dont get me wrong ia'm not trying to create a argument about what rod manafacture is the best i just would like to know why one person would buy a kistl$r rod at $300.00 or a st croix rod at $150.00. some people like fords and some like chev but the chev does not cost twice as a ford. is it just a personal thing or a ego thing. i dont think there is much difference between high end rods. just like you say buy a kia or a cadillac. now there is a difference in quality kb

Well, with the top name off the rack stuff, you are paying alot for customer service and warranty. Many will declare how they've been hooked up by some of these top companies.

Think of it like a motorcycle. You can go to Harley and buy their top of the line bike, brand new. Beautiful machine, no doubt, if somthing goes wrong, there's your warranty,etc. BUT.

Go to a custom bike builder and your arm length, saddle length, etc are all made right into the bike.

Either way, they are both sweet rides.

Since I joined this forum, my head feels like it's going to explode with all the info I have tried to obsorb but I have been convinced of two things.

1)There is a lot of personal preference when it comes to equipment. If whatever it is, does what you want, then it's worth it.

2)I can't stress this enough. "The rod is the most important part of the set up."

there is no best rod. Most of it is infact personal prefernce. You have to find a rod that you like and is perfect for your price range. Then, it will be your "best" rod. JMHO

for me a rod is simply a tool.... now i do spend some ching on rods ..... well alotta ching , but at the end of the day a rod is what you make it , bottom line .... fish with what makes you happy .... thats all that matters  

First of all, you only get what you pay for. Do you have to buy a $400.00 rod, no. I am a guide and couldn't afford to let my clients use a dozen G. Loomis . Neither will I put a Wal-Mart special in their hand. You have to find the rod that " You " are satisfied with and feel comfortable with. I have and probably always will be a Team All Star guy and a  Gator Rod guy. You just can't beat them for 100-150 bucks, thats all. I never had either of these two rods that I didn't like. Just remember the application has to match what you are purchasing and you will be fine. Balls in your court. Contact Reel Mech whom had some advice in this post. I had recently asked him some questions about rod building and he put me on some good avenues and seems to know what he is talking about. Warranty and Customer Service are also two very good reasons to buy a decent rod.

First of all, you only get what you pay for. Do you have to buy a $400.00 rod, no. I am a guide and couldn't afford to let my clients use a dozen G. Loomis . Neither will I put a Wal-Mart special in their hand. You have to find the rod that " You " are satisfied with and feel comfortable with. I have and probably always will be a Team All Star guy or a Gator Rod guy. You just can't beat them for 100-150 bucks, thats all. Balls in your court.

jim  kb here   good point but how am i going to get my hands on a good rod for me when there are a lot of top quality rods out there.  are you saying if i like the rod in the store and it feels good buy it   kb

You betchya. Being comfortable with your equipment means everything. So what if it is a 30.00 rod. Does it feel right to you? I can give you some good advice. I have a few Pinnacle Tri Wings that are now called SPX3--I think. These rods are like around 50.00 and they are pretty sweet for that kind of money. I even got a couple on sale once at Dicks for like 30.00 and like both of them. I use one for smallies-6' MH Xtra fast, 1/8-1/2 lure wt ( I think ) and rated for 8-15 lb line that is great. The other one I bought was for casting, 10-20 lb line weight and 1/4 to 5/8 or 1/2 lure wt that is pretty sweet for the money. I think if you wanted to try this line of rods for the money you will be more than pleased. What if it is a Silstar. They work.

Hey KB,

If your thinking of a new rod, try to find a fishing buddy who has one you might like and try it. Also look around for a mom & pop fishing store (not BPS, Dicks, etc.) and ask them to let you try one. I have a local store that will put a spooled reel on any rod they have and take you out to the parking lot and let you cast it with a practice plug. You sometimes have to pay a little more than the big stores, but you know more about what your getting. At the end of the day, whatever keeps you on the water fishing all day is what you should use. It don't matter what it costs. JMHO

Ronnie

I too am in the same boat as you, no pun intended, being in the market for my first real high end rod, and not wanting to purchase something for that kind of money and then hate it.  One thing I have learned with Cabelas is, that they have a great return policy.  I can't tell you how many things I have bought from them, tried them out and returned them with no questions asked.  Now keep in mind that I am not using them for 2-3 months and then trying to return them, but I will take rods and reels out and give them an honest assessment, and if I don't like them I have had no problems returning them for refund or exchange.

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I too am in the same boat as you, no pun intended, being in the market for my first real high end rod, and not wanting to purchase something for that kind of money and then hate it. One thing I have learned with Cabelas is, that they have a great return policy. I can't tell you how many things I have bought from them, tried them out and returned them with no questions asked. Now keep in mind that I am not using them for 2-3 months and then trying to return them, but I will take rods and reels out and give them an honest assessment, and if I don't like them I have had no problems returning them for refund or exchange.

               kb here  thats a great idea. that makes a lot of sense to me. use a rod for a day and you would know if you like it.  not trying to sound cheap  but trying a high end rod. you could get a $1,00.00  in 3-4 rods and then still not have what you want.  i had a bunch of cheap rods  meaning $50.00 and less and when a guy on the forum wanted  donations for the kids in new orleans i sent him all i had upstairs in the attic. kb

I feel the same as LBH. $100 is my personal limit (really $75~).  Over that, there better be American sweat on it and my my name airbrushed on the side with a purple flake flame job.