I’m in the market for a new spinning rod (happy birthday to me) and am wondering how much difference I will notice as price increases. 
All the rods I own can probably be classified as entry level. I have a variety of the 13 fishing line up which I honestly quite like so I’m not sure I can justify the extra cost unless it’s going to make a noticeable difference in terms of feel, action and sensitivity. 

Cut to the chase, I’m debating between sticking with what I have - entry level ( 13 Oath, Daiwa Tatula XT) stepping up into the mid range ( Megabass Levante, Tatula elite) 

 

Thoughts? 

 

 

 

There is only one way to find out. The bait monkey agrees. I will tell you usually the better grade blanks from any manufacture will be more sensitive in hand. They provide better feel & bite detection. This applies to mod fast, fast & extra fast blanks especially. Most guys don't care when your talking about moderate blanks. 

Usually they have better components…

Guides, Cork (AAA or AAAA)

Fit and finish are also usually better. 
 

Thier biggest selling point’s are lighter overall weight and sensitivity. 
But those are relative to the individual person 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

I find it to make a reasonable difference in bottom-contact baits and some moving baits. I went from a 13 Fishing Fate to a St Croix Victory for my main flipping stick last year. I definitely noticed a dramatic increase in sensitivity and accuracy, which resulted in a lot more fish caught flipping. At one point late in the season, I went on a 3 tournament stretch where boated 95%+ of my fish on that one rod and one bait. 

 

I find moving baits to be less critical, but still nice to upgrade. I went from a budget 13 Fishing Defy cranking rod to a Carbonlite 2.0 cranking rod recently and find that there's a big difference in being able to feel what my crank is doing underwater.

 

For topwaters, I'm good with a budget rod as long as it puts the bait where it should be and has the right power and action to drive the hook home and get the fish to the boat. I could care less about sensitivity since you can see them take it.

A small fraction of the world's greatest Bass fishing pros fish with what I'd call high end rods, the likes of Megabass P5s and Loomis/Shimano NRX+ type rods.   

 

Imho you're buying the high-end rods to treat yourself, not because they are in any way necessary for success.

 

To me the action and parabolic nature of a rod are far more important than the sensitivity.    A great angler doesn't need a sensitive rod to detect bites, but a great angler can take advantage of a rod that is tapered right for a particular bait and equally take advantage of a rod that has the right parabolic bend to increase landing percentage.  

 

I recently picked up three rods from a custom rod maker who used bushido blanks and I'm not well versed on custom rods but I can say these rods are top tier and the sensitivity is night and day from my factory rods.

High grade rods have better guides, handles etc, but for me it's weight. Higher end rods are lighter, which .makes the more comfortable to use and adds to the overall feel.

 

1 hour ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

A small fraction of the world's greatest Bass fishing pros fish with what I'd call high end rods, the likes of Megabass P5s and Loomis/Shimano NRX+ type rods.   

 

Imho you're buying the high-end rods to treat yourself, not because they are in any way necessary for success.

 

To me the action and parabolic nature of a rod are far more important than the sensitivity.    A great angler doesn't need a sensitive rod to detect bites, but a great angler can take advantage of a rod that is tapered right for a particular bait and equally take advantage of a rod that has the right parabolic bend to increase landing percentage.  

 

Pros are paid to fish with rods they are affiliated with... Take whatever they try to tell you with a grain of salt... Rods are like tools.. Some people prefer to have and use nicer tools.... 

Like most have pointed out, sensitivity is the greatest advantage. Treat yourself to a bottom contact rod which would be the best improvement. Moving baits don’t necessarily require a highly sensitive rod so what you are using works.

I use St Croix Victory spinning rods with Shimano Vanford reels. Reason good customer service and warranty plus the combo’s balance well and like the handle design.

Tom

8 hours ago, MRQturbo said:

Pros are paid to fish with rods they are affiliated with... Take whatever they try to tell you with a grain of salt... Rods are like tools.. Some people prefer to have and use nicer tools.... 

Prefer and need are two very different things, and my point remains the same.  Buying a NRX+ or P5 Destroyer is a "treat yourself" purchase, not a necessity for success.     

 

Pros for the most part use made in China $100-200 rods.   

 

The question is how much a high-end rod helps you......from a results perspective and using the top Bass anglers in the world.......they help you 0%.  

Will a higher end put more fish in the boat? Nope. Will a higher end rod put a bigger smile on your face and make you want to use it? YEP. 

 

I caught my current PB (10.5lb LM) on a $99 Falcon Bucoo. Ever since I've stepped up to a bit more higher end rods, I haven't caught a fish near that size. But by God are they a joy to use. I don't think I've caught a fish over 2lbs on my Falcon Cara yet, but MAN do I love using that rod. 

 

At the end of the day, it truly is just matter of if you enjoy using higher end gear with nicer components. It doesn't have much to do with catching more or bigger fish... (to an extent of course.) 

When I first upgraded from lower end stuff to higher end stuff, in addition to balance, weight and sensitivity as mentioned above, I found that the higher end rods cast a lot better (farther). 

 

I guess the crisper blank transfers the power better in making the cast? I'm not sure but I know casting distance was a big increase for me. 

I do not want to know the answer to this question.

 

Seriously!

 

I know thyself...and know that if I purchased a "high-end" rod...and got that thing in my hand...I would most certainly be ditching all my old rods, and succumbing to the Bait Monkey(!)

 

🤣

one thing is for sure, when I upgraded from lower end gear to higher end stuff, when a fish hits your lure it feels like a lightning bolt lol. The dampening effect of low end sensitivity to higher end sensitivity makes a big difference in 'feel' when you get a strike. I'm comparing Walmart Eagle Claw rods to Loomis 90s IMX and GL3 rods here. I remember the feels lol 

i am a rookie.  but i think rods have a sweet spot, called the spine.  how the carbon fibers run make a difference.  i learned this in archery hunting arrows.    i have been told my rods have a spherical carbon layout that allows the rod to not rely on the spine. they are good in multiple directions.  

 

AND... the rod makers can tailor the weave to make the tips faster, less fast, etc to get the attributes they seek.  a rod can be stiff, stiff, stiff. Then they change the weave orientation closer to the tip to get you awesome castability.   a bespoke rod action.  

 

having said that, as a rookie i didnt have a AHA! moment where it all came together and notice the glaring benefits.  

I've always stayed around $100 - $150 for a rod, no complaints.

Way better rods and way more options today compared to yesteryear.

My most expensive spinning rod cost $460 (St Croix Legend Xtreme older version). My least expensive spinning rod cost $179 (Cashion Core).  I regularly switch between the two when I'm fishing.  There are things I like and dislike about both.  One thing I can say with certainty is that I can catch fish equally with either rod.   

 

So to the OP original question, how much does it help.  If we're talking about helping put fish in the boat,  the answer is it doesn't help at all.  If it helped put fish in the boat I promise you all of the pros would be using high end stuff regardless of what their sponsors want.  

 

People may argue that high end rods help in other ways.  That's a more subjective argument.

I have to disagree with everyone saying that a higher end rod won't put more fish in the boat. Seems like people unanimously agree that most higher end rods have better sensitivity than a lower end rod.

 

Better sensitivity = better bite detection = more bites detected = more fish hooked = more fish in the boat

I like higher end gear but will it make you a stud?  No.  We have a guy up here Bryan Labelle.  25 Mlf tournaments 11 top tens, 2 wins, $184k in winnings. 4 Bassmaster events, 4 checks, 1 win, 2 top 10's and $60k in winnings.  Dude uses Ugly Sticks (Walmart type) and straight braid, even drop shotting.  Bass photo guy came over to do the gear pix and looked at his gear and was like "ehhh let's just look at the baits."  Lol

 

Some folks have it, some don't, gear isn't the difference.  But... for us that aren't of that caliber, it sure makes it enjoyable.

1 hour ago, JHoss said:

Seems like people unanimously agree

It’s not unanimous.  I disagree.  Rod sensitivity seems to be an a confidence thing.  No one has been able to measure it or quantify it but many people still believe passionately in it. 
 

 Bite detection is the skill of interpreting what you feel.  A rod can’t do that.

Yes performance upgrade to some degrees, better components. But it's mostly personal satisfaction and some good ole bragging rights thing.

To op......  skip the Tatula and the Lavante.  Get the New series of Okuma X rods.  From owning alot of NRX, Croix, Megabass, Exprides & Adrenas.  The Okuma rods are hard to beat right now.  The blanks are by far the most lightest I've ever fished next to a custom rod feel and the price is good too not overly expensive. Check them out before you can pull the trigger on the other brands

9 minutes ago, Tennessee Boy said:

It’s not unanimous.  I disagree.  Rod sensitivity seems to be an a confidence thing.  No one has been able to measure it or quantify it but many people still believe passionately in it. 
 

 Bite detection is the skill of interpreting what you feel.  A rod can’t do that.

High quality blanks and reel seats increase the amount of vibration that makes it to your hand. That's not really debatable, is it? By your logic, my daughter's 2' Frozen Zebco combo has just as much sensitivity as a G Loomis NRX?

Wow, thanks to everyone who took the time to reply. 
 

Higher end for me still isn’t even mid range when it comes to price point. More like higher end of the budget segment haha. 
 

That said, my wife told me she ordered me the new 13 Oath rod yesterday. 7’6” ML/XF. It will fill a hole in my arsenal and on paper it seems like a great rod for the price. 
 

I’m still down one though so I’ll continue to debate and battle the monkey for my next choice.