You ever have a cheaper rod that you cant put down even when you have a more expensive rod in the arsenal?  I purchased a shimano expride 7’6 mh moderate fast for spinnerbaits and chatterbaits because i have really fallen in love with that line of rods. I have an old Rainshadow Immortal Inshore Popping rod that is a heavy power moderate fast action that is right at an oz heavier than the Expride and every time i leave to go fishing i find myself leaving the Expride at home. I may have spent $135-$150 building the Rainshadow but it just feels right working  bladed jig or a spinnerbait. 

My go to Texas rig rod is marketed as a spinnerbait rod but one day I broke my worm rod and just tied it on out of convenience and two years later haven’t tied anything else on. 

That's how it is with 1 of my beater rods. I have an older gen 6 ft spinning M lightning rod shock with an avenger okuma reel. I learned how to drop shot with it. Though I have tried nicer rods for drop shot, it just feels like the action on the shock is just right for me. So I keep using it 

13Fishing Omen Green ML - $130 rod I liked so much, bought a second $80 on closeout for back-up.  Though I've since found Abu Prototype Kurodai Baitfinesse that covers a wider range.  

 

In M/MH jerkbaits, I can't get past my Crowder IM6.  

I can count the fish difference with higher-grade, lighter-in-hand Valleyhill MH 

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again that my first rod when I got serious about getting back into fishing is my Wright & McGill 7’-0” medium power and I absolutely love this rod. I’ve paired it with a few different reels over the years but have settled on a SLX MGL 71 as a combo. I liked it so much I bought the matching medium heavy & medium spinning rod as well.

I have a 6’6” Silstar Lexus that is over 30 years old. All graphite and the best spinnerblade rod I’ve ever had. I have IMX rods I use for spinnerblades but just always seem to compare every other rod to the Silstar.

I have this old brown colored graphite blank 7 foot medium rod that has conquest written on it with not much more information.  I have had it since probably 1997ish.  I bought it new in Utah at a sporting goods store.  It is very parabolic, but not a noodle like a glass rod.  Honestly it is one of my favorite rods to fish with.  I have actually tried to figure out the maker in the past with google searches with no luck.  I do not know if conquest is the brand or if it is the rod line.  There is very minimal info on the blank.  It is a manufactured rod though, not something custom.  I have caught many bass and smaller tiger muskie on it.  

4 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

In M/MH jerkbaits, I can't get past my Crowder IM6.  

Liking my 2 Crowder salt spinning rods so much, bought a E series MH casting inshore and use it for beavers in the weed for the big bass. Super strong rod!

Lovin my old USA Caras

1 all around MH and 1 heavy, T-7 blank.

Also a old Loomis Greenwater inshore, MH fast, great worm and lizard rod.

@little giant

Yeah, anyone who borrows my 30-y-o Loomis GL2 MH spinner wants to take it home.  

2 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

@little giant

Yeah, anyone who borrows my 30-y-o Loomis GL2 MH spinner wants to take it home.  

Found my first fly rod which was a 25 year old GLoomis Gl2. Pulled it out and it still feels great.  

Loomis has made some special stuff over the years

My Lew's TP1-Black. Have the 7'4 HF paired with a Speed Spool LFS and 50lb braid and it's definitely not the most expensive setup out there but I really like it for frogs and flipping, pitching and light punching. I also normally don't like wynn grips but in this case since I'm usually swinging for the fences on the hookset I actually like the grip. I even went and bought a 7'4 HF Victory and told myself I was going to replace this rod but ended up keeping both. Love the Victory for spinnerbaits and 5" swimbaits but prefer this one for frogs and texas rigged creature baits so kept both and one has a reel w/ braid on it and the other has a reel spooled w/ fluorocarbon. The new replacement one is ok and there are a couple of details about that one that are a bit better, but the blank is a little lower modulus so I'm glad I got this one when it was available as I was able to notice a bit of a difference when I picked up the newer one in the store.

10 hours ago, Huckfinn38 said:

Found my first fly rod which was a 25 year old GLoomis Gl2. Pulled it out and it still feels great.  Loomis has made some special stuff over the years

 

I've always referred to my Fisher IM6s as Magic Wands.  (GT40, Sterling, Emerald, Natural)

 

There are rods that will punch out more distance, but no other rods give a quicker, more accurate delivery.  This was the 2nd cast of the morning to jumping shrimp.  The first cast was a larger spec that tore the hook out on her second run.  

I pulled my Lews Hank Parker spinning rod out of storage a couple of days ago and went fishing. I’d forgotten how comfortable it is . More expensive doesn’t always equal better. 

I don't remember this happening. The opposite, tho, it sure happened, and it was with the Shimano Zodias. What a garbage stick. I expected so much more.