2 hours ago, rangerjockey said:

I own both and personally I'm not convinced the NRX is a more sensitive rod. The Steeze BC2 is really good and the craftsmanship on the Daiwa is better.

That's not to say the NRX isn't great also but they look like they should cost $150.  

I got the BC, I hear the BC2 is more sensitive but I prefer the BC because foam and it balances perfectly with a light reel and at the $400 I paid for it, it was kind of a steal.

 

I also like the longer bend in the tip. It's still quite a stiff tip and works well enough around milfoil and wood but it's suitable for my area.

Unless you want to buy an USDM product, why even bother buying anything in NA? I literally forgot the last time i bought anything expensive outside of Japan lol.

23 minutes ago, ABU is overpriced said:

Unless you want to buy an USDM product, why even bother buying anything in NA? I literally forgot the last time i bought anything expensive outside of Japan lol.

Most just pay full retail at TW for a fishing thing, wait two weeks and think this is great buying experience.  I'm thankful for them because the USDM system would collapse and US IPs would be range banned if everyone bought JDM.  Also, in this particular case the AGS rods have to be handled with kid gloves or they get damaged.  I'm soft on my gear in all ways but guides.  I regularly bang them around against other guides of other rods next to them in the kayak or vehicle when grabbing a rod.  I would certainly go USDM AGS over JDM just for the warranty if I wanted an AGS rod (I don't, because l know myself and what I would do to those guides).  

Since the steez ags rods price going up already does that mean sooner or later all jdm brands rods,reels,lures, accessories going to jump up on prices?  

7 hours ago, Boomstick said:

24% tariff and Daiwa ate some of the cost.

It's a 90 day pause since 4/1. There is a reason Daiwa chose 7/1 to require retailers to increase prices to match MSRP.

The steez rods come from China. Forget all about 24% and Japan. It’s irrelevant.

2 hours ago, ABU is overpriced said:

Unless you want to buy an USDM product, why even bother buying anything in NA? I literally forgot the last time i bought anything expensive outside of Japan lol.

@ABU is overpriced Can you show me where I can find the steez AGS for sale outside of the USA? Being serious, not trying to argue.

On 6/10/2025 at 5:17 PM, woolleyfooley said:

The steez rods come from China. Forget all about 24% and Japan. It’s irrelevant.

I thought Steez’s were still made in Japan. If you are correct, you can add a much higher tariff rate then

On 6/10/2025 at 4:17 PM, woolleyfooley said:

The steez rods come from China. Forget all about 24% and Japan. It’s irrelevant.

@ABU is overpriced Can you show me where I can find the steez AGS for sale outside of the USA? Being serious, not trying to argue.

The way cheaper than US price is from Japan and you won't get a warranty.  Normally the lack of a warranty isn't an issue because its anglers that break rods from misuse and not rod manufacturering defects so those that are not rod breakers can benefit from a means to buy a rod at a massive discount.  This is wonderful until the rod is an AGS rod.  The AGS guides are incredibly fragile and will break with what is considered normal rod handling by even those who are not brutal on rods.  If you own one of these rods you have to treat the guides as if they are made from faberge eggs.  If you can't stomach that then the only path to own one is to buy with a warranty, be super gentle, and submit warranty claims as the guides break off.  If you are 1000% convinced you can keep the guides undamaged then buy JDM and save a boat load of money.  To emphasize, the guide damage doesn't come from fishing but from getting the rod our of the rod locker, vehicle or on the casting deck or rod holder.  They don't stand up to the kind of rough handling other normal guide rods do even if you think the handling isn't rough.

18 hours ago, Bigbox99 said:

The way cheaper than US price is from Japan and you won't get a warranty.  Normally the lack of a warranty isn't an issue because its anglers that break rods from misuse and not rod manufacturering defects so those that are not rod breakers can benefit from a means to buy a rod at a massive discount.  This is wonderful until the rod is an AGS rod.  The AGS guides are incredibly fragile and will break with what is considered normal rod handling by even those who are not brutal on rods.  If you own one of these rods you have to treat the guides as if they are made from faberge eggs.  If you can't stomach that then the only path to own one is to buy with a warranty, be super gentle, and submit warranty claims as the guides break off.  If you are 1000% convinced you can keep the guides undamaged then buy JDM and save a boat load of money.  To emphasize, the guide damage doesn't come from fishing but from getting the rod our of the rod locker, vehicle or on the casting deck or rod holder.  They don't stand up to the kind of rough handling other normal guide rods do even if you think the handling isn't rough.

Been fishing my Tatula Elite and Steez hard for the past couple years and haven’t had a bit of trouble with the AGS guides. I don’t abuse my equipment but I don’t baby it either.

18 hours ago, Bigbox99 said:

The way cheaper than US price is from Japan and you won't get a warranty.  Normally the lack of a warranty isn't an issue because its anglers that break rods from misuse and not rod manufacturering defects so those that are not rod breakers can benefit from a means to buy a rod at a massive discount.  This is wonderful until the rod is an AGS rod.  The AGS guides are incredibly fragile and will break with what is considered normal rod handling by even those who are not brutal on rods.  If you own one of these rods you have to treat the guides as if they are made from faberge eggs.  If you can't stomach that then the only path to own one is to buy with a warranty, be super gentle, and submit warranty claims as the guides break off.  If you are 1000% convinced you can keep the guides undamaged then buy JDM and save a boat load of money.  To emphasize, the guide damage doesn't come from fishing but from getting the rod our of the rod locker, vehicle or on the casting deck or rod holder.  They don't stand up to the kind of rough handling other normal guide rods do even if you think the handling isn't rough.

Where can I find a steez AGS from Japan? I’ve looked and I can’t find it.

17 minutes ago, LonnieP said:

Been fishing my Tatula Elite and Steez hard for the past couple years and haven’t had a bit of trouble with the AGS guides. I don’t abuse my equipment but I don’t baby it either.

Yeah. Seems the new rods don’t have issues with the AGS guides being fragile.

22 hours ago, Boomstick said:

I thought Steez’s were still made in Japan. If you are correct, you can add a much higher tariff rate then

Tariff rate with China is currently 30%. It used to be around 21-22%. 

On 6/12/2025 at 10:14 PM, Bigbox99 said:

The way cheaper than US price is from Japan and you won't get a warranty.  Normally the lack of a warranty isn't an issue because its anglers that break rods from misuse and not rod manufacturering defects so those that are not rod breakers can benefit from a means to buy a rod at a massive discount.  This is wonderful until the rod is an AGS rod.  The AGS guides are incredibly fragile and will break with what is considered normal rod handling by even those who are not brutal on rods.  If you own one of these rods you have to treat the guides as if they are made from faberge eggs.  If you can't stomach that then the only path to own one is to buy with a warranty, be super gentle, and submit warranty claims as the guides break off.  If you are 1000% convinced you can keep the guides undamaged then buy JDM and save a boat load of money.  To emphasize, the guide damage doesn't come from fishing but from getting the rod our of the rod locker, vehicle or on the casting deck or rod holder.  They don't stand up to the kind of rough handling other normal guide rods do even if you think the handling isn't rough.

I’ve used AGS guides for 5 years. Never had a problem in a boat, kayak, or bank fishing. I’ve run Daiwa and St Croix AGS and the whole “you’re gunna break them, guaranteed” is entirely overblown.
 

Any guide other than a recoil will crack if you slam it in a car door, truck bed, or stomp it on a deck. 
 

I really wish people would stop spreading the idea that carbon fiber is the most delicate material ever used in fishing. It isn’t. 

2 hours ago, TNBankFishing said:

’ve used AGS guides for 5 years. Never had a problem in a boat, kayak, or bank fishing. I’ve run Daiwa and St Croix AGS and the whole “you’re gunna break them, guaranteed” is entirely overblown.
 

Any guide other than a recoil will crack if you slam it in a car door, truck bed, or stomp it on a deck. 
 

I really wish people would stop spreading the idea that carbon fiber is the most delicate material ever used in fishing. It isn’t. 

The only problem is they break and don't bend, but that doesn't mean they're super fragile. I managed to break one when I was out shore fishing and snagged a rod on a cast (don't ask how I did that) and it slammed hard on cement. If it was any other rod, it'd have survived but I will own my own clumsiness here. But they're generally pretty durable. I don't regularly abuse my rods and have yet to break another.

23 minutes ago, Boomstick said:

The only problem is they break and don't bend, but that doesn't mean they're super fragile. I managed to break one when I was out shore fishing and snagged a rod on a cast (don't ask how I did that) and it slammed hard on cement. If it was any other rod, it'd have survived but I will own my own clumsiness here. But they're generally pretty durable. I don't regularly abuse my rods and have yet to break another.

This sort of response is important. The reality is carbon fiber is more brittle than metal but the forces involved to break an AGS guide are out of the norm. 
 

You won’t pop one on a frog hookset no matter how much you lean into it.