For me the difference is remaining happily married or divorced.

Great replies.  
 

I’ll add one I didn’t see in my quick scan. 
 

spiral wrapped fibers.  (Think that’s what the kids these days call it). 
 

a rod manufacturer can adjust the rod action anywhere along the shaft.  Now you have the best of all the worlds.  Good solid back bone with a soft gentle tip for casting.   Yet sensitive enough to feel a bass Side eye your senko. 
 

no more building rods to the natural spine of the blank.  A fish pulls left, rod bends with it. No torquing. 
 

I hope I got all that right.  It’s howy

mind understands it. 

I think one thing left out here is “high end” is relative. On person spending $50 on a rod may feel high end and someone spending $600 may feel it’s a value.

 

I buy “higher end”rods because of the sensitivity and construction of the premium components. My high end is in the $200-$300 range. Someone else’s may be $800. And it makes a difference.
Can you feel a crankbait digging into the bottom and tell the difference between sand, gravel, pebbles, small rock and a piece of wood? You should.
Can you feel a Texas rig pulled access the bottom and determine what the bottom make up consistent of? You should.

 

If it’s important to you, life is too short to deny yourself the pleasures of the best products or life experiences regardless of cost. But just because it’s expensive doesn’t mean it’s the best.

There are also those of us who simply can't spend more than $59 on a rod. It's not a matter of what else we spend it on, it's bills or a fishing rod or reel. I'm not criticizing in any way. It just blows my mind that anybody can spend $250 on a fishing rod. I'm happy with what I have. I catch fish with them. 

I consider my gear tools... And some people prefer to use nicer tools... I'd rather spend my money on high end gear than yearly vacations... I'll get more enjoyment that way instead of sitting on a beach somewhere warm... 

10 minutes ago, Darth-Baiter said:

Great replies.  
 

I’ll add one I didn’t see in my quick scan. 
 

spiral wrapped fibers.  (Think that’s what the kids these days call it). 
 

a rod manufacturer can adjust the rod action anywhere along the shaft.  Now you have the best of all the worlds.  Good solid back bone with a soft gentle tip for casting.   Yet sensitive enough to feel a bass Side eye your senko. 
 

no more building rods to the natural spine of the blank.  A fish pulls left, rod bends with it. No torquing. 
 

I hope I got all that right.  It’s howy

mind understands it. 

Yep, this is why I mentioned action as one of the benefits specifically to the Megabass P5 lineup.

 

They call it their 5-D graphite system.

 

They can make rods bend in certain places where others don’t. They are truly a joy to fish.

 

I have NRX+ and the P5’s blow them out of the water. Loomis has a much better warranty and an American company. Some say more sensitivity but it wouldn’t be by much.

usually the actions are a little crisper the rods a usually lighter and more sensitive. i have megabass loomis and high end stcroix. but not all my rods are high end. i have a bunch of exprides and a few zodias. there are plenty of great rods around the 200 dollar mark,you dont need the high end rods to catch fish or enjoy fishing. I use he high end rods because i enjoy using them and am fortunate enough to afford a few.But dont feel like you cand catch plenty of fish with less expensive rods.

4 minutes ago, Motoboss said:

 

 

Can you feel a crankbait digging into the bottom and tell the difference between sand, gravel, pebbles, small rock and a piece of wood? You should.
Can you feel a Texas rig pulled access the bottom and determine what the bottom make up consistent of? You should.

 

 

No rod, regardless of expense or any other quality, is going to magically convey the bottom composition.  It is the experienced person holding the rod who will know the difference.  And the amount of experience that enables distinguishing the differences can be gained using rods of any quality.  

I own 4 Daiwa Steez Rods ($550 each), a Loomis GLX ($550), and I have a NRX+ ($650) that arrives tomorrow.  Looking forward to using it on Saturday.  All my reels are in the $150 to $250 range.

 

The difference between a high-end rod and a $50-$100 rod is unmistakable when dragging lures across the bottom.  I fish a lot of finesse applications and it is an absolute joy to work lures and fight fish on these high-end rods.  I don't use $50 rods anymore but I can tell you that my Steez and Loomis rods are considerably more sensitive than even the $250-$350 Dobyns rods which I used to think were incredible rods.  I bought my first Steez rod about 5 years ago and the first cast I made with a Ned rig was all I needed to experience.  I could feel how the rod was a couple levels up from my Dobyns Champ HP just by dragging a 1/16th oz jig across some rocks in 10' of water.  When the fish are aggressive you can catch them on a broom handle but when the bite is subtle and the wind is catching your line and the boat is bouncing up and down- that is when an uber-sensitive rod shines.  I fish a lot on the Great Lakes and you're often bouncing around.  I need all the help I can get.  Braid and ultra high-end rods make for the most sensitive package possible. 

 

Now the rods clearly are not 3x better than a $200 rod but I am at the point in my life where I can treat myself to the things I want.  I get very good not great reels but I LOVE my rods.  I agree with others about not wanting to try one for fear of getting hooked.  I did and nowadays that is where I spend my money when upgrading tackle.  

Because I don’t have kids, quit drinkin', and no longer have to buy $1200 sets of irons. 

41 minutes ago, OldManLure said:

No rod, regardless of expense or any other quality, is going to magically convey the bottom composition.  It is the experienced person holding the rod who will know the difference.  And the amount of experience that enables distinguishing the differences can be gained using rods of any quality.  

True,,,,,to an extent. A beginner fisher-person can tell the difference between simple composition with a graphite rod and a stick. Quality makes a difference.

It’s all relative fellas. 
As someone said earlier buy what you can afford, fish it and be happy. 
There was a time I had to borrow one because I didn’t want to spend the money at that time on anything and was a luxury to me. 
 

As things changed I kept going up in price because I expected more, then more and more until I got to the point of diminishing returns. 
 

That point is in what you get out of it and wallet. 
 

 

 

 

 

Mike

 

I feel like $300 is my rod price point for getting into higher end bass rods.  There is some really nice kit out there for $300.  When you start moving into the $400-600 range, you really start seeing diminishing returns for the extra hundreds.  I don't ever really bother looking at price personally.  I always choose the rod first, price second.  Most every line of rods no matter the cost will have one or two gems in the series.  I also try to buy rods built on NFC or Patriot Factory blanks no matter the brand.  The Loomis family really has blank making figured out.

For me, an expensive rod is one that costs $60.00. Most of my rods are in the $30.00 to $40.00 range. I am very happy with any of those rods. Are the more expensive rods worth the money? Probably, if you can afford them. I can't so it does not matter to me at all. If someone can afford a $550-$700 rod, good for them. I am sure those who can afford them think (and they are probably correct) that the rods are worth it and are objectively better than my $60.00 or less rods. However, as the great Bill Dance once said. "The fish does not know if you caught it with a $10.00 rod or a $100.00 rod".

I've found holy grail in rods from $175 - $200 and believe that is the most bang for the buck.

St. Croix Mojo Bass, Dobyns Sierra kinda guy.

 

 

 

It’s all about balance, sensitivity, and quality. A higher end rod will be all of those. Not to mention. This is my hobby. I like nice stuff and take care of stuff. Why wouldn’t I try and give myself the advantage of having the best I can with in my budget? I’m not saying go buy a $400 rod. But you’d be surprised the difference stepping up to $100-150 rod. Not to mention in my experience a lot of times stepping up in pride the reel seat and trigger gets nicer. I can’t stand a baitcaster that isn’t comfortable to palm on a rod. Little things also pop up. Nicer cork, nicer fit and finish. But if you are happy with what ya got run with that. Ive fished a lot of rods over the years. In fresh and salt water from bass to sharks. But I will say price and quality and customer support wise. Falcon rods are great. @casts_by_fly will agree 

1 hour ago, OldManLure said:

No rod, regardless of expense or any other quality, is going to magically convey the bottom composition.  It is the experienced person holding the rod who will know the difference.  And the amount of experience that enables distinguishing the differences can be gained using rods of any quality.  

Well said. 

5 hours ago, Bazoo said:

I have never owned or used an expensive rod. I checked out an NRX rod in Cabelas, and it was nice, light and balanced, but I can't really say it was "better" than my $50 Lew's rod.

 

I have used rods that cost up to $100, but never used a high end rod like a G Loomis. That's the only brand I know that is "high end", so bear with me.

 

What are the advantages of a high end rod?

 

When I compare a $50 reel to a $200 reel, the differences are more obvious to me, but that's not the same with rods.

In practical terms they are often lighter. An NRX+ is going to weigh less compared to similar powered rods produced at a lower price point. The more expensive rods often carry a wide range of high end components such as titanium or carbon fiber guides, or very high quality cork. 
 

For me I prefer lightweight gear. I have bad shoulders and carpel tunnel in both wrists. I also like using what I like using. Do I think for a second high end sticks make me a better fisherman? Not a chance. 
 

A Dodge Hellcat will keep up with our outrun a Lamborghini in a straight line. Personal preference tells you which you’d rather drive home. 

Yesterday I was cleaning my reels and rods and take the dust of them(I am not bass fishing in summer), they are very light weight which for some people like me with old injury can be very helpful. Also it is really giving you the most bite detection ability which is very important. Also it feels very good and joyful to use high end tools and making you feel much better.

in other hand with $60 ugly combo I catch nearly 100 bass when I had no choice, so don't sweat about it if you don't think it advantages important for you.

Most of my rods are mid grade rods. There is definitely a big jump in sensitivity going from $100 to $150 and again from$150 to $200-300, depending on the brand and line, but past that there is a large value drop off.

 

I have one high end setup. A Daiwa Steez Bottom Contact rod (first gen) and a Steez SV reel. That reel is honestly amazing, all the control of the cheaper Tatula SVs but casts further and weighs nothing. The rod itself is 70% backbone and 30% tip but a fairly stiff tip, a MH-H/F that is perfect for all around northeast jig fishing. It’s a little heavier than some, but balances near perfectly with a light reel. I could get something close for cheaper, but I got a really good deal on it, and now it’s part of my arsenal forever so no complaints.

 

Around the same time, I got my kid a St Croix Victory Full Contact Finesse rod (H/XF), which has maybe 20% tip but a softer tip. It’s more geared towards pitching jigs than football jigs, but a very good rod for them. We traded rods for a half a day. After using the Steez, it didn’t feel all that muted in vibrations, and I was very pleased with its sensitivity especially for the price point. When he fishes a football jig, he usually uses his Victory “The Marshall” a MH/F where the Steez runs both types of jigs well which is another perk.

 

Most of my rods are Tatulas which I got around $100 on deals and they do the job well I have a few Tatula Elites, a St Croix Mojo Bass and an Avid X. I generally get better rods for vertical presentations, for moving baits if the power and action is good that’s all I care about - some people may like lighter rods too but to be honest some cheaper rods weigh next to nothing.

 

Hope that provides some insight.

for the record, I still think that the First Generation of St. Croix Avid rods with the full cork handles and the Fuji Alconite guides was still THE best bang for the buck in 'good' rods out there. They were sensitive, light, cast great and didn't cost $300 but they sure felt like they did. 

 

The new generation has cheaper guides which kind of sucks. 

There are objective improvements in higher end rods...In the blank, components, and build quality.  There are also other factors like aesthetics, warranty terms, and brand recognition that factor into the increased price...

 

Generally speaking, a $400 rod is objectively better than a $60 rod.  Where you start splitting hairs is when you compare rods closer in price point.  It's entirely possible that a $300 rod performs at a higher level than a $400 rod.. If the increased price is due to things like aesthetics, warranty, branding, supply chain, or other similar factors.  

 

The great thing about bass fishing is that we have countless options at all price points, so you can get in at any level you wish.  In the end, the fish don't know or care what you use to catch them.  

What people in this thread are trying to tell you is that you should close your eyes, and buy one. Then let us know what's the difference between it and the $50 rod you have. And for the price a Megabass P5 is way better than an NRX, unless you want your rods to look like they're from 1991.😊

Interesting discussion, thank you all for sharing. I am not seriously considering buying a $500+ rod. I am just wondering about it because all I have ever done is held one in the store.

 

If I had any friends that fished sort of stuff I could probably get a bit of stick time with one.

 

If I did buy one, it'd be at tax time, but I'd probably be more inclined to buy a $150 rod as that price point seems to be very good, just from store comparison.

Buying rods is a progression with some trial and error along the way.  Over time your commitment will determine how discriminating you are when buying rods.  What you demand in the performance of a rod may or may not be met because your budget will dictate if you meet that demand.  At some stage being content in what you chose will end the progression.  You will most likely be in your 70’s by then.