What the heck were they thinking when they selected this particular new-model Cranking Rod to be in their catalog? Couldn't they at least pick one that looked good? For $99 no one expects perfect cork, but this, IMO, just looks bad. 1) Gap between the winding check and the crappy looking foregrip, 2) reel seat that looks way too long, and 3) horrid looking cork on the grip that's not even flush with the rear of the reel seat.

I've seen these rods in Gander Mountain and actually thought they were pretty nice. But I wouldn't seek one out based on the photos in their catalog.

And nevermind the text next to it.  "Canking" series?  Come on, man.

Maybe I'm just too picky

No, you are not picky.

I guess the ad people had no idea and for some reason, marketing gave them a poor rod to use for the photo shoot.

Then, management did not catch the problem.

All in all, you have pointed out the best way to kill sales and the All Star people have no idea.  

Yikes!  

That's really, really bad.  I hope that's not indicative of what the real thing looks like.  

There's also about 5 typos per page.  I've spent some time as marketing consultant reviewing advertising.  That catalogue is not acceptable.  I can't believe that no one in the parent organization has seen this piece and highlighted the problem to senior management.  Hopefully, the piece did not make it to print.

I've been contemplating a Platinum, problems like this make me question their quality control.

Maybe I'm just too picky

Nope,.....just a bad brand  ;D

Sad part is, some of their stuff is outstanding. Their Team All Star and American Classic (now discontinued) rods, made in Houston, are excellent. But you'd never know it from that catalog.

I downloaded the catalog and took a closer look at that page.  It's clear they used last years photo of the regular TAS rods and then added the cranking one.  Give me your opinion though, it almost looks like they "shopped" the cork onto the rod handle, something about that photo looks amiss.  between the really blurry photo to the odd look to the cork... hmmm... either that or they grabbed a bad rod off the reject pile to photograph.  

I agree, it definately looks photoshopped onto that page.  I can't tell if the rod itself was photoshopped.  What I do know is that rod isn't representative of the rods I saw at Gander Mountain.  The rods I saw there looked very nice, with normal looking reel seats, and cork with the little nooks and crannies filled in.  

That thing is ghastly, definitely a marketing blunder.

It is bad a pic, cork looks like some of my use rods.  Personally I would never purchase a rod or reel based on what a pic looks like in a catalogue.  I need to see it in person.

I don't see anything wrong with that.  It looks like the typical quality of an all star rod.  ;D

That is used cork!  That rod has been fished....all the cork filler is gone out of the pits.  That is hysterical and sad all at the same time.

The top cork does look used, the bottom cork looks brand new and unfinished and unfilled.   Looks like two rods merged together.  Maybe that accounts for the extra long reel seat.  

That's the result of too many corporate buyouts.  All Star was bought by Shakespeare & it wasn't as important to them.  Shakespeare is bought out by Pure Fishing & All Star gets even less attention.  Pure Fishing is bought by Jardin who now owns just about every hard goods company you see in Wal Mart.  Now All Star is the tick on the belly of the lost dog belonging to the 2nd cousin of Jardin's step child.

It's funny, I see a lot of that when I'm browsing the Cabela's and BPS catalogs in my "office". I've seen some horrible mistakes too. They most certainly photoshop pictures, but they also photoshop individual rods. I saw one rod pic recently where the reel hood was missing! I'm sure that cranking stick was actually two different rods that someone pieced together for the add. Someone dumb.

Thats a shame. Too bad since I love my All Star rods, all three of them.

I recently purchased an All Star rod and promptly returned it after one use.  I threw a double colorado blade spinnerbait and couldnt feel the blades vibrating.  I took it back the next day.  I've heard great things about the rods but they aren't for me.  Maybe this is a downward trend???

Which model was it?  

I recently purchased an All Star rod and promptly returned it after one use. I threw a double colorado blade spinnerbait and couldnt feel the blades vibrating. I took it back the next day. I've heard great things about the rods but they aren't for me. Maybe this is a downward trend???

That's very hard to believe.  I KNOW I could feel tandem Colorado's on a glass rod even.  I have one I built on a Sage glass blank for cranking many years ago and I threw spinnerbaits with it too.  I could feel the blades well enough.

Uh  Forgive me it was the ??  G something 40 ???  Gorgeous rod, blue guide wrapping.  Sorry for not remembering, paid $70 at BPS.  The rod advertised a $29 bag with the purchase but the offer expired a year ago when I unwrapped it from the plastic.  When I returned it the rep said "as you can see we dont move these much'  Like I said, maybe I was just turned off from the beginning, I ended up dropping a little extra coin and buying a carrot instead.  I had heard a lot of good feedback about All Stars.

I have one All Star rod, mated to a Revo S and I couldn't be happier with it. At this point it is my go to rod....

I have a TAS 6'4" spinnerbait rod, and I feel plenty of vibration from a Booyah single colorado blade.

I have 8 All Stars.  2 TAS and 6 American Classics.  All USA made.  They aren't the lightest rods, and they aren't the most sensitive.  But they are plenty light enough and sensitive enough.  That, paired with their incredible toughness, makes them reliable workhorse rods.   If my life depended on fishing, I'd use only All Stars.