I'll start by saying i'm gonna get hammered for asking this but want opinions...

I have never bought a reel over 160 bucks, or a rod over 100 bucks (except for salt water). All my reels have braid on them. I T-rig 90% of the time cause i love to fish with plastics.

With most of us on here using braid, does this change the way you look at purchasing a new rod? I mean using braid compared to mono, it seems l feel more bites, (atleast i think i have) just using my medium of the road Rods.

I guess my question is has braid changed your thinking on how much you spend on a rod?

No, but getting into using baitcasting equipment did. Reading a few fishing forums didn't help. Now all I want to do is look at rods and reels costing more than that. Often much more. Even my ideas on spinning equipment costs have changed. :

I started using brad in the late 90's I got to breaking rods and reels every trip so I gave it up. I only use it when I'm fishing a frog and I gave all of them away last week.

No, I'm tough on rods. The only $100.+ rod I have is my flippin' stick. I spend more money upgrading reels and on the bait monkey

If what you are using works for you and you're happy with it, go with it. The only consideration I used to have was whether or not the rod guides were able to stand up to braid, which was an issue a number of years ago but not so much now. Braid will take a mediocre rod up a few notches in the sensitivity dept.

The trend out west is using braid; 10 lb to 15 lb Samurai or Power Pro on spinning reels for drop shot and small jigs to reduce line twist. Most anglers are using a FC leader. The 30 lb Samurai is popular, very soft braid and casts good, on bait casting reels for general presentations. The heavy 65 to 80 lb braids for flipping or pitching heavy cover are used on appropriate heavy action rods.

Dobyn's, Lamiglas, Loomis and Powell rods in all price ranges are popular out west. Lamiglas Excel series and ABU Vendetta are good rods for under $100. Use the best rod you can afford, with any type line.

I'm sure you will get a long laundry list of other rod makes under $100, so yes, there are good rods available, good bait casting reels under $100, that is another can of worms.

WRB

Using braid has'nt changed how much I want to spend on a rod.  It has changed the type of rod action and or hook set I might use.  I use braid for a small portion of my flippin and always when fishing frogs.  I prefer fluorocarbon or hybrid for the rest of my fishing.  That's just me though. There's a video on Youtube with Bub Tosh on punching and he comments on rod actions when using braid and how he sets the hook.  It's worth the time to view it.

I started using brad in the late 90's I got to breaking rods and reels every trip so I gave it up. I only use it when I'm fishing a frog and I gave all of them away last week.

thats a hard hookset.

I also t-rig most of the time and have to say that buying a higher end rod has changed the way I fish the t-rig.  I feel so much more now and the biggest difference is that I can feel a pickup on the fall on slack line.