TackleTour

I'm happy with mid line product like dobyns champions and daiwa cronos. To me they seem to offer the best performance to the dollar.

I try and buy expensive rods when they're on sale,or used from a known seller with good feedback .

I like to keep it under $300 for a rod. Most expensive one I have was $285. Cheapest one I currently have was $130 and it's one of my favorites.

Cal wrote:I remember a time when G.Loomis IMX and GLX were right around $225 and $325 respectively. Well, the new GLX has now crested $400 with many models over $450 and IMX is hovering just under $300 with a few models over that magical line. GL3 has moved up to the former IMX price point and Mossyback appeared at some point in time to further blur the lines between GL3 and IMX. Inflation has taken its toll.

A lot of us indulge now and again treating ourselves to those $500 and over rods as a special treat. Some choose to never fish anything below this price point when given a choice ... ... But when it comes down to it, when looking for a quality stick to fill that whole in your lineup, where does your budget begin?

This is true but what i have learned from this site (and I am still learning) is at that price point just add more money and you can get a custom rod with quality components and that you don't have to add on stuff to balance it out with. When the Gen1 cumaras
came out I was happy and I recall saying them guys buying megabass rods for that price are crazy now i have a Power Versatile and it goes with me everywhere. I know that the IMX 843 was my first expensive rod and I have it til today, these days it seems like you are getting less for your money with some line ups and rod makers. Also now the market is flooded with NEW guys making rods now and that original IMX price point is their top of the line model. I've seen prices creep up but I haven't seen much in the USDM market to warrant that price point. At one time it was about being in an exclusive club concerning the JDM stuff but some rods are simply incredible and can perform multiple task which is good for a non boater who just has to be able to adapt. Still people like Mr. Matt Davis of Otterods can put you in a league that truly is unrivaled at few dollars more.

My jerk bait rod that he made exceeded my expectations and now that I've put an sv spool in the tdz instead of the mb honeycomb spool I find the combo to be absolutely wonderful and not tech specific.

My spending is usually out of what I want the rod for or wanting something different than I already have.
I would spend more money on bottom contact rods but i did by a XBD rod after the review that TT. com did. And its the only frog rod I have or rod that I use frogs on because i have found that when paired with and MG7 , i can do alot

The majority of my rods are St. Croix Legend Tournament designed for specific techniques. The exceptions are a couple of Avids I use for small to medium crankbaits, squarebills, and topwater hardbaits.
I can't imagine going back to budget rods, but I'm still budget minded. I take good care of my rods and reels and try to get 10+ years or more use out of them.

Never, ever, pay anything close to list price for a rod. It's a big mistake. The mark-ups are astronomical. I picked up an NRX last year for the price of an IMX. It was new, full warranty, just a store close out. And the store still wasn't losing money.

I have been "seriously" bass fishing for maybe 2 seasons now and just sprung for my first nice rod, an Orochi XX. Before that my most expensive have been a pair of IMXs I got when American Legacy was blowing them out. I only bought the megabass after a ton of reading and asking a ton of questions and even then I did it as sort of a splurge after an especially awful few months of work.

Gotta say that I am pretty in love with it and am now willing to spend a bit more on rods. However, I am still very leery about buying expensive rods blind. I don't know anyone who fishes and there are few to no stores around me that carries higher end stuff. Both of the IMXs fish far differently than I expected, and while I like both of them and have found uses for them, both of them didn't fill the role I bought them for.

So I wanna throw out a question of my own, how many of you guys blind buy high end rods, and about how often does the rod fish a lot different than your expectations?

Houndfish wrote:I have been "seriously" bass fishing for maybe 2 seasons now and just sprung for my first nice rod, an Orochi XX. Before that my most expensive have been a pair of IMXs I got when American Legacy was blowing them out. I only bought the megabass after a ton of reading and asking a ton of questions and even then I did it as sort of a splurge after an especially awful few months of work.

Gotta say that I am pretty in love with it and am now willing to spend a bit more on rods. However, I am still very leery about buying expensive rods blind. I don't know anyone who fishes and there are few to no stores around me that carries higher end stuff. Both of the IMXs fish far differently than I expected, and while I like both of them and have found uses for them, both of them didn't fill the role I bought them for.

So I wanna throw out a question of my own, how many of you guys blind buy high end rods, and about how often does the rod fish a lot different than your expectations?

I never buy a rod without seeing it and mounting a reel on it.

cndbasshunter wrote:

Houndfish wrote:I have been "seriously" bass fishing for maybe 2 seasons now and just sprung for my first nice rod, an Orochi XX. Before that my most expensive have been a pair of IMXs I got when American Legacy was blowing them out. I only bought the megabass after a ton of reading and asking a ton of questions and even then I did it as sort of a splurge after an especially awful few months of work.

Gotta say that I am pretty in love with it and am now willing to spend a bit more on rods. However, I am still very leery about buying expensive rods blind. I don't know anyone who fishes and there are few to no stores around me that carries higher end stuff. Both of the IMXs fish far differently than I expected, and while I like both of them and have found uses for them, both of them didn't fill the role I bought them for.

So I wanna throw out a question of my own, how many of you guys blind buy high end rods, and about how often does the rod fish a lot different than your expectations?

I never buy a rod without seeing it and mounting a reel on it.

For those that have the luxury to see and/or mount a reel on most any high end rod they could want, that's pretty awesome. For the less fortunate...you have to research, research, research. Technically, I "blind" buy all of my rods. But I do so by asking questions to reputable people, reading the Tackle Tour forums, PM-ing multiple Tackle Tour members, reading Tackle Tour reviews, etc. I am basically confident in every purchase I make or I don't buy it. I haven't yet had an instance where I haven't been happy with a purchase. However, I have been pleasantly surprised by a few actions, powers, and capabilities after using them extensively. My advice, research and don't be afraid to ask questions. Also, be open to letting the rod tell YOU what it does best and which reel feels best with it in your hands if that makes sense.

Papabassin put it pretty freaking well on that reply!

It's been a long road for me and I've started from Super humble beginnings but I'm super excited about a procurement of an ASL rod in the near future. An order has been placed so I think you know where I stand on this subject matter

Yea,to keep the rod in hands before buying ,you're should be really lucky man! I have some Tenryu,Varivas,UFM rods,and have no time to go to Japan try it in hands
Even some older models of Loomis...were to try it?
And I'm ready to spend how match it's cost! Of course,if I need it.

Great question, I'm thinking of picking up an NRX crankbait rod and just don't know if the juice is worth the squeeze. For bottom contact all I use are NRX...but for cranks? Still on the fence myself.

I'm most comfortable in the $150-$200 range... That being said almost every rod I own (MB XX and Black Jungle, Dobyns CB Glass) has a MSRP over $250, I just tend to buy them used or on sale or find a retailer willing to work on multiple rod purchases.

Of course there are a few instances were I've spent more than my comfort range...