Anyone use rods all from same manufacturer? 2024

thinkingredneck reply :

I would like to know if anyone, other than sponsored pros, use rods that are all from one manufacturer? Mine are a really varied mix of brands.

Scott F reply :

I used to have a friend who custom built all my rods for me but he quit doing it several years ago. Since then, I’ve been using nothing but St. Croix. Good rods, you can find them anywhere and if I happen to break one, I’m at the St Croix outlet store often enough I can exchange it over the counter.

Chance_Taker4 reply :

I used to use all Carrot Stix. Then about 3 years I started trying different brands and had been doing so for a long time until I got my Kistler KLX in the mail. Now I am slowly converting all my rods to Kistler. I love all 5 of the rods they make and they have Gary Loomis backing their products since he makes their blanks.

Sam reply :

Nope, I have an array of rods from various manufacturers.

Kevin VanDam at one of his seminars I attended said to use only rods from your favorite manufacturer so you will be familiar with each.

I have BPS Extremes all the way up to G. Loomis.

Each on has a different use on either wild waters or ponds.

rippin-lips reply :

All my rods are Megabass. Most are the Orochi xx series. Their unique tapers allows me to use them for multiple techniques. They have so many series new and old, plus all the limited rods available you could spend years trying them and still not reach the end.

Angry John reply :

I have a mix but i am trending toward only st croix. My steez flexlight will always stay as i have yet to find a better lighter small crankbait rod but everything else is croix.

punch reply :

I WISH I just fell in love with one particular rod lineup or company.. but there's just too many great products out there these days. Just too fun to dabble in budget sticks, midrage sticks, expensive sticks.. I have a mix of stuff myself and I like playing around with different brands.

I find myself selling rods in the off season that I didn't love or didn't use very much.. then taking the $$ and grabbing stuff from all the off season sales or splurging on something I've had my eye on. Rinse and repeat every year.

I started bass fishing back when I was 15 (37 now) and the rods & reels really sucked. The gear nowadays is SO much better that I find myself getting giddy over how much of a joy it is to use the latest and greatest gear.

Poolshark reply :

Ive heard it said before that using the same series and manufacturer for all your rods can be more consistent. I used to use exclusively st Croix avids; But, I can't help that st Croix makes my favorite senko rod and Abu makes my favorite lipless rod. It just worked out that way.

WRB reply :

No, I use rods from a verity of rod makers, some custom, some off the shelf, whatever works best for me. There isn't a good reason to be with one mfr unless they giving you the rods free.

Tom

Preytorien reply :

I like Shimano rods pretty well. I've used others, but I always find myself selling them and buying Shimano. I feel like its a good stick for an either average or slightly below average pricepoint for what you get. Plus even after discontinuing their lifetime warranty, I've always had excellent service from them - actually in both their rod but especially their reel services.

All my rigs are Shimano Rods + Shimano Reels

Finnz922 reply :

Irod for 95%, but i have a 7H TD Cielo and 610 TDX Drop Shot that will never leave the lineup

Steveo-1969 reply :

Almost for me. I have a BPS Carbonlite (black) that sees less than 50 casts a year. The other rods I use are all G. Loomis.

shackman reply :

I use Powell,Dobyns,Duckett, e21, Hammer, all star,and shimano. Some I like better than others and use them more but I use them all.

kickerfish1 reply :

If I was sponsored I would but since I am not I so no need to do so. Too many good rods out there to be limited to one brand.

new2BC4bass reply :

I guess some do. At one time a friend in my area I meet because of this forum used all St. Croix. Don't know if that is still the case.

As for me, I have rods from quite a few different brands....St. Croix, Hammer, ALX, Dobyns, Fenwick, Quantum, Shimano, Daiwa, Abu, Falcon, Airrus, Field & Stream, the unmentionable, Phenix, Powell, Megabass, Hurriccane, All-Star, Berkley plus a couple customs.

EDIT: Looks like a lot of rods, but 10 brands are represented by only one rod and 6 brands by 2 rods.

DINK WHISPERER reply :

I use to use Powell exclusively. Now I'm all over the board. Daiwa, Dobyns, irod, okuma and and some Shimano. Too many great options out there.

evilcatfish reply :

I use rods from various companies, but it seems like the Megabass and Dobyns are starting to outnumber everything else

MickD reply :

I would never use only one brand. I would always be wondering what the other brands were like.

rippin-lips reply :

On 12/7/2017 at 6:43 AM, MickD said:

I would never use only one brand. I would always be wondering what the other brands were like.

When you try over a dozen of the other brands, having to sell them off each time for a loss and finally find a company that offers what you’ve been looking for... it’s an easy switch to make.

tander reply :

I use 2 brands, Lews and Falcon. Between the 2, I can find a rod to meet my rigging needs.

FryDog62 reply :

If you look at how much competition there is today to produce the absolute best $100 rod - you could have a different rod from a number of different manufacturers. Alot of today’s $100 rods are superior to the $300 G. Loomis rod I bought in 2002. How times have changed in 15 years!

That being said - I have a handful of really good $100 rods, but another handful of $200-300 rods. Nothing higher than that. Now reels, that might be a little different story ...

HookRz reply :

To each his own but I think you are only handcuffing yourself if you stick to one manufacturer. My favorites tend toward Loomis for casting and St Croix for spinning but there are a few oddballs I would never part with. My theory is to stick with a rod long enough for it to become part of you, and extension of your arm. I do find most technique specific rods are over priced and cause fisherman to switch rods constantly, so they never get in a rhythm. I have one rod for topwater, jerks, squarebills, and traps. It might not be perfect (according to the people that sell stuff) but in my hands it lays every cast out perfectly. Even more so my jig rod, and my finesse stick.

kschultz76 reply :

At one point I had mostly St Croix, but I still wanted to see what else was out there and discovered Megabass and Kistler. Now I have mostly Megabass, but I still have a couple favorite St Croixs, I have a few Kistlers, and a couple Loomis sticks. Oh and before I got serious about St Croix and if her end gear I had all BPS rods. I’m to interested in what other brands have to offer to stop seeing what else is out there. Hoping some day I’m so apply with what I have I stop wanting to try more, it’s not an inexpensive habit.

IndianaOutdoors reply :

With the exception of 3 casting reels all of my rods and reels are from Pure Fishing. Most of it I bought from FFO tackle. An assortment of Fenwicks, a lightning rod and a Shakespeare for slip float/crappie rod. Some Pflueger and Abu spinning reels. I believe these are good value/bang for the buck pieces of equipment when you get them at FFO discount prices. Now that I have my bases covered I will be looking at other companies products as I replace and upgrade. Would like to try more Daiwa, St Croix. Kind of looking at getting more into walleye next year so we'll see what's down that rabbit hole.

hawgenvy reply :

I have several different brands of rods, but more often than not I find myself reaching for one of my Dobyns sticks.

A-Jay reply :

Where as much of my fishing ends up feeling fairly technique specific, I haven't found one brand or line that fills the bill. That said, I do put a cap on what I'm willing to spend on each.

If that were not the case, there'd probably be a lot of NRX's in the rod locker and perhaps not much else.

As it stands, I'm most happy with the St Croix, G Loomis, Fenwick, Quantum, Kistler & Lamiglas casting & spinning rods in the currently inventory. They've helped me catch a few here & there.

A-Jay

thinkingredneck reply :

I have a St. Croix, two BPS in casting rods and 2 BPS, one Abu, a Fenwickmand an UglynStick in spinning. I have two Shimano Salmon rods and two Okuma Salmon rods, one each brand BC and Spin. A heavy BC Wright and McGill. Plus my surf casting rods.

Fly rods, I went crazy for a while: 2 Sage, one Loomis, one Lamiglass, one St Croix, two echo (one spey), and a bamboo by South Creek.

I was a road warrior and was transferred a lot. Seems that everywhere I went I needed a different arsenal. Since I haved moved to Bass country, my income is not quite as good, and I have 2 kids in private colleges, so I have had to go with more middle of the road to lower cost stuff. However, most of it seems to be better than the good stuff was 20 years ago.

That beingbsaid, I am gravitating toward St. Croix.

NYWayfarer reply :

Not me. I like trying new stuff too much. Same goes for reels.

I have to say though my favorite stuff usually comes from 3 to 4 companies at the most.

islandbass reply :

On 12/7/2017 at 3:28 AM, WRB said:

No, I use rods from a verity of rod makers, some custom, some off the shelf, whatever works best for me. There isn't a good reason to be with one mfr unless they giving you the rods free.

Tom

My sentiments exactly. Fishing rods aren’t golf clubs after all, lol. I am not brand loyal to any reel manufacturer either.

Hulkster reply :

I have all G. Loomis rods, although different price points.

I have E6X's, Trout Series, GL3s and Escape Travel Rods

68camaro reply :

My current 8 rod lineup;

1 - Megabass

2 - Custom

5 - Dobyns

bueshy reply :

Im on a Dobyns kick with Shimano reels lately. I like what I like.

crypt reply :

use a little bit of everything.mostly the ones I made are getting more use.

npl_texas reply :

For whatever reason I'm brand loyal in almost every area of my life. I like consistency.

I have about 3/4 Dobyns and 1/4 G. Loomis rods. I have a few random rods thrown in (Daiwa, Shimano, etc).

the reel ess reply :

No, but I have three of the exact same reel. Lew's LFS Tournament MB 7.5:1.

DogBone_384 reply :

I own a eight different manufacturers' rods but find myself going out with my Abu Veritas most often, followed by Kistler.

I fish out of a kayak so I usually bring a MH, M, ML to cover all the bases.

BuzzHudson19c reply :

I'm not as picky with rods as I am with reels. As long as they do what I want them to I don't really care what name is on it. That being said, if I buy a rod and it doesn't hold up, I stay away from that brand in the future.

volzfan59 reply :

I used to be all over the map as far as rods and reels go. Read a great article from Rick Clunn saying that he used the same series of rods and reels for continuity and feel. Made since to me, sold everything and went 100% BPS Extreme rods and reels. This was years before retiring and going to work for BPS.

I have moved up to all Carbolite rods, casting and spinning, for everything except cranking. I use Crankin' Sticks for crankbaiting. I only use Pro Qualifier reels. I'm getting ready to purchase three Patriot rods in the near future. I really like how they feel. I know that this seems like a BPS commercial, but with the generous employee discount I'd be nuts to pass on them. That plus they have never let me down.

LCG reply :

I try to be open minded but I am learning towards a preference for St Croix rods. I also have rods from fenwick and shimano but St Croix just feels right. Most other brands just don't do it for me. That being said I haven't held or tried every brand either.

Reels I have Pflueger and Daiwa. Less concerned with reels. As long as the retrieve and drag are smooth I am happy.

dam0007 reply :

All of my rods are and have been Dobyns for the past 3 years. Although I’m planning on running Daiwa Spinning Rods in 2018. IMO you get a better feel for what they’re capable of. Especially running all reels the same going from combo to combo there’s no second guessing how hard to throw or how soft to pitch. Everything feels the same yet performs different.

Al w. reply :

I have a mix. I tend to look for good deals and check reviews on ones that I may be interested in. That’s worked well for me. If money were no object, maybe it would be different.

Caliyak reply :

Berkley Shock rods for me

basseditor reply :

100 % Kistlers. I started to upgrade about 2008-9. Now, I have all the action, lengths, etc. I need. Added four more last week so I’m up to 56 Kistlers total. (I share with my adult sons)

I really like the Feel-N-Reel series for moving baits. It’s trap season in Texas now that it’s gotten colder. I have 8 different rods just for traps.

But if you use bottom contact rods a lot get at least one Zbone, you’ll love it.

YaknBassn reply :

I've got several different brands, but I'm slowly changing everything out to Ark Rods.

Yudo1 reply :

I've narrowed it down to Loomis, megabass and kistler. If I had to choose just one I could go with any one of these.

18RangerZ520L reply :

Strictly Shimano / G. Loomis here.....

LOTR88 reply :

I have several different rods but that's just because I buy the ones that are on sale. :-) Dicks always has 50% off sales that I go for. I have a few Lews and Shimano rods.

Bankbeater reply :

I have rods from several manufacturers. However, the rods I am currently using at this moment are St. Croix, BPS, and Daiwa.

CarlF reply :

Im not sponsored, and I dont tournament fish. I used to dabble in everything, and if you looked at my boat deck you would see seven or eight rods, all different manufacturers and various lineups. I got my first Dobyns and I fell in love with it. Then the second, third, fourth....12th...I like looking down at my rods and seeing some consistency. I have gotten to know the lineups that I use really well, and I know exactly what each rod is used for. I followed a similar path with reels as well.

On a different note, I would like to try a GLX or NRX....

jamey1e reply :

All my rods are Cashion and all reels are 13 ***'s. I like the fact that every combo has the same feel in my hand. From time to time I'll try a different rod or reel but never keep them for more than a few weeks.

NYWayfarer reply :

I took stock of my rods the other night. I have Abu Garcia, Daiwa, Shimano, Field and Stream, Lews, Denali, Powell, St Croix, Fenwick, three teen, All Star, Berkley and Quantum plus an Ugly Stick or two or three.

So no way I am using rods from 1 manufacturer.

NathanDLTH reply :

I’m a Daiwa Guy for rods, reels are Shimano and Daiwa.

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Anyone use rods all from same manufacturer? 2024

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