Best Rod Under 220 2024
stk44 reply :
I am so undecided on a new rod that I will use for 1/2" oz and bigger Jigs, 5-6+ inch worms and 3/8+ T-rigged soft plastics.
What is the best rod as far as lightweight and sensitivity in a MH or preferably a Heavy action that is under $220? I was looking at Avid X, E6x, and Duckett rods, but I'm sure there are more out there.
I don't have many stores near me that have all of the rods I've been looking at, otherwise I would test them all out.
Thanks
thehooligan reply :
If you look around you can find an mb orochi xx in that range. Or 13 ***.
rippin-lips reply :
If you aren't against buying used rods you can get a lot more rod for the money. You can get rods that sell new for $300 +/- when people sell things over winter for around $200 +/- Winter is a great time to buy fishing gear. People sell things off to fund new purchases for the upcoming season, and at good prices too.
WIGuide reply :
The Avid X would be a great choice. Depending on how heavy of jigs you're going to be throwing, I'd probably stick with the MH vs the heavy as they run a little on the heavy side of the rating scale.
fishballer06 reply :
Avid or Dobyns Champion
Stapsy reply :
A MH 13 *** would be my choice. If you can get them on sale it is within your budget.
buzzed bait reply :
love my avid rod for what you're describing....
rangerjockey reply :
Although it pushes your budget a bit. I think the cara Amistad is one of the best 1/2 oz.+ jig and T-rig rods going... light ,plenty sensitive and a bunch of power..
Also might want to look at the Kistler KLX.
BassThumb reply :
Dobyns Champion 735c on a Black Friday sale will run you $200 or so.
It's a terrific, versatile rod that would match up very well with the techniques you mentioned. It's also a first-rate frogging rod. I own two.
If you don't like it, you could very easily sell it in the flea market for a minimal loss.
poisonokie reply :
Man, it's $230 and I can't find them for any less than msrp, but the new zillion is a lighter, suped up tatula with sic k guides. The tatulas are already very light and get nothing but love from people for the most part, so if I was going that route, that's where I'd start.
sprint61 reply :
Klx, built on a northfork composites blank and the cleanest build I have ever seen. The blank should be reason enough.
desmobob reply :
Another vote for the Kistler KLX...
Tight lines,
Bob
MDBowHunter reply :
St Croix Avid all the way. if you need a reason check out bluebassers post about their customer service...
kickerfish1 reply :
When Kistler has their website sales they often discount the Helium 3 rods 25%. You can get one for about $210 shipped.
sprint61 reply :
On 9/30/2015 at 12:24 AM, kickerfish1 said:When Kistler has their website sales they often discount the Helium 3 rods 25%. You can get one for about $210 shipped.
Just got a 7'6" heavy xfast today. Got it for $197 including the sale and point I had built up.
stk44 reply :
I fish primarily out of a kayak, do you think a 7 foot rod would suit me a bit better. Maybe, a Dobyns champion heavy 704C???
sprint61 reply :
On 9/30/2015 at 3:41 AM, smkralik said:I fish primarily out of a kayak, do you think a 7 foot rod would suit me a bit better. Maybe, a Dobyns champion heavy 704C???
Never fished out of a kayak but I assume longer rods could be harder to fish with maybe. 7' is probably the most commonly used length rod I think you would be happy with that. I've heard nothing but good things out of dobyns but have never fished one. My vote still goes to the KLX, awesome rods.
stk44 reply :
On 9/30/2015 at 6:20 AM, sprint61 said:Never fished out of a kayak but I assume longer rods could be harder to fish with maybe. 7' is probably the most commonly used length rod I think you would be happy with that. I've heard nothing but good things out of dobyns but have never fished one. My vote still goes to the KLX, awesome rods.
I wish everyone would just say the same rod and make this easy for me. I guess that's what also makes this exciting lol. I have never even heard of the KLX, I'll have to do some research. thanks
clh121787 reply :
Falcon cara st amistad. Own it love it. I also own a megabass perfect pitch, emtf,and an nrx 873 ccr to compare. That all work for jigs in the 1/2 oz range. The falcon amistad cara st is outstanding for its intended purpose. That be my pick. No brainer
Stapsy reply :
On 9/30/2015 at 7:50 AM, smkralik said:I wish everyone would just say the same rod and make this easy for me. I guess that's what also makes this exciting lol. I have never even heard of the KLX, I'll have to do some research. thanks
It is unlikely that many people have tried all the rods in this price range. You will mostly just get people telling you what they use. After you look into some of the suggestions come back with a couple specific rods you are interested in and you will be able to get some more detailed responses.
Good luck in your search.
ogbfishing reply :
I personally have the Duckett MicroMagic Pro, great rod, never had any problems with it breaking or having to get the eyelets re-wrapped. My buddy dropped his bag on his MicroMagic's eyelet and bent it. He sent it in and they sent him a brand new 2015 model. The only thing is the warranty is weak.
stk44 reply :
On 10/1/2015 at 12:23 AM, ogbfishing said:I personally have the Duckett MicroMagic Pro, great rod, never had any problems with it breaking or having to get the eyelets re-wrapped. My buddy dropped his bag on his MicroMagic's eyelet and bent it. He sent it in and they sent him a brand new 2015 model. The only thing is the warranty is weak.
Don't they have a 20 year warranty?
smalljaw67 reply :
I have fished the Avid X spinning rods and I've handled the casting rods, a 7' MH-F would be great for you out of a Kayak but that would be the longest I'd go with. By using a split grip with the small guides, it really made the blank come to life. Good luck on whatever you choose.
smallies24/7 reply :
The rods I have fished around the 220 mark give or take are the ***, klx, avid, champion, endurance (discontinued), orochi xx, max 3D, Irod air, and Lews hm85, and of all those I would recommend the ***. These are all great rods, but the *** is as close to perfect as I have found so far. The KLX feels great, but I have the 6'9 MHF jig rod and t isn't fast enough for me. It doesn't get to the backbone quickly, so I feel I lose too much power with that rod. It's now a spinnerbait rod for me. I like the Dobyns, but feel you are paying a lot for the name and could get a better rod for the price imo.
If I had to rank my top 3 of this list, it would go:
1. ***
2. Megabass Orochi XX
3. Endurance
Those are just my personal opinions from the experiences I have had so far. Hope that helps.
ogbfishing reply :
On 10/1/2015 at 4:10 AM, smkralik said:Don't they have a 20 year warranty?
The White Ice (also a very good rod) has a 20 year, the MicroMagic Pro is only 5, which, IMO, is weak, if a company has confidence in a product they have life warranties, like Orvis fly rods.
stk44 reply :
On 10/1/2015 at 10:44 PM, smallies24/7 said:The rods I have fished around the 220 mark give or take are the ***, klx, avid, champion, endurance (discontinued), orochi xx, max 3D, Irod air, and Lews hm85, and of all those I would recommend the ***. These are all great rods, but the *** is as close to perfect as I have found so far. The KLX feels great, but I have the 6'9 MHF jig rod and t isn't fast enough for me. It doesn't get to the backbone quickly, so I feel I lose too much power with that rod. It's now a spinnerbait rod for me. I like the Dobyns, but feel you are paying a lot for the name and could get a better rod for the price imo.
If I had to rank my top 3 of this list, it would go:
1. ***
2. Megabass Orochi XX
3. Endurance
Those are just my personal opinions from the experiences I have had so far. Hope that helps.
I like the ***, the problem is that I don't know much about X-fast tips and don't know that I'm willing to spend $250 on a rod with one. I would probably want the 7' 1" Heavy rod, but it only comes in X-fast
MidwestF1sh reply :
I'd take a look at Powell 3d max they just dropped their price on their website to $160 whichis a steal for that rod or a dobyns champion series. I've never bought a dobyns rod but have heard great things about them.
poisonokie reply :
On 10/2/2015 at 12:08 AM, ogbfishing said:The White Ice (also a very good rod) has a 20 year, the MicroMagic Pro is only 5, which, IMO, is weak, if a company has confidence in a product they have life warranties, like Orvis fly rods.
I think they have confidence in every part of their product except the nut behind the reel. Better to sell more rods at a lower price and let the consumer take care of their own stuff.
Stapsy reply :
The MH *** is pretty stout and is perfect for any 3/8-1/2oz bottom contact stuff, though it would probably handle up to 3/4oz weights without any issue. If you went up to the Heavy I worry it would be too stiff for a 3/8 oz t-rig.
The taper on the MH is pretty good. I like a rod to load up on a cast and even though the tip is x-fast it casts really easily. The advantage of an x-fast soft tip is that it quickly gets to the backbone on the hookset.
If you want a true heavy action rod witha fast taper that could go from 1/4-3/4oz texas rigs or jigs I would recommend the Orochi XX Perfect Pitch. It is awesome for casting a wide range of weights and the Megabass tapers are killer for keeping fish pinned. You should be able to find a used one in your price range
Long Mike reply :
As I have said time and time again, the only BEST rod is the one that YOU like. Others have offered opinions, but they are opinions only.
clh121787 reply :
what *** and orochii xx do you have. How would you describe it's advantages over the m.b. I've been intrigued by the *** for a long time. I'm extremely happy with the 3 orochii I have.On 10/1/2015 at 10:44 PM, smallies24/7 said:The rods I have fished around the 220 mark give or take are the ***, klx, avid, champion, endurance (discontinued), orochi xx, max 3D, Irod air, and Lews hm85, and of all those I would recommend the ***. These are all great rods, but the *** is as close to perfect as I have found so far. The KLX feels great, but I have the 6'9 MHF jig rod and t isn't fast enough for me. It doesn't get to the backbone quickly, so I feel I lose too much power with that rod. It's now a spinnerbait rod for me. I like the Dobyns, but feel you are paying a lot for the name and could get a better rod for the price imo.
If I had to rank my top 3 of this list, it would go:
1. ***
2. Megabass Orochi XX
3. Endurance
Those are just my personal opinions from the experiences I have had so far. Hope that helps.
smallies24/7 reply :
On 10/2/2015 at 10:53 AM, clh121787 said:what *** and orochii xx do you have. How would you describe it's advantages over the m.b. I've been intrigued by the *** for a long time. I'm extremely happy with the 3 orochii I have.
I have 3 Envys, the 6'10 ML finesse Spinning, 6'10 M casting, and 7'1 MH/XF. The only Orochi XX I currently own is the Flat Side Special, but have fished with the EMTF and will be ordering one within the next month. The *** and Orochi XX are very close to me, both amazing rods, but Id give the slightest edge to the ***. It just has that weightless air feel to it, extremely responsive, light blank, and definitely that overall "it" factor. Not putting down the Orochi XX in any way, it is a terrific line of rods. Just for me personally, I prefer the overall feel of the *** by a slight margin.
clh121787 reply :
thanks for the response. I totally get the "it factor" I primarily fish bottom contact presentations. Who gets the nod for balance and sensitivity? I'd love to get a rod exchange program going but . That would probably hard to do.On 10/2/2015 at 11:00 AM, smallies24/7 said:I have 3 Envys, the 6'10 ML finesse Spinning, 6'10 M casting, and 7'1 MH/XF. The only Orochi XX I currently own is the Flat Side Special, but have fished with the EMTF and will be ordering one within the next month. The *** and Orochi XX are very close to me, both amazing rods, but Id give the slightest edge to the ***. It just has that weightless air feel to it, extremely responsive, light blank, and definitely that overall "it" factor. Not putting down the Orochi XX in any way, it is a terrific line of rods. Just for me personally, I prefer the overall feel of the *** by a slight margin.
smallies24/7 reply :
Im so with you. I have so many rods that I bought, fish for 6 months, really like but dont quite love, and would love to get rid of for good value just so I can continue trying out the many offerings the market has to offer. To be honest I havent compared them and tested them for balance side by side, but what I can tell you is they are both two of my most balanced rods. Possible slight edge to the *** just because again, that blank feels like air, but I have nothing to concretely base that off of. Both super balanced, you are just splitting hairs with that one.
ogbfishing reply :
On 10/2/2015 at 9:26 AM, poisonokie said:I think they have confidence in every part of their product except the nut behind the reel. Better to sell more rods at a lower price and let the consumer take care of their own stuff.
i'm not looking for an argument, its my opinion man, I think less about spending a lot of money on something I can use for the rest of my life, period.
Robert Riley reply :
As some had said, look used, that's about the price range for used top-tier rods. Dobyns, my preference, are sold fairly frequently on the Flea Market page of this forum.
poisonokie reply :
On 10/2/2015 at 10:40 PM, ogbfishing said:i'm not looking for an argument, its my opinion man, I think less about spending a lot of money on something I can use for the rest of my life, period.
I'm not either. I'm just saying that you won't have to spend as much in the first place if you aren't getting a huge warranty. If you take good care of your tackle, you'll still get a lifetime of use out of it and be able to put what you saved toward the same rod in another power/length/action instead of subsidizing that rod for some idiot and his errant car door. You get more for your money that way.
dam0007 reply :
On 9/28/2015 at 9:37 PM, thehooligan said:If you look around you can find an mb orochi xx in that range. Or 13 ***.
Or 2 Omens 
stk44 reply :
I think I have it narrowed to Heavy ***, MH St Croix, and Heavy dobyns all fast action in the 7 foot range. Can anyone compare and contrast some of these for me?
fishindad reply :
On 10/2/2015 at 11:00 AM, smallies24/7 said:I have 3 Envys, the 6'10 ML finesse Spinning, 6'10 M casting, and 7'1 MH/XF. The only Orochi XX I currently own is the Flat Side Special, but have fished with the EMTF and will be ordering one within the next month. The *** and Orochi XX are very close to me, both amazing rods, but Id give the slightest edge to the ***. It just has that weightless air feel to it, extremely responsive, light blank, and definitely that overall "it" factor. Not putting down the Orochi XX in any way, it is a terrific line of rods. Just for me personally, I prefer the overall feel of the *** by a slight margin.
smallies, I also have the *** Finesse spin rod (though the 7'2" version) and find it light and sensitive but feel it fishes like St Croix rods, much heavier than their rating - do you feel this is the case? I bought this rod to use for dropshotting with 6 and 7lb Sniper but think it is too stiff for those. I also have a DX702SF, Legend Extreme 70MLF, and Crucial68MXF and the *** feels much more powerful than all these, even though it's supposed to be a ML 'finesse' rod. Should I have gotten the 6'10" version?
smallies24/7 reply :
On 10/3/2015 at 3:21 AM, fishindad said:smallies, I also have the *** Finesse spin rod (though the 7'2" version) and find it light and sensitive but feel it fishes like St Croix rods, much heavier than their rating - do you feel this is the case? I bought this rod to use for dropshotting with 6 and 7lb Sniper but think it is too stiff for those. I also have a DX702SF, Legend Extreme 70MLF, and Crucial68MXF and the *** feels much more powerful than all these, even though it's supposed to be a ML 'finesse' rod. Should I have gotten the 6'10" version?
Oh it is absolutely much heavier. I was shocked when I bought mine as well. I also have a Champion 702sf, and my *** feels almost double the power. I bought it for the same purposes as you, and it is not at all like I expected. I now use it for deep water structure drop shotting.
fishindad reply :
On 10/3/2015 at 3:59 AM, smallies24/7 said:Oh it is absolutely much heavier. I was shocked when I bought mine as well. I also have a Champion 702sf, and my *** feels almost double the power. I bought it for the same purposes as you, and it is not at all like I expected. I now use it for deep water structure drop shotting.
Yeah, me too. I love the rod - guide train, handle, power, sensitivity - but really think 13 dropped the ball by not labeling it a M power (at least). Definitely not a ML by any stretch. Am hoping they release a L power version, which would probably be perfect for finesse and keep everything else the same. Anyone know if the *** Gen 2 ML is properly rated?
sofarfrome reply :
Save another $20 and get this one: *** *** Black Casting Rod 7'1" Heavy. These are fantastic rods. IMHO.
stk44 reply :
Thanks for all of the help! I decided on a Dobyns champion 705c. I will add all the other rods mentioned on my future wish list for other projects. My wife currently placed me on the "Don't need a another rod list"
Next Spring I will have a compelling story as to why I "need" another rod.
Thanks again!
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