Best Rods 2024

NathanDLTH reply :

Yes, I am asking a very subjective question with which I expect very subjective answers. I am looking at going with one brand of rods. Simple. I want the same feel through all my rods.

Standards:

Warranty-who takes care of their customer the best

Price-best bang for your buck(money doesn’t grow on trees)

Balance: how the rod feels with reels in a variety of weights

Fishability-fishing for long periods of time without causing fatigue

Lastly, appeal. Appeal matters to an extent, but that’s it.

Now for my resume of rods I have owned and own currently.

Dobyns 755 Xtasy

Dobyns 744(sold)

Megabass Orochi XX n XXX(jdm rods)

Tour Versatile n Braillist, Destruction(jdm)

Tatula Elite: with n w/o AGS guides

7’3 MH Multi-Purpose

Sold both7’ M/MH/XF, 7’4 Ish Frog rod

Daiwa Cronos Spinning 7’3 M/F, 7’6 ML/F(Sold)

13Fishing Omen Black 7’1(sold)

G-Loomis GLX 893(sold)

By now you’re wondering why would anyone make a list like this. I’m doing this out of a desire for simplicity and knowing how my rods will behave when hooking into a fish. Also it’s just easier to have one brand.

Stephen B reply :

Warranty: G Loomis and St Croix

Price: Shimano and Megabass

Balance: Dobyns

Fishability: Shimano

Appeal: Megabass

Overall, I think G Loomis, St Croix, Shimano, Megabass, and Daiwa make the best rods in the industry. You can't go wrong with them. Depending on what you want to spend, and what application you plan to fish determines which company I would pick.

Efishin reply :

Warranty: G Loomis wins as it's the best in the industry.

Price: Shimano. Picked Shimano as they provide great value in all of there rods. Plus, the offer a ton of rods across price ranges.

Balance: Dobyns is known for great balance.

Fishability: This is tough as everyone may prefer different reel seats, etc as we all hold our setups differently.

Appeal: Megabass always has amazing aesthetics. Shimano is second IMO.

punch reply :

On 10/27/2019 at 11:01 AM, NathanDLTH said:

Yes, I am asking a very subjective question with which I expect very subjective answers. I am looking at going with one brand of rods. Simple. I want the same feel through all my rods.

Standards:

Warranty-who takes care of their customer the best

Price-best bang for your buck(money doesn’t grow on trees)

Balance: how the rod feels with reels in a variety of weights

Fishability-fishing for long periods of time without causing fatigue

Lastly, appeal. Appeal matters to an extent, but that’s it.

Now for my resume of rods I have owned and own currently.

Dobyns 755 Xtasy

Dobyns 744(sold)

Megabass Orochi XX n XXX(jdm rods)

Tour Versatile n Braillist, Destruction(jdm)

Tatula Elite: with n w/o AGS guides

7’3 MH Multi-Purpose

Sold both7’ M/MH/XF, 7’4 Ish Frog rod

Daiwa Cronos Spinning 7’3 M/F, 7’6 ML/F(Sold)

13Fishing Omen Black 7’1(sold)

G-Loomis GLX 893(sold)

By now you’re wondering why would anyone make a list like this. I’m doing this out of a desire for simplicity and knowing how my rods will behave when hooking into a fish. Also it’s just easier to have one brand.

Hah another person who sold their 893c GLX. I really didn't think mine was anything special, let alone $400 special.

I've tried many.. many.. many rod lines and my collection has distilled down to Megabass (orochi and destroyer), Exprides, St Croix Legend X and a couple speciality rods like a NRX 873c.

If I had to pick one rod line to use ONLY, it would be all Exprides HANDS DOWN (I have 6 of them). They are light, sensitive, look good, balance well, have good resale, and the lineup is very diverse. Several rods in their lineup are straight up GREAT and considered the best for that technique. Like their 72MH glass chatterbait rod, their 7'3 XH frog rod, and their flippin stick. Their 7'2 MH is so versatile I have two of them.

You can get them for around 200-220 new from certain shops.

18RangerZ520L reply :

Shimano/G Loomis

NHBull reply :

If I had to pick one company that checked all the boxes it would be Loomis. If I wanted a similar feel in all of them, I would look to the MBR flex, available on many offerings.

On 10/27/2019 at 5:06 PM, 18RangerZ520L said:

Shimano/G Loomis

???????????? somehow I knew that would be your answer, and I fully agree

Dens228 reply :

I was a St Croix guy and still am. Have been for many years. But........................this year I purchased a Levante 19 Braillist, which led to two Orochi XX Braillists. They serve as my bottom jig, swim/chatterbait, and plastics rods.
Now I have a Flatside Special...........

Oh the financial agony of having a new fave.............lol

STBen1215 reply :

G Loomis or Megabass, if only one.

Dwight Hottle reply :

My best rods to meet your list of standards have been: St Croix, G Loomis & Kistler.

My list of honorable mentions include: Megabass & Shimano.

Tizi reply :

Shimano or Daiwa

ww2farmer reply :

My favorite rods that I have ever owned in separate category's:

Best built : St. Croix Legend Tournaments

Best Warranty/Customer service: St Croix

Best bang for the buck: Dobyn's Fury

Best balance: Dobyn's

Best Budget Rods: Daiwa Aird X's

18RangerZ520L reply :

On 10/27/2019 at 7:47 PM, NHBull said:

???????????? somehow I knew that would be your answer, and I fully agree

I've got 14 of the Conquests, so I'm a little biased.... :lol:

CrankFate reply :

I don’t know, but I would never pay more for a rod to get a better warranty. IMO, warranty is irrelevant to the usefulness of a rod.

NathanDLTH reply :

On 10/28/2019 at 1:54 AM, CrankFate said:

I don’t know, but I would never pay more for a rod to get a better warranty. IMO, warranty is irrelevant to the usefulness of a rod.

Accidents happen and for some of us we want the warranty in case of accidents. Murphy’s law.

Fried Lemons reply :

If I was going to make a lineup of just one brand of rods it would be shimano. I’m a big fan of their tapers and if you find a particular model you like you can find the same model in their flagship lines. There is a rod at every price point. For example if you like the 6’10 medium Zodias(awesome jerkbait rod) and want to upgrade at some point you can find a rod with the same length and taper in the expride, poison adrena, poison glorious and poison ultima series. The rods get lighter with nicer components the higher up you go.

Technically G Loomis rods are also Shimano rods and the conquest blank is a shimano blank so if you prefer simpler USDM styling you have options.

Catt reply :

Best Rods

The ones on the deck of my boat & no you can't use them!

MN Fisher reply :

On 10/28/2019 at 4:38 AM, Catt said:

Best Rods

The ones on the deck of my boat & no you can't use them!

That ones that catch fish - which is all of my 'budget' rods.

ike8120 reply :

On 10/28/2019 at 4:42 AM, MN Fisher said:

That ones that catch fish - which is all of my 'budget' rods.

You got that right

FishTank reply :

G. Loomis and St.Croix would be my choices.

If I am going for all around best bang for the buck line up of rods from one manufacture where I am buying 5 to keep on the deck. Easy..... St. Croix Avid. It checks all the boxes........ Price, well made, sensitive (there are several better but best for the money), and tons of choices to suit my needs.

Mobasser reply :

I don't think there is any one brand that's the best. I've got rods from Berkley, Fenwick, Shimano, and an older St. Croix. They've all caught fish, irrelevant to cost.

WRB reply :

Best or best warranty or both.

When G.Loomis rods introduced the $500 NRX series about a decade ago I seriously considered buying them because my partner loved them and I liked them.

When I went to purchase the rods at a local shop the rod replacement warranty required additional $100 certificate at the time of purchase, $500 + $100 = $600 rod cost out of pocket. Loomis would replace a rod that failed from a factory defect in the rod blank for $30 shipping without the certificate, not damage to the reel seat, cork handle or locking ring or guide failures, those required the certificate for a no questions asked replacement outside of a rod blank material issue. The $100 certificate was reasonable for a no questions asked replacement but the standard limited life time warranty didn't cover the entire rod,only the blank. I passed and didn't NRX rods for that reason.

Today Loomis offers an expedite rod replacement program very similar to the certificate program except you must buy another rod equal to the replacement rod ending up with 2 rods. You get the replacement rod for $100 plus shipping and that is a good deal if you want 2 rods. No other rod company requires you to buy additional rod as condition for replacement outside of warranty.

Go with whatever company provides you the customer service support you like, all the highend rod companies have good products.

Tom

CrankFate reply :

On 10/28/2019 at 3:24 AM, NathanDLTH said:

Accidents happen and for some of us we want the warranty in case of accidents. Murphy’s law.

I know that’s what people say. But I’ve never had a rod break. I would pass on getting any rod that I thought might break from fishing.

MN Fisher reply :

On 10/28/2019 at 3:24 AM, NathanDLTH said:

Accidents happen and for some of us we want the warranty in case of accidents. Murphy’s law.

On 10/28/2019 at 7:42 AM, CrankFate said:

I know that’s what people say. But I’ve never had a rod break. I would pass on getting any rod that I thought might break from fishing.

I've got my three old rods gathering dust as I've upgraded. All were 'cheap' rods, the most expensive being an original Ugly Stick. They're all 30+ years old, still intact, and usable, but don't have the action I want, so they sit unused. They've caught hundreds of fish without a problem.

Statistically, if a rod is going to break from accident, it'll happen in the first year - which is what my Aird-X rods are warranted for.

Westcoast reply :

I think for one brand of rod I’d go with gloomis. And that’s not just for bass rods either, they make great salmon/steelhead rods and awesome fly rods too.

FryDog62 reply :

I would pick either Daiwa, ALX, Megabass or Kistler. I like NRX but not a fan of GLX because of the grip.

The one rod manufacturer I would not select for sure would be St. Croix. Heavy rods, poorly balanced. Had them for years (12 of them, various models) and am amazed at the above 4 mentioned rods how much better they are in terms of being light, crisp, balanced, yet powerful. Hate to say it despite my Wisconsin roots, but I’m a recovering SC fan-boy. No more...

You and I have also talked about Dobyns rods. I absolutely love my flippin stick, but personally don’t think they make a great bottom contact or sensitive rod (many others do however). Therefore I would not be able to use Dobyns, despite good overall quality, as the one manufacturer to use for all rods I use... but that’s just me... am probably in the minority on that..

Stephen B reply :

On 10/28/2019 at 7:08 AM, WRB said:

Today Loomis offers an expedite rod replacement program very similar to the certificate program except you must buy another rod equal to the replacement rod ending up with 2 rods. You get the replacement rod for $100 plus shipping and that is a good deal if you want 2 rods. No other rod company requires you to buy additional rod as condition for replacement outside of warranty.

No, this is incorrect information regarding G Loomis warranty. Reread their warranty. Always a pleasure to deal with G Loomis warranty. They have always done me right. Every great business starts with a great product and great CS and they have both for sure. 100% recommend G Loomis.

Catt reply :

Personally I don't think a manufacturer should warranty a product I accidentally broke.

Warranties should only cover defects & workmanship...not my stupidity!

Stephen B reply :

On 10/28/2019 at 10:06 AM, Catt said:

Personally I don't think a manufacturer should warranty a product I accidentally broke.

Warranties should only cover defects & workmanship...not my stupidity!

I agree 100%.

Fishes in trees reply :

Something about the original post makes me say , "Huh?" If you want the same feel through all your rods, then , buy all the same rods. Get a dozen, or two of the exact same rod. A decade or so ago, didn't Rick Clunn allegedly do this? And didn't he tell other people through Bassmaster magazine that this was a good idea? I seem to recall reading something about this in Bassmaster, again around a decade or so ago. By my reckoning, that decision ( to use the same rod for all different baits ) coincided with one of the longer losing droughts of his career. Coincidence? Beats me.

You want the "same feel" through all your rods, do you really want your ned rig to feel like your frogging rod? Do you want your shakey head rig to feel like your Carolina rig? Why would you want your spinner bait rig to feel exactly like your worm rod? I could go on. Do you want the same sensitivity in your cranking rod as you do for your football jig rod? This thinking seems out of wack to me.

You want your rods to all have a similar "look", like lots of guys do with their golf clubs? I kinda get that. This makes a little more sense and the previous page and a half of posters have offered lots of options, I really can't add anything in this vein.

My advice is to find rods you like that do what you want within your price range. I think that warranty does make a difference. Fenwick has been good to me, their higher end rods, the HMG & Aetos series have lifetime warranties and I've broken some rods doing some ignorant stuff and Fenwick has replaced them. I know their policy has changed slightly over the years and it has been a few years since I've broken one, so I'm not up to date on their current version of their lifetime warranty. All Star Rods, ( back in the day when they were made in Texas ) used to have a GREAT warranty. Can't speak to their current warranties, they are now exclusively distributed by Academy Sports, I've bought a few on close outs, their actions are very similar to the old All Stars. I haven't broken any yet and fishing season is nearly over. Maybe next year . .

spoonplugger1 reply :

Rarely do I see someone selecting their next rod have the reel they are going to use in their pocket to really get the rod's feel in use. They also disregard the intent of the rod and test all rods the same way, not thinking about such things as whether it's going to be used in a tip up, or tip down presentation. Lastly they disregard build construction, lighter tipped rods due to component selection are as cheap to build and they don't need or will use less rear weight to get the feel you want.

NathanDLTH reply :

On 10/28/2019 at 3:33 PM, Fishes in trees said:

Something about the original post makes me say , "Huh?" If you want the same feel through all your rods, then , buy all the same rods. Get a dozen, or two of the exact same rod. A decade or so ago, didn't Rick Clunn allegedly do this? And didn't he tell other people through Bassmaster magazine that this was a good idea? I seem to recall reading something about this in Bassmaster, again around a decade or so ago. By my reckoning, that decision ( to use the same rod for all different baits ) coincided with one of the longer losing droughts of his career. Coincidence? Beats me.

You want the "same feel" through all your rods, do you really want your ned rig to feel like your frogging rod? Do you want your shakey head rig to feel like your Carolina rig? Why would you want your spinner bait rig to feel exactly like your worm rod? I could go on. Do you want the same sensitivity in your cranking rod as you do for your football jig rod? This thinking seems out of wack to me.

You want your rods to all have a similar "look", like lots of guys do with their golf clubs? I kinda get that. This makes a little more sense and the previous page and a half of posters have offered lots of options, I really can't add anything in this vein.

My advice is to find rods you like that do what you want within your price range. I think that warranty does make a difference. Fenwick has been good to me, their higher end rods, the HMG & Aetos series have lifetime warranties and I've broken some rods doing some ignorant stuff and Fenwick has replaced them. I know their policy has changed slightly over the years and it has been a few years since I've broken one, so I'm not up to date on their current version of their lifetime warranty. All Star Rods, ( back in the day when they were made in Texas ) used to have a GREAT warranty. Can't speak to their current warranties, they are now exclusively distributed by Academy Sports, I've bought a few on close outs, their actions are very similar to the old All Stars. I haven't broken any yet and fishing season is nearly over. Maybe next year . .

Interesting point on the Bassmaster piece.

I guess by feel I meant what it fishes like in my hand and connectivity to the baits being fished. Yes, every rod will always be different bass upon action, power, and length. For example the Champ Extreme 744 has a softer tips and my personal opinion didn’t transmit bottom composition or bites well to me. So I old it, I fished a friends 745 champion extreme and it was quite the opposite experience for me. Please do not take what say and try to skew it, I could of clarified each category a bit more that’s truth. But don’t try to put word in my mouth of buying all rods in one action, power, and length. That would be foolish.

On 10/28/2019 at 8:25 AM, FryDog62 said:

I would pick either Daiwa, ALX, Megabass or Kistler. I like NRX but not a fan of GLX because of the grip.

The one rod manufacturer I would not select for sure would be St. Croix. Heavy rods, poorly balanced. Had them for years (12 of them, various models) and am amazed at the above 4 mentioned rods how much better they are in terms of being light, crisp, balanced, yet powerful. Hate to say it despite my Wisconsin roots, but I’m a recovering SC fan-boy. No more...

You and I have also talked about Dobyns rods. I absolutely love my flippin stick, but personally don’t think they make a great bottom contact or sensitive rod (many others do however). Therefore I would not be able to use Dobyns, despite good overall quality, as the one manufacturer to use for all rods I use... but that’s just me... am probably in the minority on that..

Yes-we talked for a good bit on that subject, I will share one thing. The 745 in the champion extreme does better at bottom contact than its little brother the 744 which we both had higher hopes for. If I wanted a light cover swim jig rod the 744 would probably get what nod. I can’t fish Loomis-the blank stiffness and reel seat just nope.

Catt reply :

On 10/28/2019 at 7:22 PM, spoonplugger1 said:

Rarely do I see someone selecting their next rod have the reel they are going to use in their pocket to really get the rod's feel in use

That would be me! ????

Especially with worm/jig rods, I'll bring my reel, mount on the rod, string it up, & attach a lure.

The main reason I dislike ordering online is I can't do it this way.

With that being said last year I ordered a Powell Inferno & recently a Daiwa Tatula. The Powell I had field tested & the Daiwa I had handled locally but no one had the model I wanted.

The "best" rod for each technique is personal preference. Manufacturer warranty is of no consideration in my selection, neither is price.

NathanDLTH reply :

On 10/28/2019 at 8:38 PM, Catt said:

That would be me! ????

Especially with worm/jig rods, I'll bring my reel, mount on the rod, string it up, & attach a lure.

The main reason I dislike ordering online is I can't do it this way.

With that being said last year I ordered a Powell Inferno & recently a Daiwa Tatula. The Powell I had field tested & the Daiwa I had handled locally but no one had the model I wanted.

The "best" rod for each technique is personal preference. Manufacturer warranty is of no consideration in my selection, neither is price.

I’ve learned the hard way a few times by not having a reel with when trying rods. It’s been a learning process.

Main rods are Daiwa, Megabass, and Dobyns. I’d like to change out some of my rods this offseason preferably to Dobyns for simplicity.

WRB reply :

Back in the day before online sales we went to a store and checked out the rod, looked it over for workmanship like the guides being aligned to each other and the reel seat, feel, balance with a reel etc, etc. if anything went wrong we worked through the store retailer for warranty issues.

Today most sales are online, the rod shows up at the front door. Any immediate workmanship or biuld blemishes in our opion become subjective, obvious damage from shipping is resolved by the online retailer. You take out your new rod and use it then notice a guide ring insert is cracked or any other subjective flaw or blemish it can become a ticking contest who is responsible. Some anglers live with, fix it themselves or resell the rod online.

If the rod blank fails then it's up to the rod maker to determine the cause becoming a warranty issue between you and the manufacturer.

It's different world today and the rod makers customer service becomes both retailer and manufacturer, shipping costs and replacement cost all come into play for online sales. Choose your highend rod company carefully or shop at a brick and mortar store.

Tom

jbsoonerfan reply :

On 10/28/2019 at 3:33 PM, Fishes in trees said:

Something about the original post makes me say , "Huh?" If you want the same feel through all your rods, then , buy all the same rods. Get a dozen, or two of the exact same rod. A decade or so ago, didn't Rick Clunn allegedly do this? And didn't he tell other people through Bassmaster magazine that this was a good idea? I seem to recall reading something about this in Bassmaster, again around a decade or so ago. By my reckoning, that decision ( to use the same rod for all different baits ) coincided with one of the longer losing droughts of his career. Coincidence? Beats me.

You want the "same feel" through all your rods, do you really want your ned rig to feel like your frogging rod? Do you want your shakey head rig to feel like your Carolina rig? Why would you want your spinner bait rig to feel exactly like your worm rod? I could go on. Do you want the same sensitivity in your cranking rod as you do for your football jig rod? This thinking seems out of wack to me.

You want your rods to all have a similar "look", like lots of guys do with their golf clubs? I kinda get that. This makes a little more sense and the previous page and a half of posters have offered lots of options, I really can't add anything in this vein.

My advice is to find rods you like that do what you want within your price range. I think that warranty does make a difference. Fenwick has been good to me, their higher end rods, the HMG & Aetos series have lifetime warranties and I've broken some rods doing some ignorant stuff and Fenwick has replaced them. I know their policy has changed slightly over the years and it has been a few years since I've broken one, so I'm not up to date on their current version of their lifetime warranty. All Star Rods, ( back in the day when they were made in Texas ) used to have a GREAT warranty. Can't speak to their current warranties, they are now exclusively distributed by Academy Sports, I've bought a few on close outs, their actions are very similar to the old All Stars. I haven't broken any yet and fishing season is nearly over. Maybe next year . .

Maybe you just didn't understand what he was saying.

@NathanDLTH I use all Shimano Zodias rods on my main setups. I have a 6'10 ML, 6'10 M, 2x 6'10 MH, 2x 7'2" MH and a 7'2 H. I love the Zodias series rods and I like the way each rod "feels" in my hand, not to be confused by the way the rod "feels" while fishing. I have always been weird like that though, I want all my grips on my golf clubs to be exactly the same aside from my putter. I will re-grip my driver or wedges if they have a different grip from my irons. I guess it's a feel thing.

Fishin Dad reply :

On 10/27/2019 at 2:48 PM, punch said:

Hah another person who sold their 893c GLX. I really didn't think mine was anything special, let alone $400 special.

I've tried many.. many.. many rod lines and my collection has distilled down to Megabass (orochi and destroyer), Exprides, St Croix Legend X and a couple speciality rods like a NRX 873c.

If I had to pick one rod line to use ONLY, it would be all Exprides HANDS DOWN (I have 6 of them). They are light, sensitive, look good, balance well, have good resale, and the lineup is very diverse. Several rods in their lineup are straight up GREAT and considered the best for that technique. Like their 72MH glass chatterbait rod, their 7'3 XH frog rod, and their flippin stick. Their 7'2 MH is so versatile I have two of them.

You can get them for around 200-220 new from certain shops.

Hey Punch,

Would you be willing to share the best shops for pricing on Exprides. I really want to try one.

Thanks

CrankFate reply :

On 10/28/2019 at 7:57 AM, MN Fisher said:

I've got my three old rods gathering dust as I've upgraded. All were 'cheap' rods, the most expensive being an original Ugly Stick. They're all 30+ years old, still intact, and usable, but don't have the action I want, so they sit unused. They've caught hundreds of fish without a problem.

Statistically, if a rod is going to break from accident, it'll happen in the first year - which is what my Aird-X rods are warranted for.

I agree. And I have some of those Ugly Sticks and they look new after years of hard fishing.

Randy Price reply :

On 10/28/2019 at 6:26 AM, FishTank said:

G. Loomis and St.Croix would be my choices.

If I am going for all around best bang for the buck line up of rods from one manufacture where I am buying 5 to keep on the deck. Easy..... St. Croix Avid. It checks all the boxes........ Price, well made, sensitive (there are several better but best for the money), and tons of choices to suit my needs.

I agree 100% with @FishTank

NathanDLTH reply :

Thanks for all the input! This was more than I expected.

Rook reply :

Well for me I'm still stuck in the 50s. I don't use anything but NARMCO and Garcia Conolon rods. They're still working just fine after more than 60 years of use. Time is the true test of fishing equipment.

3105

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