Favorite Rod Manufacturer 2024
Randy Price reply :
I've used a number of different rods over the 40+ years of fishing but for the last 20 years I've used St. Croix almost exclusively. This may be partly due to the fact that I visit their factory at least once a year and in my region (N. IL) they are highly favored. I've had G Loomis but never a Dobyns which I know some guys on here really like.
ElijahH reply :
Berkley hands down...
S Hovanec reply :
I'm a big St. Croix fan myself. I'm so glad the SCV blanks are still available to custom builders. I do miss the SCIII for budget builds though.
browne762 reply :
I use mostly St Croix. They are widely available and easy to get in my area. Almost every shop has more St Croix on the shelf then any other branded rods. St Croix are not included on sales at my local stores so I am starting to expand out and buy other brands because when you can get a 20% discount on everything but St Croix that can be quite the savings.
This year been using a few of the Shimano Expride and Zodias rods and I like them quite a bit, but I wish they had hook keepers on them. Also just purchased a G Loomis NRX that I have yet to really use.
At this point my top three favorite rods are all St Croix, but I really like Exprides and have been starting to use them more and more.
ElijahH reply :
But being serious. I try not to be picky I just buy good deals and not worry about brands. Mostly Abu Garcia and Shimano.
I'm a student so my budget is tight, I can currently only dream about spending $400 on a St Croix or Loomis.
Choporoz reply :
Yesterday I went out on the kayak and was 'restricted' to eight rods -- I had two Fenwick, two St. Croix, one Dobyns, one Okuma and two Kistler. Left in the truck were at least two other brands. I wouldn't want to restrict myself to one manufacturer.
bowhunter63 reply :
Bass pro Carbon light
greentrout reply :
the old cabela's fish eagle II casting rods ... still got 'em ... best 70 dollars i ever spent on a rod ...
good fishing ...
Mike L reply :
I don't buy rods because of who makes em.
I buy based on past experience, action, power, rod and handle length for what I need it for.
That said..Older Fenwick's, and Falcon's and newer Loomis and Falcon rods seem to cover all my needs.
Mike
DogBone_384 reply :
On 8/13/2019 at 12:39 AM, ElijahH said:I try not to be picky I just buy good deals and not worry about brands.
Same here, but I fish my Kistlers & Abu Garcias 90% of the time so I’d have to say they’re my favorites.
On 8/13/2019 at 12:39 AM, Choporoz said:out on the kayak and was 'restricted' to eight rods
Eight !?!?!?!!!?!?
I think four is a lot when out on my Lure.
Choporoz reply :
LOL...was a time not so long ago when I thought the same thing.
Crazy thing was that I had a hard time paring it down to 8.....but I did use every one of them. Tough summer times fishing shallow wood and grass, rocky bluffs, deep sandy points, med depth flats....
new2BC4bass reply :
I'm another that buys rods based on my needs and reviews by trustworthy (hopefully 
) guys on boards like this one. I have favorites from several brands including, but not restricted to Falcon, Fenwick, ALX, Daiwa, Dobyns and...yes...Quantum (higher priced models).
BassWhole! reply :
I don't have a favorite brand, I do have favorite models from a bunch of different manufacturers.
keagbassr reply :
All star and falcon. Never had one that didn't feel just right in my hands.
Randy Price reply :
Kind of a long story but I grew up using low end rods and reels. I had never heard of most of the rods/reels that are used today. Twenty years ago I visited a friends cabin in St. Germain, WI and forgot my fishing rod. My friend was a huge St. Croix fan (especially the Avis series) and Shimano Stradic's. I borrowed one of his combo's and was blown away at how much smoother the reel was and how much more sensitive the rod was. I became a convert after that. Not knocking any other brands just have been happy with Shimano and St. Croix.
boostr reply :
I'm all over the place with this one. Can't pin point to one. If I had the money I would go with the higher end brands like GLoomis, St.Croix and such, but I have had success with my 1 Fenwick, a couple of Cabelas rods, and even my KK rods. Pretty sure if I had a higher end rod the difference would be night and day, but I don't want to fall down that Bait Monkey slippery slope... I think my wallet doesn't want me to either .
moguy1973 reply :
I think out of all my rods only two rods are made by the same company. And I like most of them.
I have:
Abu Garcia Veritas casting
Bass Pro Bionic Blade casting
Bass Pro Carbon Lite II casting (best casting I have)
Shimano Clarus casting
Academy H2O Express Ethos spinning
Lew's TP1 Speed Stick spinning (best spinning I have)
Berkely Lightning spinning
St. Croix fly
NorthernBasser reply :
I use a handful of different rod companies.
Shimano, ALX, Kistler, Fenwick, Daiwa, Cabela's, Dobyns, St. Croix. Plan on getting a Cashion and possibly a Lew's in the near future.
Of all of those rods...and I like them all...if I had to choose my favorite, I would go with my Kistler's (Helium 3 and KLX Feel N Reels).
FishTank reply :
I have tried several brands over the years and for me it's a tie between G. Loomis and St. Croix.
Yumeya reply :
My favorite would be Gloomis but I have also been using them for years and years they have never disappointed.
But I also own Megabass and St Croix and like them just as much.
As for builds
Megabass builds the best looking and the wraps, guides and blank are always perfect.
St Croix also does an amazing job with their builds.
Gloomis has always been a little off here and there, except for my Conquest, its perfect.
My dream rod would be a NRX blank sent to the megabass factory to be built 
Johnbt reply :
I've used a number of different rods over the 60+ years of fishing and I still have a lot of them. I caught my first 9+# largemouth on a short St. Croix Premier. I don't think they even make the 6' MHF rod anymore. I love that rod for some reason. For the past year or two I've settled on the brand I like the most - Shimano-Loomis. I only have 5 so far, but I got married in November and she's taking up a lot of my time (and money. )
People keep saying you don't need a Conquest to fish spinnerbaits. I like them for everything, especially spinnerbaits.
Mikeltee reply :
My first good rod was Dobyns. It was an addiction. Luckily I broke the cycle to see what else is out there. Now I own alpha angler, diawa, and dobyns. Gloomis is next. I want a Kistler and Megabass as well. It's a great time to be an angler to have such a thick variety and competition to keep the prices in check. There is lots to choose from at every price point. Its hard to imagine how people were able to fish 20 years ago with only a few manufacturers to choose from.
ike8120 reply :
I have 5 Dobyns and 3 KK, 1 Okuma, I like them all.
newyorktoiowa57 reply :
I like shimano and okuma, but dobyns also has some good offerings. I also have a kistler and Megabass, but I haven't used them that much, so the jury is still out on those.
Jason.Domingo reply :
I currently own 2 Lew’s sticks (Crush and a Mach II), Dobyn’s, Kistler, and a Megabass. My Lew’s and Megabass gets a lot of use out of all my stuff since I prefer them 3. As for my wife, she loves her Kistler Rods (H3, KLX Reel n feel).
The Maestro reply :
I haven't tried that many brands but of the ones I have tried I like my Shimanos. I have a 7'2 mh Expride coming. It will be my first rod of Shimano's current lineup. Really curious to see how the action and power compares to their older rods.
ohboyitsrobby reply :
My favorite presently are falcons. But part of that is because they're the first mid to high end rod I had experience with. I have a ton of different rods though. Falcon, St Croix, dobyns, Denali, Lew's, shimano. It goes on and on.
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
For an off the shelf rod St Croix is hard to beat for quality, performance and selection. Custom builds are not price prohibitive as many assume and should be at least considered with other quality rods.
Riversidebassin reply :
I love my St. Croix’s!! I also have two Abu Garcia’s (Ike signatures series) and a BPS rod I rarely use. I really like my two Abu’s, but when it comes to a brand as a whole I put a lot of trust in St. Croix. I’d like to explore more brands, but it’s hard not to buy another St. Croix when I know it will be a quality rod!
Jig Man reply :
My favorite manufacturer is Ark Rod. They make rods for a lot of different companies, many of which are major brands.
Fishaholic7lbs reply :
I’ve had several different rods over the years here lately I’ve landed with falcons and lews.. I’ve had Abu Garcia veritas fenwick elite techs skeet reese rods shimanos and one of my most favorite rods was a quantum smoke gen 1, wish they still made em like that. Also had some old team all star IM 10’s I wish I would have never got rid of
Steveo-1969 reply :
I'm an admitted Loomis fanboy and have a GLX spinning rod and 2 NRX casting rods. But the last two rods I purchased were a St. Croix spinning rod (MojoBass SCIII) and a custom casting rod built with a St. Croix SCV blank. I love all 5 rods and wouldn't want to choose just one manufacturer.
Randy Price reply :
On 8/14/2019 at 4:03 AM, Steveo-1969 said:I'm an admitted Loomis fanboy and have a GLX spinning rod and 2 NRX casting rods. But the last two rods I purchased were a St. Croix spinning rod (MojoBass SCIII) and a custom casting rod built with a St. Croix SCV blank. I love all 5 rods and wouldn't want to choose just one manufacturer.
Steveo, I'm pretty much a SC fanboy but appreciate your honesty. I primarily fish with SC's upper end LE rods but earlier this year I bought a new Mojo Bass 6'8" "Wacky Style" rod and have been super impressed with it for the cost!!!
LonnieP reply :
I own rods made by G Loomis, Daiwa,Powell, St Croix, Kistler and Dobyns. I'd say the Kistler is my favorite and the Dobyns is my least.
NYWayfarer reply :
The rods that see the most action in my rotations are:
St Croix
Lew’s
Abu Garcia
Kastking
Fenwick
aPaul19 reply :
I've been able to use a few different brands (Abu, Shimano, Dobyns, St. Croix) and have had good luck/experiences with them but recently I tried a few of the ALX rods and i've been really impressed. I'm planning on adding more to my lineup.
Mobasser reply :
I really don't have a favorite brand with rods. I look them over, and like to take my reel and mount it on the rod before I buy it. Over the years I've used Berkley, Shimano, Lews,Fenwick, Diawa and one St Croix. Most have worked good
flyfisher reply :
I honestly don't have one favorite brand. I have owned probably 7-8 different brands and only a few I wouldn't buy again for the most part. I do have my preferences but that can change. A few year ago all I used pretty much were St. Croix and Kistler and now I am using Dobyns and Shimano and a St. Croix. Only brands I have owned that I wouldn't buy again are Abu Garcia and Quantum.
LadiMopar reply :
When I was much younger "brand/ manufacturer" wasn't even on the radar. After 50+ years I've fished a lot of different manufacturers, and I assume like most here of a certain age, you bought/used whatever fit the family budget. It just didn't matter as long as it got the job done.
The first exception to that "rule" came about 35 years ago when I splurged on a custom Lamiglas rod ;7.5' MH with a fast tip (as we used to say) built for reaching lake trout/salmon in a reservoir that to this day you can't put a boat on. It was like swinging a baseball bat, but it got the bait out further than most guys could manage.
Now that there is more money in the "bait monkey bank" it's Daiwa Elite Signature series rods, and the now discontinued Cabelas Tournament ZX rods, and the hands down work horse is a Cabelas Arachnid 7'1" ( all these Cabelas rods were made by Daiwa)
No offense to the St.Croix guys, but my one and only 5'6" Trout series ultra light rod shattered first time out. Snapped and splintered at the second guide from the top. Had been drooling over these rods for years, and so wanted to love them, but must admit it was incredibly disappointing.
As always, just my two cents..
Steveo-1969 reply :
On 8/14/2019 at 4:08 AM, Randy Price said:Steveo, I'm pretty much a SC fanboy but appreciate your honesty. I primarily fish with SC's upper end LE rods but earlier this year I bought a new Mojo Bass 6'8" "Wacky Style" rod and have been super impressed with it for the cost!!!
This spring I bought the Mojo Bass 6'10" "Dropshot/Finesse" spinning rod and have also been impressed with it for the cost.
dodgeguy reply :
Bass Pro Shops Johnny Morris Patriot series
.ghoti. reply :
Since I started building rods, I have either sold or given away a bunch of my factory rods. i had to look at the rack to see what I had left. Five Daiwa(two Steez, two Tatula, one TD-X). seven St Croix(one LE, three LTB, three Avid). Five Setyr rods. Seems I still like St Croix and Daiwa. Setyr is out of business.
My personal builds are on Rainshadow Immortal, St Croix SCV and SCIII, and MHX gen1 HM blanks. I have used several other blanks for customer rods, but those three are what I build for myself.
PaFrogThrower9 reply :
Hands down Duckett for me. Tried a bunch of others and none compared to Duckett's for feel and quality to me.
Barry S. reply :
I've used many different Shimano/G Loomis rods, various St. Croix rods, Quatum PT rods, Abu Garcia rods, Kistler and Fenwick, but from the time I bought my very first ALX custom rod back in the early 2000's, that began my transition from any rod that wasn't an ALX Rod. Now, after adding several other custom rods and countless production ALX rods, they are the only rod I use, period. They have a rod for every occasion. I fish for inshore saltwater species, nearshore saltwater species, all manner of freshwater species and all manner of techniques/presentations and I have done so for many many years and I have yet to find a fish I can't target or a technique/presentation I can't use with an ALX Rod. Between their extensive lineup of production rods and their custom rod shop, they truly a one stop rod manufacturer.
https://alxrods.com/
Timberwolf530 reply :
Most of my rods are those I have built myself based on Loomis IMX (Slate) & St Croix (SCIII & IV) blanks. I also have a Mudhole MHX Pro I like. I also have a few Loomis & St Croix factory rods, as well as several Duckett Ice. I'm not a fan of Duckett's guides, but the rods themselves fish very nice.
Vilas15 reply :
St Croix only from crappie and trout all the way up to musky. I have been to the factory a couple times. What else could a multispecies fisherman in Wisconsin ask for?
Timberwolf530 reply :
On 8/16/2019 at 1:13 AM, Vilas15 said:St Croix only from crappie and trout all the way up to musky. I have been to the factory a couple times. What else could a multispecies fisherman in Wisconsin ask for?
A cold Leine and a cheese hat??????
Randy Price reply :
On 8/16/2019 at 2:53 AM, Timberwolf530 said:A cold Leine and a cheese hat??????
I was thinking more of a Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet with Olives myself
MAN reply :
So many rods....but no favorites. Not even my own developed rods.
fvogel67 reply :
St Croix
Vilas15 reply :
On 8/16/2019 at 2:53 AM, Timberwolf530 said:A cold Leine and a cheese hat??????
Leinie's is owned by Molson Coors, much better local options throughout the whole state but I suppose I wouldn't complain. I'm also Bears fan by birth ????
On 8/16/2019 at 3:02 AM, Randy Price said:I was thinking more of a Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet with Olives myself
Another man of culture. I prefer mine sour with olives. 
Timberwolf530 reply :
On 8/16/2019 at 9:21 AM, Vilas15 said:
Leinie's is owned by Molson Coors, much better local options throughout the whole state but I suppose I wouldn't complain. I'm also Bears fan by birth ????
Another man of culture. I prefer mine sour with olives.
It was just a joke. Doesn't anyone on the internet have a sense of humor any more?
Vilas15 reply :
On 8/16/2019 at 8:32 PM, Timberwolf530 said:It was just a joke. Doesn't anyone on the internet have a sense of humor any more?
I get it, I'd just rather have a spotted cow and a bears jersey ????
stratoliner92 reply :
I own several rods from different companies but I prefer my Loomis GLX and Diawa Zillions the most. I do enjoy trying rods from different companies cause you never know till you do. I would love to own a NRX, Zbone, Steez but it's all about that $$$ ????????
NorthernBasser reply :
On 8/16/2019 at 9:21 AM, Vilas15 said:
I'm also Bears fan by birth ????
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