Food for Thought 2025
*Hootie reply :
I think about all the money we spend on fishing rods, then I recall the 1985 Bassmaster Classic. Clearly one third of the participants used "Berkley's Lightning Rod", including winner, "Jack Chancellor". I suppose you CAN be the best without spending a fortune.
Hootie
Evan K reply :
How much did a lightning rod cost in 1985?
*Hootie reply :
On 2/13/2016 at 5:19 AM, Evan K said:How much did a lightning rod cost in 1985?
Don't really know. I just checked my BPS Catalogs, 1982 thru 1988. They weren't even available in any of them. I do remember that it wasn't a pricey rod. A lot of my fishing buddies used them.
Hootie
Team9nine reply :
Between $31-$33 depending upon where you bought it and the exact model. There were a few longer models that sold for as much as $45. In one ad, they list their LR16 - 5'6" Lightning Rod at a weight of 4.0 oz. and being 100% graphite.
-T9
*Hootie reply :
On 2/13/2016 at 6:13 AM, Team9nine said:Between $31-$33 depending upon where you bought it and the exact model. There were a few longer models that sold for as much as $45. In one ad, they list their LR16 - 5'6" Lightning Rod at a weight of 4.0 oz. and being 100% graphite.
-T9
$33.00 1985 calculates to $74.12 in today's money.
Hootie
smallie.mike reply :
I wish I would have saved all my bass pro catalogs from the 80s and 90s. They would be really interesting to look at now.
Hey Hootie, what were the most expensive rods in your early 80's catalogs?
*Hootie reply :
On 2/13/2016 at 9:26 AM, smallie.mike said:I wish I would have saved all my bass pro catalogs from the 80s and 90s. They would be really interesting to look at now.
Hey Hootie, what were the most expensive rods in your early 80's catalogs?
In the 1978 catalog, the only "non" BPS rods were the Fenwick Lunkerstik @ $28.99 and the Lews Speed Stick. Fenwick being the most expensive.
In the 1982 catalog, the only rods at all, were all house brand, BPS rods. The most expensive being their Boron rod @ $59.99.
Hootie
scaleface reply :
I still have three or four original Lightning rod . The one with the yellow and red trim .One is a 6 foot med heavy. that was my Texas rig rod at the time . I still use a 5.6'' rod and the 6 footer for topwater baits . Those short rods make twitching and walking baits easier to use .
dave reply :
On 2/13/2016 at 9:06 PM, scaleface said:I still have three or four original Lightning rod . The one with the yellow and red trim .One is a 6 foot med heavy. that was my Texas rig rod at the time . I still use a 5.6'' rod and the 6 footer for topwater baits . Those short rods make twitching and walking baits easier to use .
I stil have a 5'6" ultra light with the yellow and red trim.
Maico1 reply :
On 2/13/2016 at 5:14 AM, *Hootie said:I think about all the money we spend on fishing rods, then I recall the 1985 Bassmaster Classic. Clearly one third of the participants used "Berkley's Lightning Rod", including winner, "Jack Chancellor". I suppose you CAN be the best without spending a fortune.
Hootie
Come on Hoot what fun would that be .....You know you love the Hunt in looking for your new gear as well as the Hunt for the fish with your new gear in hand.
ww2farmer reply :
Fun little story about lightning rods..............to this day you can still catch fish on them.
In the last few years after selling off all my "better" rods, and waiting for my custom builder to replace them 1 at a time, I filled in the gaps with lightning rods. I still won tournaments and caught as many, and as quality of fish as I ever have.
As my arsenal of custom rods grows and nears completion, the Lightning Rods stand ready and willing on back up duty. I will not buy any more store bought rods since going custom..................except lightning rods
Raul reply :
On 2/13/2016 at 5:14 AM, *Hootie said:I think about all the money we spend on fishing rods, then I recall the 1985 Bassmaster Classic. Clearly one third of the participants used "Berkley's Lightning Rod", including winner, "Jack Chancellor". I suppose you CAN be the best without spending a fortune.
Hootie
I caught my first 10+ lber with a Berkley Lightning Rod, LR15 + AbuGarcia Ambassadeur XLT Plus reel; caught my PB with another Berkley Lightining Rod now a LR16 + AbuGarcia Ambassadeur 521 XLT Plus Reel, and with those two rods LR15 &16 I´ve caught most of my 10+ lbers.
*Hootie reply :
On 2/15/2016 at 1:58 AM, Raul said:I caught my first 10+ lber with a Berkley Lightning Rod, LR15 + AbuGarcia Ambassadeur XLT Plus reel; caught my PB with another Berkley Lightining Rod now a LR16 + AbuGarcia Ambassadeur 521 XLT Plus Reel, and with those two rods LR15 &16 I´ve caught most of my 10+ lbers.
That pretty well sums it up....lol.
Hootie
EllisJuan reply :
Jesus...puts my last couple purchases into perspective.
Raul reply :
On 2/15/2016 at 2:23 AM, EllisJuan said:Jesus...puts my last couple purchases into perspective.
Why ?
I have 3 Lightning Rods however I have 8 GLoomis rods and wouldn´t change them for anything.
"Lo chipocludo está del mango de la caña hacia atrás" ( the badazz is behind the rod handle )
EllisJuan reply :
On 2/15/2016 at 2:33 AM, Raul said:Why ?
I have 3 Lightning Rods however I have 8 GLoomis rods and wouldn´t change them for anything.
"Lo chipocludo está del mango de la caña hacia atrás" ( the badazz is behind the rod handle )
Just makes me realize how expensive hobbies have gotten and how fortunate I am to be able to afford them.
Raul reply :
On 2/15/2016 at 3:16 AM, EllisJuan said:Just makes me realize how expensive hobbies have gotten and how fortunate I am to be able to afford them.
Hobbies are no more expensive today as they were back then, don't think of prices of yesterday comparing them to prices of today, stuff still cost pretty much the same, it's money what's worth a lot less, my reels cost me like 90 dollars, that like 200 of today, actually it took me a lot more time to save those 90 bucks than to make those 200 bones of today.
dave reply :
I was at a large fishing fleamarket today. One vendor had a 5'6' Med Fast Lighting Rod, Yellow and red wraps and a pistol grip from the 80's. Lot's of nostalgia. I almost picked it up for $15. It would have been really neat to fish.
MRG reply :
Lightning rods are kind of looked down on as lower end "Walmart" rods these days. However, that wasn't always the case. Back in the 80's when they first came around they were considered a fairly high end rod. At that time (prior to Pure Fishing dumbing down the Berkley rod brand) Berkley had a good line up of rods and the Lightning Rod was the top of the line.
In 1983 or so I bought my first Lightning Rod for (I think) around $40 to $50. At that time this was considered fairly pricey for a rod. Matched with an ABU Garcia 2nd generation Cardinal C3 spinning reel, it was my first foray into upper end tackle. At the time, I certainly thought I had a pretty hot set up.
To this day Lightning Rods are still decent rods regardless of price. I still keep a few around and they hold their own well compared to some of my more expensive gear.
trick worms reply :
What do y'all use your lightning rods for nowadays?
Crestliner2008 reply :
I don't know why, but I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I've never spent more than $80.00 for any rod in 55 years of fishing! Even though I've never broken a rod while fishing, I'd be scared to death to think about fishing with a $265.00 Loomis! Don't think I could concentrate on the fishing!!! 
By the way, I happen to like the Shock Rods of today....$39.00. LOL!
tomustang reply :
I mean you could, but why not?
I get a little more excited when a $500 rod bends and I think to myself, i hope it don't snap! Kind of like when you were a kid and hid a whoopie cusion down and you get that grin right before someone sits on it 
Catt reply :
On 2/15/2016 at 2:33 AM, Raul said:
"Lo chipocludo está del mango de la caña hacia atrás" ( the badazz is behind the rod handle )
The #1 key to consistently catching bass is between your ears not the folds of your wallet!
Raul reply :
On 2/18/2016 at 12:41 AM, trick worms said:What do y'all use your lightning rods for nowadays?
Pretty much for what I used them back then: for everything.
My son´s first rod was a LR, I gave him one of mine and ......... somehow the danged kid managed to break the ceramic insert of the rod tip 
, goddam, something I didn´t do in two + decades he managed to do in a matter of minutes, fortunately it´s an easy repair and not much was lost.
trick worms reply :
Do y'all use LR's to fish t-rigs? If so, how is it sensitivity wise?
ww2farmer reply :
On 2/18/2016 at 12:41 AM, trick worms said:What do y'all use your lightning rods for nowadays?
Everything........7' MH casting might just be the best sub $200 frog/chatterbait/swim jig rod you can buy. 6'6" M is an excellent target squarebill, top water, and suspending jerkbait rod, and the 7' M spinning is a jack of all trades, drop shot, shaky head, finesse jigs, wacky rigs, skipping weightless plastics under docks.
On 2/18/2016 at 4:58 AM, trick worms said:Do y'all use LR's to fish t-rigs? If so, how is it sensitivity wise?
Yes............and outstanding for the $$. When I went to custom rods, I had my builder build me "feel" rods first, but I still grab the LR Shocks when an extra rod is needed in the boat and while they lack the lightweight, and refinement of the custom rods, I have zero issues feeling things with them.
Catt reply :
My tournament setups during the 70/80s!
Shimano Bantam 100EX
Shimano Bantam 10XSG
Shinamo Bantan TX Mag
All 3 were on matching 6' 6" Lighting Rods!
I cast, flipped, pitched, punched, Carolina Rigged, traps, spinner baits, buzz baits, cranks, ya name they did it!
bigfruits reply :
life is too short and time is too valuable to fish with anything less than the best you can afford!
i dont think my loomis rods catch me many more fish than my less expensive rods of the past but they make the experience more enjoyable - for me.
if you would only upgrade to catch a lot more fish, then you would be wasting your money on anything more expensive than a lightning rod (i think i had one in the 90's).
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