Which Rod Should I Buy? 2024

MrTexasRigs reply :

Hey, so I've been looking around at rods around the $100-$130ish price range. I'm looking for a med. heavy rod with a fast or x-fast tip for texas rigs, many different plastics, some jigging, and even maybe some spinnerbaits. I have chosen a few companies, not necessarily the rod yet, on which one I'm debating on buying. I would like to get a rod and stick with the company, and buy more from the company, so I don't have a multitude of "colors" on my boat "lol." The rods/companies I have been looking at will be listed below. Please give me your opinions on the best choice, or maybe even on ones I don't have listed. My biggest factor is sensitivity, lightweight, and durability, sensitivity/lightweight being the most.

All Casting Rods

- Abu Garcia Veritas 6'9" med-heavy, x-fast (my original choice, mostly for worms/jigs)

- Falcon BuCoo 6'10" med-heavy, fast

- Halo Twilite 7' med-heavy, fast

- Lamiglas Excel 7' med-heavy, fast (I'm leaning towards this company/rod, except the guides seem to have problems, also the rods are orange, but not a big deal for me)

Thanks,

Zach

MrTexasRigs reply :

I forgot to mention, no tip heavy also. I know Abu's tend to be, but I'm a fan of the Veritas

rockchalk06 reply :

A few months ago I would have raved about the Veritas rod and suggested it. I was very lucky and had no problems that several were plagued with. I dumped all 6 I had. If you can find one that has no messed up guides, cracking of the epoxy around the guides or chipped finishes, then grab it. I just hated the quality control they had.

That said there are a bunch of options in that range. TNbassin has an *** 13 and raves about it. I trust his opinion and will be getting one soon baised on his experience with it. 99 dollars, it looks sweet and is pretty light. Powers are true to their marking.

I have a St. Croix Avid and fell in love with it. It's highly reguarded as a great rod around here and was recommended highly. I couldn't be happier. It's a bit out of your range, but they have good rods in that range too. The Premier and the Mojo. The Mojo felt a bit heavy to me, but I'm comparing it to. 4.6 ounce Avid too.

Shimano has the Clarus and Compre in that range too. I don't have a Compre, but I do have a Clarus. The Compre felt heavier to me and not worth the extra dollars. I really like my Clarus. It's a 6'8" MXF and its super light. It's my top water rod due to its light weight, soft tip and short grip. It's 80-90 dollars and comes with an over the counter life time warranty.

That's all I can really comment on or have experience with in that price range. More should be along to give their 10mm worth.

smalljaw67 reply :

Stay away from the Halo rods if you want a fast or extra fast action! All the Halo rods are moderate, moderate fast at best but all models have a parabolic bend to them. The other thing I don't like is the non-existant line and lure ratings, and yes, I know they aren't spot on but they at least give you a guide as to what the rod is supposed to be cable of handling as every company has a different take on what medium heavy is. Try not to brand loyal to start off, look around and try to find the best bang for the buck, the *** *** Black is getting rave reviews and then you have old favorites like the Fenwick HMG, those are classic and built extremely well with a lifetime warranty and the HMG has just about everything you'll need in the series like a 7'6" flipping stick, a 7' medium with moderate action for cranks and a 7' MH-F for what you need. Take your time and do some research, a good place to go through the brands and see if there is any models you like is Tackle Warehouse, they have the rods arranged by brand so you can look at what all the brands have in your price range.

je1946 reply :

I own one Falcon and it's an OK rod. Did you consider Powell, makes a pretty gd rod for the money,gd quality,gd variety of power and actions, and a gd warranty, I own 3 of them and have had zero issues with any of them.

lmbfisherman reply :

Here's what I have experience with:

Veritas - I own one and it is still often fished by me. Like Rockchalk stated you will need to inspect extra carefully to make sure you get a well made one. I own the 7'3" MH/F, it is probably my favorite "Jack of all trades" rod. What I mean by this, it is the rod I take when I am mostly shore fishing and can't take 6 or more rods. It can handle every situation that I've set it up to do... flipping/pitching, frogging, 1/2 oz spinnerbaits/swim jigs/jigs/texas rigs, 1/2 oz buzzbaits...you name it, it did it. Only thing it can't do well is obviously light stuff, which is where my spinning rod usually comes in when I shore fish. It is a solid rod, and the MH/F to me acts more like a heavy though. It also serves as my standby rod when I'm on a boat, it can have tied on any of the above when I need that extra rod for a specific technique.

Compre - I own a M/F and a H/F, they are very good rods and a little more sensitive than the Veritas. They are always with me when I'm on the boat, both of them are in the 7'2" range, they are true to their power/action in my opinion. Plus the lifetime warranty, these two reasons alone gives it an edge over the Veritas. (Also own a Clarus for cranking, so can't really comment on how good they are for the techniques you've asked, I'm sure the Clarus will be close to par with the Veritas.)

Fenwick Aetos - I own the H/XF 7'6" I use for Carolina rigs, I think this rod is a sleeper and am thinking of investing in another rod or two when the need arises. For the price (139.99) that I found on sale, I find the quality of this rod and blank to be great, the components are especially excellent. It is very sensitive and it it compares to rod in the 200-300 range easily. If it wasn't for my love of the old gen Cumaras (I scooped another MH/F on sale for 150), it will be the ones I buy from now on. It is awesome to fish with and am quickly starting like the Fenwick lines a lot. I also own two Elite Tech Smallmouth rods. Awesome.

So those are my opinions you should look at. Although you didn't list Fenwick, I'd highly suggest you check them out.

down4ttown reply :

I have two Veritas rods, and one is going back to BP today. The guide on the end just fell off. I tried fixing it with a kit, but it is just not the same. I just got the *** and it is NICE! Not quite a Dobyn's or higher end rod, but d**n sure worth more than $100. Just throwing my two sense in the ring. I am going to trade my veritas for a Compre or something comparable. Tired of all the issues with Abu rods.

BrettD reply :

I have both a veritas and a falcon and I prefer the falcon rod. Cant comment on the others as I have never used either one.

Falcons are made in the USA.

TNBassin' reply :

I've gotta say, no preach how great the *** *** is. I just bought 2 Crucials, and IMO the *** blows them away. The way your reel will balance on the rod will make even a heavier reel feel much lighter. The guides are top quality, it's crazy sensitive, and the reel seat/trigger just feels great in your hand. Look around at reviews and you won't find one bad review. If you have a Gandermountain around where you live, go there and check them out. That's what I did, and that very day I had one ordered from TW. The *** owns the $100 Price point.

down4ttown reply :

On 6/7/2013 at 10:00 PM, BrettD said:

I have both a veritas and a falcon and I prefer the falcon rod. Cant comment on the others as I have never used either one.

Falcons are made in the USA.

That last fact alone makes them worth buying. I wish we had more companies in the US.

down4ttown reply :

On 6/7/2013 at 10:07 PM, TNBassin said:
I've gotta say, no preach how great the *** *** is. I just bought 2 Crucials, and IMO the *** blows them away. The way your reel will balance on the rod will make even a heavier reel feel much lighter. The guides are top quality, it's crazy sensitive, and the reel seat/trigger just feels great in your hand. Look around at reviews and you won't find one bad review. If you have a Gandermountain around where you live, go there and check them out. That's what I did, and that very day I had one ordered from TW. The *** owns the $100 Price point.

True. I will say that the *** feels almost as good as my Irod Air. The Air balances a tad better though but it should as it is a $250 dollar rod. I want to get my hands on an *** so bad!

JunkYard814 reply :

I know you stated you don't want different colors in your boat, but I typically find it much easier being able to quickly grab a technique specific rod because I know the colors of my set-ups. For example, I just missed a fish on my orange spinnerbait rod, and I want to throw a worm where I just missed it; quick grab my blue LTB. Or I just drifted over a ledge and now I want to start throwing deep cranks, boom got my purple/black Mojo. No sifting through the more specifics.

JunkYard814 reply :

As for rods, I've heard great things about the Compre; comes with a lifetime warranty I believe. Anything St. Croix is never a bad choice either.

BrettD reply :

Another problem you will find trying to stick with one type of rod is they might not make a the action you need in that rod. My dad started off trying to make all his rods match he got three rods into it and gave up when the rods he was using didnt make a decent crankbait rod. I think you limit yourself trying to make your rods match.

TNBassin' reply :

Seriously though, the *** rods are where it's at. I know I keep pimping them, but they are just that good. This is coming from someone that owns 2 $160 Shimano crucial rods. They make a rod and action for anything you could wanna throw. They seriously fish like a much more expensive rod.

BassOnKlinger reply :

New to bass fishing, Looking for information on rods (and reel combos):

In trying to follow along with the original post, can someone point me in the direction of getting my first few combos together? Sounds like the *** Black is a good place to start. How many sets do you think is good for a beginner? I'm kind of overwhelmed with the different types that are specific to each lure, etc. Right now I figure a deep crank setup, a shallow crank setup, a spinner/buzzbait/topwater setup, a worm/plastics setup, and a frog setup. Do you think 5 poles is ok to start out? It seems like every article I read or video I watch, someone is recommending a different setup.

Here's the 5 I'm looking at. Please feel free to tweak my list if you feel any of my setups are wrong for the type of lure I'm using:

1) 6'7" MH/F, 6.3:1 Casting, 17# Mono for my topwaters and buzz/spinner baits

2) 7'6" MH/M, 6.3:1 Casting, 12# Fluoro for my deep crank baits (is a graphite/glass rod recommended for cranks, or does it matter?)

3) 6'7" MH/M, 6.3:1 Casting, 15# Fluoro for my shallow crank baits

4) 7'3" H/F, 6.3: 1 Casting, 60# Braided for my frogs (and also for flippin)

5) 7'3" H/F, 6.3:1 Casting, 15# Fluror for my worms, jigs, and other plastics

*Also, is the Quantum Smoke casting reel good? Or Okuma Helios? I've heard both are good, but wanted your take.

new2BC4bass reply :

If you want all your rods to be from the same company and same color, then some model lines can be eliminated. I have become a fan of the Fenwick Elite Tech Smallmouth series. However, a Heavy model is not offered in this line.

MrTexasRigs reply :

I'm going to have check out the ***, I've been looking at Tackle Warehouse, which is where i buy most of my tackle, rods, etc. I didn't even realize the price of the ***, because I haven't checked it in a while. It is definitely a contender now that I see the price. Also those of you that said about Falcon being made in USA, Lamiglas is also made in the US. The only reason i was shying away from Falcon, were the ones that I felt seemed not their power rating, and not stiff enough for what I want.

BrettD reply :

They are a little underpowered I just get a H where I would normally get a MH. I forgot about lamiglass being made in the USA for someone reason I always overlook them I think becuase you just dont here of them much.

MrTexasRigs reply :

On 6/7/2013 at 11:17 PM, TNBassin said:
Seriously though, the *** rods are where it's at. I know I keep pimping them, but they are just that good. This is coming from someone that owns 2 $160 Shimano crucial rods. They make a rod and action for anything you could wanna throw. They seriously fish like a much more expensive rod.

I've read some nice reviews on them. Which model/length do you have. How light is the rod, and is it tip heavy?

loganw316 reply :

go buy the BPS Bionic Blade Micro Guide! it's on sale for $60 right now! it's a great rod for what you are looking to use it for!

MrTexasRigs reply :

I've felt them before, hate the new model.. lol

MrTexasRigs reply :

On 6/8/2013 at 1:57 AM, BrettD said:

They are a little underpowered I just get a H where I would normally get a MH. I forgot about lamiglass being made in the USA for someone reason I always overlook them I think becuase you just dont here of them much.

.

What is your take on the power rating? Do you think they are too soft as well? I haven't really taken the time to really "look" at them. I'm talking about the BuCoo

Hogsticker reply :

Powell Max series has a rod for just about anything and everything you wanna do and more. The 13's are very nice as well, but we are all patiently waiting the crank bait rods. A lot of rods fill somewhat tip heavy until you get a reel mounted on it.

BrettD reply :

On 6/8/2013 at 2:19 AM, fishaholic13 said:
What is your take on the power rating? Do you think they are too soft as well? I haven't really taken the time to really "look" at them. I'm talking about the BuCoo

Falcons are usually a little softer then their rating. Walmart carries bucoos if you want to check one out. I wouldnt buy on from walmart though their rods take a beating from everyone looking at them and the way they store the rods.

MrTexasRigs reply :

On 6/8/2013 at 2:32 AM, BrettD said:
Falcons are usually a little softer then their rating. Walmart carries bucoos if you want to check one out. I wouldnt buy on from walmart though their rods take a beating from everyone looking at them and the way they store the rods.

Sensitivity wise, how would you say they seem to be.

BrettD reply :

The only rods that I have that are more senisitive are my dobyns champs and cara t-7. They are right on par with my powell endurance rods. Most rods in that price range will be very close in sensitivity so close that one person will find rod A more sensitive and the other person will think that rod B is more sensitive.

MrTexasRigs reply :

Pretty much every rod I've been looking at seems to be pretty good. I just need to start narrowing it down. Though I'm probably not going to go for the Veritas anymore

MrTexasRigs reply :

On 6/7/2013 at 10:07 PM, TNBassin said:
I've gotta say, no preach how great the *** *** is. I just bought 2 Crucials, and IMO the *** blows them away. The way your reel will balance on the rod will make even a heavier reel feel much lighter. The guides are top quality, it's crazy sensitive, and the reel seat/trigger just feels great in your hand. Look around at reviews and you won't find one bad review. If you have a Gandermountain around where you live, go there and check them out. That's what I did, and that very day I had one ordered from TW. The *** owns the $100 Price point.

Are they lightweight?

TNBassin' reply :

Yes! They feel even lighter when you slap a reel on them because they balance out so well. I have a 7'1 mh that I had paired up with a new stx and you talk about light? Now I have chronarchs that are 7.6oz and even those balance out great on the ***.

MrTexasRigs reply :

On 6/8/2013 at 4:22 AM, TNBassin said:
Yes! They feel even lighter when you slap a reel on them because they balance out so well. I have a 7'1 mh that I had paired up with a new stx and you talk about light? Now I have chronarchs that are 7.6oz and even those balance out great on the ***.

Also would you say the *** in 7'1" med heavy, fast, casting rod be good for plastics and jigs, possibly even spinnerbaits?

TNBassin' reply :

I think it's a good all around rod for everything but crank baits. Read reviews, google the *** and see what others say. I did a ton of research before I bought one, and also went to gandermountain to get some hands on time before I bought one. I never one person that had anything other than high praise for these rods. I have A buddy that liked mine so well, he bought 10 lol. He had St Croix rods and now only has 13s.

MrTexasRigs reply :

Alright thanks! I'll have to see if my Gander Mtn. has one. I get hands on there and buy it online haha. I've done that with reels

hooah212002 reply :

I have been leaning towards an *** or a Powell as my next big rod buy. I went to Gander and held an ***.

Yep, *** it is. They are awesome looking rods. The pictures don't do justice just how bad apple they look.

TNBassin' reply :

Americanlegacyfishing gives u a $25 off code if u just sign up for their newsletter. Thats an *** for $75 and it's shipped free. Cant beat that with a stick.

sarcazmo reply :

On 6/8/2013 at 4:27 AM, fishaholic13 said:
Also would you say the *** in 7'1" med heavy, fast, casting rod be good for plastics and jigs, possibly even spinnerbaits?

Thats the first *** I started out with. I have indeed thrown everything on it. Was my texas rig rod. Recently replaced it with a dobyns dx744. Its not my spinnerbait rod. One of my fav rods for sure.

johnD. reply :

I have 3 omens ,they are sweet..7'1 MH ,7'3 H and the 7'11 H. The MH will be perfect for your T.rigs or Senkos.

MrTexasRigs reply :

Yea I'm pretty much sold on the ***, thanks everyone!

BassOnKlinger reply :

On 6/8/2013 at 4:41 AM, TNBassin said:

I think it's a good all around rod for everything but crank baits. Read reviews, google the *** and see what others say. I did a ton of research before I bought one, and also went to gandermountain to get some hands on time before I bought one. I never one person that had anything other than high praise for these rods. I have A buddy that liked mine so well, he bought 10 lol. He had St Croix rods and now only has 13s.

I went to Gander Mt last night in Indy and they told me they don't carry ***. I was a little disappointed. I was looking forward to checking out these rods. Aside from this being a good all around rod, what rod do you recommend for fishing deep cranks? I'm bidding on a KVD composite 7' MH/M crank rod on ebay at the moment. It's only $50 for a new one (I think because it's last year's model or something). Someone on another thread said this rod is very heavy. Is that a good thing or bad thing? If it's bad, should I cancel the bid and go with the 7' M/M cranking rod or go after a completely different brand of crank rod? Thanks for the help.

TNBassin' reply :

I use a Crucial 7'mh moderate-fast action rod for all of my cranking. I don't have any experience with the kvd rod on the water but I've handled one at bps. Rod was a tad heavy but nothing to write home about. For $50 U can't beat that deal.

3111

Which Rod Should I Buy? 2024

related Fishing Rods Reels Line Knots topic

previous topic

next topic

most viewed Fishing Rods Reels Line Knots topic