Your Favorite Fishing Rods 2025

maq88 reply :

went with St. Croix on this one!

deep reply :

Powell and Shimano.

BassThumb reply :

Up until a couple years ago, I was a St. Croix/G. Loomis guy since about age 14-15(1997), when I began to see some income and started buying nice tackle. During that time, I owned about 12-14 rods from the St. Croix/G. Loomis lines and still own a few. But after my first Dobyns, that's all I'm interested in buying/using. They're easily the best value of the three brands that I mentioned.

set_the_hook reply :

dobyns for sure. thats all thats in my boat. savy and champions series.

NJ-BassSnacher reply :

Shimano, best warranty out. For $100 the Abu Garcia Veritas is great.

Hooked_On_Bass reply :

G Loomis

roadwarrior reply :

There is...You need to score a 10 or higher.

Fat-G reply :

Well I think all of the hype about what Mr. Dobyns has created is legit. They really are amazing rods. I also love my Cumara, I think for the money it is the best rod on the market.

Chaz Hickcox reply :

On 6/15/2011 at 9:09 AM, NJ-BassSnacher said:

Shimano, best warranty out. For $100 the Abu Garcia Veritas is great.

Just had my brand new Veritas break in the middle of a cast, and I was no where near the max weight for the rod. They're going to replace it, but I won't be buying another.

skunked_again reply :

I only fish what is popular at the time.

SausageFingers reply :

On 6/15/2011 at 10:44 AM, suicidenemesis said:

Just had my brand new Veritas break in the middle of a cast, and I was no where near the max weight for the rod. They're going to replace it, but I won't be buying another.

I had a similiar experience.

I actually had Abu Garcia replace the broken Veritas with a Vendetta. So far so good.

Grey Wolf reply :

Am not a slave to any company , most of them make pretty good rods above a certain price point.

Canga reply :

i love my st croix's

tomustang reply :

I started out with shimano, but l had one of their rods break bringing in a fish. After asking customer service about their other rods durability the guy told me he didn't know and I should use someone else's rods. That threw me into trying St Croix, been with them since.

NateFollmer reply :

I have three rods that I will buy before anything else, in this order... I don't really have any specific brand that I refuse to buy...

Quantum

Fenwick - spinning rods

Diawa

I like cheap stuff

Fat-G reply :

I think the Fenwick spinning rods are sweet. They are just a quality product! Plus, I can get them for about $30 a piece!

Goose52 reply :

I don't buy rods by brand - I buy what I need to get the job done and look for what rod brand/model will do that AND give the best value. As a result, I have a couple of Loomis GLX rods where I think I need the most sensitivity. At the other end of the spectrum, I have 4 BPS Bionic Blades (all 2-piece) that I use as my travel rods. I've got a bunch of other BPS rods that have been great values at their price points (nearly all were bought on sale). My 9.06 PB LMB was caught on a BPS Extreme rod (you don't need an uber-sensitive rod to know that your chatterbait has been bit by a 9 lb bass!). In-between Loomis and BPS I have some St. Croix, Shimano, and an All Star that all fill a niche and were usually bought at a discount (hard to pass up an Avid for $96 new for instance).

ChiCityBasser reply :

I went with other as most of my rods are Cabelas brand and serve a particular need. I also have a Kistler Mag TA cranking rod and a Field & Stream Tec Spec Tube/Jig rod. So for 11 setups 9 are Cabelas rods the XMLTi,XML,Mag Touch and Prodigy.

lineguide reply :

I picked Powell. I also have some Lamiglas and G Loomis.

skunked_again reply :

to me its odd no one is picking Falcon.

Bluebasser86 reply :

I've got a bunch of St.Croix rods and really like them but I also have some Shimanos and like them a lot also.

Bankbeater reply :

I love my St. Croix rod, but most of my others are Daiwa and BPS.

Bass_Fanatic reply :

I currently own Falcon Caras, Allstars, Powells, Dobyns, St. Croixs, Cabelas, BPS, and Castaways. As you can tell, no brand loyalty here, but if I had to pick a favorite, Dobyns would get the nod with Powell as a close second. St. Croix, to me, are very over-rated rods.

Maico1 reply :

G Loomis......

Flywatersmallie reply :

Dobyns

Midnight Splash2 reply :

Dobyns Baby!!!

Whets Lines reply :

My favorite rod is the one in my hand with a fish on the end of the line. (Yep, that's the best smart-alec comment I could come up with.)

Seriously, if any of you have read my posts, I'm always touting the virtues of St. Croix. I like their product and their company. I'm confident with a St. Croix in my hand. That's the main thing for me.

I have recently branched out and bought a Dobyns Champion Series rod, a Kistler Z-Bone, and an Elk River Custom Rod. I like all of them. However, I firmly believe the warranty and trade-in policy of St. Croix is second-to-none. I think the Dobyns and Kistler are great looking rods built to high standards. I would get more if I needed more and had the right deal come along.

These are always interesting threads to read.

One other thing, I think too many people are putting way too much emphasis on how a rod balances while holding it in the store. While fishing, I don't really ever notice if a rod is tip heavy or handle heavy. I do notice the action and sensitivity though and the power needed to pull fish from the weeds or set the hook from a distance. Rods need to be fished... Just my $.02.

Whets

ChazfromVA reply :

e21 all the way

Siebert Outdoors reply :

Loomis.

kbkindle reply :

Only one rod needed St croix avid series

nuf said

Javelin200 reply :

I'm not dedicated to any rod brand. I have a stable full of mutts. They all do the job they were designed to do (or I've adapted them to do). If I had to pick a favorite, it would be my Falcon Cara 5-167, paired with a Pflueger Supreme. It's a Senko slingin' machine gun.

Mainebassin reply :

Love my St Croix Avids......But the Dobyns is a very close 2nd

SirSnookalot reply :

My kind of fishing does not require a very sensitive rod, although I think the line(braid) makes a world of difference. I need backbone as my fish rip the rod out of your hands and don't want to give it back, Hurricane Redbone.

I use a light bone and med bone for my freshwater fishing, not much around here I can't with those guys.

Dave T. reply :

St. Croix here.

jj'sbassinforfun reply :

Had to go other. My fav's are home built!

RoLo reply :

I have a high regard for St Croix blanks (especially their saltwater line), but St Croix does not offer

a freshwater spinning rod with the backbone I seek. As to "Best bang for the buck",

you'd be hard pressed to beat Quantum or Shimano (my vote went to Quantum, but it's a toss up).

Roger

steezy reply :

Custom using Gary Loomis new NFC HM blank.

PondBoss reply :

love my H2O Xpress Ethos 7'H

WdyCrankbait reply :

Yeah, I had to vote Powell rods. Never owned or used a Dobyns, but Powell's have done well for me.

jignfule reply :

I like my St. Croix rod, I love my g.loomis rods a lot more.

ChiCityBasser reply :

On 6/16/2011 at 11:53 PM, Whets Lines said:

My favorite rod is the one in my hand with a fish on the end of the line. (Yep, that's the best smart-alec comment I could come up with.)

Seriously, if any of you have read my posts, I'm always touting the virtues of St. Croix. I like their product and their company. I'm confident with a St. Croix in my hand. That's the main thing for me.

I have recently branched out and bought a Dobyns Champion Series rod, a Kistler Z-Bone, and an Elk River Custom Rod. I like all of them. However, I firmly believe the warranty and trade-in policy of St. Croix is second-to-none. I think the Dobyns and Kistler are great looking rods built to high standards. I would get more if I needed more and had the right deal come along.

These are always interesting threads to read.

One other thing, I think too many people are putting way too much emphasis on how a rod balances while holding it in the store. While fishing, I don't really ever notice if a rod is tip heavy or handle heavy. I do notice the action and sensitivity though and the power needed to pull fish from the weeds or set the hook from a distance. Rods need to be fished... Just my $.02.

Whets

I've heard others mention the tip heavy or balance aspect also and in the store yeah I noticed those things about a particular rod. Out fishing them with lure, line and reel on the rod I have never thought about how it balanced when fighting a fish.

grimlin reply :

Money is an issue....But I haven't found a better rod for $150+/-than Powell. IMO

I baby my Powell rod.

If money wasn't an issue I'd probably be looking at Megabass rods...

stickum reply :

Hands down Kistler! l have Glommis, E21, Cumura's, Diawa, BPS, Abu's and nothing beats the LTA's...

BASSclary reply :

I think the store branded rods are a great bang for your buck. When directly comparing a SHIMANO Cumara to a BPS Signature Series II, the signature series was on par sensitivity wise, and it balanced a bit better with the lighter reels. (Caronlite, Prolite.)

Today I went out and picked up a Gander rod too. I got the GSX Tournament Titanium rod. Felt great! For a 7'2" H rod it balanced great. Right in front of the reel seat, and that's without a reel.

The only sacrifice I see with the store brand rods is usually the guides. The 250$ will probably come with SiC's, and the 125$ will probably come with Alconites. But for ~$100 difference, I can live with Alconites.

Catt reply :

In 2007 I bought a Shimano Crucial CRC-X610MH from Academy Sports & Outdoors; they have long since quit selling them and I had lost the receipt. Last month I broke the rod (totally my fault); I took it to a local tackle shop who replaced it for free. Shimano Crucial’s have a life time warranty; not all Shimano rods do.

I’ve owned almost all of them so I can tell you the Crucial’s sensitivity will scare you!

Dr. Watson reply :

So far I own more St. croix rods than anything else and I love them, so I gotta go with the Croix. Some day I'll get a Loomis though then I'll have to go insane on which I like better.

Aluma-Bass reply :

Dobyns

Boogey Man reply :

Shimano.

Mr Red Sox reply :

I really like the Shimano Crucial and Cumara rods and love my Cumulus.

2558

Your Favorite Fishing Rods 2025

related Fishing Rods Reels Line Knots topic

previous topic

next topic

most viewed Fishing Rods Reels Line Knots topic