Your Favorite Fishing Rods 2024

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.

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