Are expensive rods really worth it?

[robrdavis]

Two questions back to back, but I'm really curious here. 


While pondering whether spending all that extra money on a bait casting combo is worth it, I started wondering what the difference is between the rod that I picked up for $12 at K-Mart a couple weeks ago and a $200 Carrot Stix or a $500 G Loomis.  What is one getting by shelling out that extra $188 or $488? 


Can there really be that much difference? 

[Dan1962]

well it be like going from a Yugo ($12 Rod) to a CORVETTE ($500+ G Loomis)

[copnjax]

Through all of my years of bass fishing, I've used every type of rod you can imagine.  Rods have constantly progressed through the years and in my opinion, YES, it is worth the money to buy a good quality rod. 
The weight of a G.Loomis rod as compared to a K-mart rod is unbelievably lighter.  However, one of the main reasons for a good quality rod is the sensitivity of it and the overall quality and workmanship.  A K-mart rod may snap in two on your first hook set but the chances of that happening on a quality rod are about nil.
I describe my G.Loomis rods to people like this:  "These rods are so sensitive, you can feel a bass LOOKING at your lure"!

[Mike Cork]

A very inexpensive rod will have several issues that may or may not be important to you. Quality of guides, poor guides will heat up under stress, crack easily, and usually there are as few as possible. These all leads to line stress and eventually will fray and break your line. Sensitivity is a huge factor to many people. A less expensive rod will be very dull and not transmit vibrations very well. Then the weight issue.

It's not to say you can't find an inexpensive quality rod. Berkley and Shimano both make rods in the 40-50 dollar range that work well. The more money you spend the more you can expect to feel and the more comfortable the rod will be after a long day of fishing. I personally think 400-500 is getting very crazy. The 200-250 is where I usually spend my money. At this price I get top of the line blanks and eyes and a durable rod that I've not broke yet (and I'm hard on equipment)

[-Shawn-]

Mike hit it on the head!  There is a WORLD of difference in a kmart rod and a 400.00 rod.

Apart from the cost in materials. There is a big difference in labor cost between a mass produced cheap rod blank from china and a blank that is handrolled in the USA. 

[~Dwight~]

All these guys have good advice.  Those $400 rods are extremely light and the sensitivity is awesome.  When you get into that price range you can expect a rod that is built with top quality components.  But don't go and put a reel that is $40 on it.  I believe in a good balance between a good reel and a good rod, it all falls back to what your total budget for a combo is.  I am a Shimano guy so I always use them as an example.  You can get a great reel for as little as $99 in a Citica, if you watch I have seen the Curado's going for $129-149.  I really like the Curado 50.  Shimano just came out with their new lineup for rods recently and all the way from the convergience up they now have foam split grips on most models.  Their warranty is pretty good as long as you stay in the Convergience, Compre, Crucial, Cumara lines.  The Compre is a pretty decent rod and usually around the $100 price range.  You can get a good quality combo in the $200 range.  A better Combo would be in the $300 range would be a Crucial rod and a Curado either in the 200 or 50 size.  I do have other Reels and Rods in my boat, most of the rods were bought to be used with a specific bait.  I do actually have a couple reels in my boat that don't have the Shimano name on them and I got them to try them out and see if they would compare or be better than what I have used for 15 years.  90% of the rods and reels in my boat say Shimano.  There are other rods that I would recommend being Dobyns and Kistler.  I'm sure Mike, Fogy, or -Shawn- can give you more info on those and price ranges that the different models come in.  Hope some of this helps, it really boils down to what your budget is for you combo's, and how many you can get.  I started out fishing Berkley Lightning Rods when they were $19.95 and ABU Garcia 5500 reels from Walmart many years ago.  My first big purchase reel came when I went to a local tackle store with the intention of getting a $100 reel and a $100 rod and ended up buying a Shimano Calcutta and spending the entire $200 on just a reel and getting a cheaper rod, but it opened my eyes to just what I was missing by fighting a lesser reel.  And when I bought my first "good" rod it was the same way, it opens your eyes to what you have been using in the past. 

[coldfront]

Two questions back to back, but I'm really curious here. 


Can there really be that much difference?

I think the answer is yes, there can be...but spending $$ doesn't always guarantee you'll get better results.  unfortunately.

couple years back I added two MH Cumaras to my arsenal...very much lighter...not necessarily that much better sensitivity (that I could see at first)...

so having moved from a $140 rod (IM10) to a $220 rod I was scratching my head about whether or not the value was really 'there' for me...

in this case it took me about two weeks to really get aquainted with the rod...and now, I'd spend the money again in a heartbeat.


Part of what you want to know (as I see it) will a higher $$ rod make a real difference for you?  some of the answer is 'yes'...and some of the answer will be determined by how you prefer to fish and how you prefer your rod to perform.

I wouldn't know if my $220 Cumaras are 'dogs' relative to a $400 rod...and somehow I suspect I will never know...

but relative to a 'sub $100' rod; they really are that much better.

[Jared LeBlue]

But Dwight is a perfect example that no matter how much you spend on a rod it's not gonna make you a better fisherman.

You can't catch them from motorcycle boy.

[Jared LeBlue]

But Dwight is a perfect example that no matter how much you spend on a rod it's not gonna make you a better fisherman.

You can't catch them from that motorcycle boy.

[bigjim5589]

Great advise, very good info! I'm a firm believer in buying good equipment. However, when your just starting out, it's hard to appreciate the expensive equipment if you've never used anything else, or used cheap equipment & never really learned how to use it properly. Good equipment can improve the learning process immensely! Similar questions are always posted on fly fishing sites about fly rods, and they can get very, very expensive!

I have 25 baitcasters, and purchased them over many years time to fit needs at that time. I use them for bass fishing & also saltwater fishing. Some are used for bait fishing, some for jigs, some for crankbaits & some for other techniques. Rods are tools, and no single rod will be perfect for every application. I'm not a person who feels I need to buy the latest, so I don't replace rods often & tend to keep what I buy. I'm sure others are the same way!

I think the best advise anyone can give is buy the best you can afford, and buy for the type of fishing & techniques you'll be doing. For example, I'm not a tournament angler, and I don't get to fish a lot because of my job. (Used to fish a lot more!)

Most of my baitcasting rods are Bass Pro Extreme's in the $100 range. But I do have good reels on them, like ABU Revo's. That's what I can afford, and they work well for me. They may not be the "Best" available, but they are the best I can afford at this time, or could when I purchased them.

If I could afford it, I would probably buy GLoomis rods, but that's out of my financial range right now. (Besides my wife would kill me!) 

If I fished tournaments a lot, or fished for fun 100 days a year or more I would likely buy better equipment.  IMO, it makes little sense for the average angler to go out & buy a $400 or $500 rod, and a $300 or more reel if you're only going to use it a few times a year. Even once a month would not make much sense to me. Of course, this is for most of us who have limited incomes for which we can buy fishing tackle. Goes back to if you can afford it!

If you read through the many posts about rods here on UB, you'll see that there are a lot of good rods & reels being used, that are not always the most expensive. There's also a lot of pro's & con's posted from members that can be used to help determine which rods or reels will best fit your needs & budget!  Again, IMO, buying a rod simply based on it's price is another thing that does not make sense!

[~Dwight~]

You are right Jared, can't catch them from a Motorcycle...at least I have an excuse, you can't catch them from a boat even when you have the Ultimate guide "Zuk" all but tying your bait on for you...

[Stump bumper]

With the higher end Shiminos I have saved more money than going through $12 Walmart rods. With their no questions asked over the counter replacement I have replaced one rod 3 times and every time was my fault for breaking the rod.

It is nice to know if I step on a $100 rod I can replace it for free even before getting the boat home. I have even bought used rods, broke them and traded for new rods. If you can find a $120 rod for sale used for $35 with a lifetime replacement how can you go wrong?

I do a little trolling with a cheap ugly stick because I like the give when draging a crankbait through rocks and brush.

There is diffently a difference in how rods feel, but with that said a $300 light rod good for drop shoting won't pitch a jig as well as a $20 heavy or med heavy rod. So there is lot be said for using the right type of rod for the job at hand then just the brand or cost. Then matching the right line, lure weight with that rod will make or break the value of the rod and can make a $300 rod less sensentive than the $20 rod.

Good luck with figuring all this out, I have spent hundreds and as soon as I get the right rod, reel and line that is just perfect I try a buddie's rod and like it better then it is another $150-$200.

[Jared LeBlue]

You are right Jared, can't catch them from a Motorcycle...at least I have an excuse, you can't catch them from a boat even when you have the Ultimate guide "Zuk" all but tying your bait on for you...

The Ultimate guide Zuk  . Have you and him been sleeping together again?

[ssj3goten]

I agree with many of the posts, lighter, stronger, better craftsmanships and sensitivity on some rods are unreal. I have 3 st croix legend bass rods and I can feel even the slightest tap. One other thing these high end rods have are warranties either for 5 years for mojo rods or limited lifetime for legend rods that covers nearly everything that could go wrong on you part or theirs.

[gillrod2728]

Yes they are. No need in saying why I think so because basically all the same things already said so far. I started with the 20 dollar rods and slowly worked my way up over the years and now im in the $250 dollar rods and probably wont spend more on a rod no real need to . I wont spend less inless that 250 dollar rod is on sale then I will

[duke13372]

For the weekend angler and not the one thinking he's fishing for a living, I think that you can get a reasonable rod and reel combo between $160 and $300.  There is a hugh difference between the department store combo and one of these.  Now does everyone need a $300 dollar plus combo? No!  Does everyone want a $300 plus combo? Yes!  I personally think the margin of return for the dollar gets less in the rods.  As for the reels, I personally don't need a computer chip in my reel to fish.  I don't think I could justify it with the wife or with the bank when they repo all my possessions.  There was a point in time that I could purchase a custom rod and I have indulged in $200 rods in recent history.   However,  I find no reason that a person can't go out and have an effective rod and reel for $160 or less on sale or clearance.  A rod and reel that fish's comfortably and is durable and has additional features.  Right now there are multiple companies offering equipment in that range.  With gas, lodging, and food in the equation of a fishing trip; the "Bass Pro" combo's look pretty reasonable right now.   Now with that said, it's always fun to have that special rod built.  The bad thing is if you don't like that custom rod or that $300 off the shelf rod, you'll take a beating when you sell it.  A custom rod was built for you and it's just not going to be as special to someone else. 

[Bassh8er]

I think that it's all about what you're used to.  I've found great value in my St. Croix Mojo rods and Skeet Reese rods that retail around the $100 mark.  I bought 4 Mojos because they were one of the first split grip in the $100 range, and followed that with the Reese.  Now there are lots of options that are in that $100 range, which, in my opinion, is right where you start seeing the 'nicer' features.  I'm afraid to go over my $100 mark because I feel that I'll never go back...

[Canesfan]

It's definitely worth it, well not the $ 400 rod unless you are a major tourney fisher.  Several years ago I got "takled" into buying a Loomis Rod and when my son stepped on it while we were fishing, the warranty pays off big time.  Plus, obviously the sensitivity and quality are very apparent. Glad I bought it and so far glad (because of UB) I have purchased a Kistler (thanks Shawn).  It just makes a big difference in feel and sensitivity.

[ssj3goten]

I think that it's all about what you're used to.  I've found great value in my St. Croix Mojo rods and Skeet Reese rods that retail around the $100 mark.  I bought 4 Mojos because they were one of the first split grip in the $100 range, and followed that with the Reese.  Now there are lots of options that are in that $100 range, which, in my opinion, is right where you start seeing the 'nicer' features.  I'm afraid to go over my $100 mark because I feel that I'll never go back...

Bassh8er I had 3 mojos and one legend bass, now I have only 2 mojos and 3 legend bass rods. Night and day difference between the two. I did use St Croixs trade-up program to send in a mojo spinning (tubes/grubs) for a legend bass big crankster rod and cost me $170+$10 for shipping.

[bassindago]

if you don't want to spend that much on a good rod you can always build one. i've built some rods using g loomis blanks and the cost is about 100 dollars. cabela's sells a rod building kit that comes with everything for about 70 bucks and i love the blanks they are light and very sensitive.

[coldfront]

cabela's sells a rod building kit that comes with everything for about 70 bucks and i love the blanks they are light and very sensitive.

while not necessarily the 'lightest' out there...they are some good rods for sure.

[Dan1962]

  I'm afraid to go over my $100 mark because I feel that I'll never go back...

That is a very true statement !  I thought i never  spend over $200 for a  reel  thought the $300+ reels where really not that much nicer BUT I am here to tell you I was able to pick up a Shimano Chronarch 100D5 Reel $300 retail at a very good price  and Now i can't use any of the other reels i have I NOW Want to replace all my reels with the Chronarch 100D !

[saint romain]

There's many things to compare it to...snow boarding on rental gear or actually getting some solid gear yourself...Spear fishing with goggles you bought at walmart or some non-fogging, nose vented goggles that cost you around 50-60$ more. Usually (emphasis on usually) the extra money spent on fishing gear is well worth it, and generally you get what you've paid for. Don't buy something because its expensive, understand what it does and WHY it's expensive. Most are so expensive because they highly specialize in a certain technique, and I only have one specialized rig. I fish 3+ times a week, and would rather have 4 rods/reels that I can do anything with, and one for straight jigging. All of my other rods/reels can be used to jig, but none can do it with the accuracy/precision of the one I have rigged up. Most of my reels (most) cost more than any of my rods

[cward1234]

Check out the BPS crankin stick or the tourney special. I love my tourney special and for $50, you can't go wrong.

[justbass]

Yes they are I stick to rods in the $150 to $250 range.