All Star Rods Made in USA

[cuao007]

New to bass fishing and I have come across a 5 year or so old Platinum All Star bass rod made in Usa. It has been in storage and is in immaculate shape.  Guy wants $100. Says it is rare and fantastic rod.  No longer made in Usa. Now made in China. Any help/info would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks guys.

[lunchbox]

The rods were priced at 99.95 if i remember correctly. They fished exactly as well as you would expect a $100.00 rod to fish. To make sure that you are not getting ripped off check to make sure the rod has "Houston Texas" and "IM10" on the blank. If it does not have these things then you are buying a non american made All-Star rod.

[-Shawn-]

LunchBox is spot on......... If it doesn't say Houston Texas on it....  It is NOT an american made rod.

JMHO ..........  That rod is worth about 35.00 now if it is in PERFECT condition.

There have been so many advances in Rod design that it is obsolete.   Probably a full ounce or so heavier than a modern comparable rod.

[cuao007]

It is stamped Houston,Tx.  It is in immaculate shape.  I'll have to talk him down. Thanks very much for your time and info.

[loomisguy]

The original Houston made all stars are still great rods. I have a zell rowland tws and a bcm6. They are a charcoal colored blank with red wraps. I bought the bcm at least 25 years ago and it's still a nice spinnerbait rod.
     Still, they aren't worth anything close 100 bucks, maybe 25 or so. If it's the newer green colored blank I wouldn't use it for a tomato stake.

[cuao007]

I appreciate the info.

[CraigP83]

If it's the newer green colored blank I wouldn't use it for a tomato stake.

Is that the ASR series? Ive got a 6'8'' Spinner bait rod and I love it. It's a great rod for close quarter spinnerbait fishing....Green blank and all

[loomisguy]

Yep , Thats it. I owned the top water rod .....for about 4 hours.  But if you like yours thats all that matters.

[smokey bear]

Has anyone heard anything about the Nano Series from All Star?

[JT_Bagwell]

I have several of the All Star Platinum series rods still and I am almost certain retail on them back 5-6 years ago was more like $199.99 and the Team All Star series was closer to the $100 price point.

[FlatsNBay]

I saw Zell Rowland at ICAST show in Orlando and asked him about the old All Star rods and why he wasn't sponsored by them anymore. He said that the old All Stars were great rods back in the day but now there are so many advancements that they were surpassed by other companies. I own 7 of the old All Stars and was looking on updating my rod arsenal with newer technology.

[-Shawn-]

I saw Zell Rowland at ICAST show in Orlando and asked him about the old All Star rods and why he wasn't sponsored by them anymore. He said that the old All Stars were great rods back in the day but now there are so many advancements that they were surpassed by other companies. I own 7 of the old All Stars and was looking on updating my rod arsenal with newer technology.

BINGO!!  The Old Rods that Folks still think are Great are so far behind technology it isn't even funny...  They are Behind in Sensetivity, Weight, Action..........  And every other way imaginable.

[loomisguy]

I dont think a fish has any clue how old the rod thats attached to the bait he is chasing is.
  True for bottom contact baits the sensitivity is much better than we had 25 years ago and I take advantadge of that. But
  for moving baits and topwater it makes no difference to me wether the rod is a week old or 25 years old.
        I think having confidence in whatever your fishing makes a huge difference...        It's the Indian not the arrow.

[Canesfan]

"I think having confidence in whatever your fishing makes a huge difference...        It's the Indian not the arrow."

EXCELLENT analogy ! 

[JT_Bagwell]

Right On Loomisguy!!

[-Shawn-]

I dont think a fish has any clue how old the rod thats attached to the bait he is chasing is.
  True for bottom contact baits the sensitivity is much better than we had 25 years ago and I take advantadge of that. But
  for moving baits and topwater it makes no difference to me wether the rod is a week old or 25 years old.
        I think having confidence in whatever your fishing makes a huge difference...        It's the Indian not the arrow.

Your Correct, the Fish has no clue..........  All he knows if the bait presentations look better or if it's harder to throw a bait............  Both of which are true with the newer  more advanced rods.

[loomisguy]

I still would say the person thats holding the rod is more responsible for the presentation than the rod itself... also,  there are some folks who still believe the old school glass crank bait rod helps keep a fish pegged better than the newer stuff..
  I personally use graphite but  to each they're own.

[LeroyB]

I'm not certain, but I was told that at one point in time that Allstar actually used Lomis rod blanks. Don't know if it true or not, but interesting conversation anyway. I bought 2 Allstar rods last week, one made in Houston and the other marked made in USA for $35.00 ea. I also have a made in USA spinning rod w/ Shimanno 4000fb on it. Works good and nothin ain't broke yet. I'll use it untill it does. 😃

[-Shawn-]

Not Gloomis..... Those are made by shimano...

[loomisguy]

I've heard that all star used Loomis blanks also. how true it is I can't say.  But that was 20 years or more before shimano bought  G.Loomis.
   Loomis blanks are made by loomis in woodland. not by shimano

[-Shawn-]

No, Gloomis blanks are NOT made by Gary Loomis... He has had nothing to do with Gloomis since 1998 when he sold the company to SHIMANO..


Not sure where you got your info from, but mine came straight from the mouth of Gary Loomis...North Fork composites does not make GLoomis or TFO rods... They are both built overseas..  He did design the blanks for TFO, but they are not built by him.

Gary is very quick to tell you that.

[loomisguy]

Last time I looked the company is still called G loomis. Even though Gary Loomis is no longer part of it. Shimano is the parent company. That's not new information.
   With all due respect to Mr. Loomis I'm not sure he helped himself by letting his name be associated with rods like TFO and others. 
You might want to check your information as to where Loomis rods are made...100% made in woodland Wa. Who said anything about NFC making blanks for loomis ?
  I'am interested in trying the new edge rods though.

[-Shawn-]

GLoomis is no longer woodland Based.. They list there home as Irvine Cali now...

NFC is the Woodland Based blank builder... All that came out in the last lawsuit Shimano filed in 2010...

Doesn't really matter except Gary the man doesn't want to be associated with the poor designs of shimano/GLoomis..

[loomisguy]

Check the tacke tour article, they have a tour of the Loomis plant in woodland in 2011. Shimano/loomis has they're corporate offices in Irvine Ca. G.Loomis rods are made in Woodland.
   Poor designs ?.....  I think the nrx came out after Gary left G loomis..

[-Shawn-]

They don't have a blank left that Gary designed... If they did they would be so far behind modern rod technology it wouldn't be funny..  98 was a world ago in Rod Technolgy

My whole point was that A Gloomis rod is a Shimano Rod and it is..

Like I said it doesn't make any difference anyway.. 

[loomisguy]

Gary Loomis designed the MBR series....still available...
   They are still the rods that others are judged aginst.
  By the way, I have no connection to Loomis, in fact  until recently, I was on staff for another manufacturer.

[LeroyB]

I seen an All Star rod and a Castaway yesterday that telescoped down. Held the rod and tapped the handle on the floor and the rod slid part way down in the handle. Made it easier to transport I guess.