The best of the best rods, your input

[wallywallace]

outside of custom, what do you think is the best of the best, high end rods. i was at gander and bp today, looking, well mainly wishing. i wanted to actually see and feel a G-loomis rod, looked for about 25 minutes till i asked somone, i did not know they keep them behind the desk, were all the reels are there to handle. outside of being watched like a hawl, and feeling i didn't know what i was doing when i handed it back, they seemed the nicest i have felt, not used. I also talked to an over eager BP employee, that seemed he actually like fishing, He said to me, his opnion was G-loomis-st. croix- crucial-verdict then some dawia, forgot brand- then last ducketts, as the top seller on there high end side,

sorry for long winder bla, but whats you opnion, the best of the best

[bluebasser86]

I'm a big fan of St.Croix and love the Legend Tournament series. I only own a couple because of the price tags though. I fished with G-Loomis rods and they are nice but I just can't justify spending more on a rod by itself than I spend on most of my combos.

[wallywallace]

yea, the one i looked was like 300.00 somthing, did see a guy last time i went with 2 mojos, 3 carrot stix and like 6 revos, not sure which models, was back in august.

[kennethdaysale]

I've never seen one but the high end Megabass rods spec out nice and got good reviews on TT.

[wallywallace]

never heard of them. i will look em up, though at end of day, i am thinking 150.00 is top id pay for pole, unless i start making kvd money on bassin

[kennethdaysale]

Originally Posted by wallywallace

never heard of them. i will look em up, though at end of day, i am thinking 150.00 is top id pay for pole, unless i start making kvd money on bassin

C'mon now wally don't be sandbaggin anyone willing to pay 150 for good would surely pay 300+ for the BEST Plus once you get over $29.99 they prefer to be called RODS

[wallywallace]

haha, i go back and forth on the rode-pole, hear the term both ways from dif people, so duh.. lol like if you pay of 10 for a vase, it becomes a vause. or something of that spelling. the way my job is, if i paid 300 for a ROD i'd be scared to use, like the first carrot i bought, i was scared it would break, then finding this forum and reading about how the old ones did, lol got me paranoid

[bassboogieman]

There are several very good premium rods available, and I do have a locker full of premium rods - actually the best I thought money could buy in the $300 range at the time I bought them. They are no longer in production, so I cannot recommend them at this time.

As for Loomis, I'm not a fan but they once were pretty much the best of the best of production rods (IMX & GLX models) but now I think they've been left in the dust by other manufacturers - that's strictly my personal opinion, others still love the Loomis sticks.

If I were buying rods now two would come to mind - St. Croix, which I strongly considered when I bought my rods as I found the Legend Tournament rods very nice. and still do. The other, which I've heard nothing but good things about are the Dobyns (Champion Elite) rods. Both these rods lines are in the $300+ range and may not be in everyone's budget.

I'll only mention the Shimano Crucials as another option as I've heard a lot of good about them also. But as with Loomis I am not a fan of Shimano, either. They have a loyal following, I just don't understand why.

Bottom line - you'll have to make up your own mind. Each angler has their own preferences, what works for one another won't like it for some reason or another. I love the rods I have, but others have nothing good to say about them, that's just how it is.

[Jrob78]

That is a very subjective question. What one person thinks is the best, another won't. I will leave JDM rods out because I don't have enough knowledge about them.

St. Croix LegendXtreme, these rods are built on St. Croix's top end blank. I am a big fan of the way St. Croix designs and lays out the components on their rods. I believe Rich Forhan designed their split grip rods. He is one of the premier rod builders in the world and is responsible for a lot of the advancement in rod design today. The split grip Xtreme with the SC VI/SC V blend of graphite would probably be at the very top of my list if it were offered with titanium sic guides.

The Loomis NRX would also be on the list. Loomis was cutting edge when the GLX came out and they were the first, along with St. Croix, to use the Nano resin in their blanks. I am not a fan of the way these rods are set up with the foregrip and mixed guides but I think the blank is still top notch.

I would also put the Dobyns Champion Elite at the top of the list. They are built with premium components, are balanced beautifully and use a high modulus blank.

I would also put the Kistler Z-Bone on the list. Assuming the top end Z uses the North Fork HM blank, top end micro guides and the ability to set up the rod in whatever way use choose, it should make a great rod. Kistler has gotten a lot of negative publicity and that's fine, I won't hold that against the rods though.

The last rod I would put on my list isn't actually even out yet. It is the Phenix K2 rod. I only put it on the list because the blank should be on par with any of the other rods I've listed. It will also feature the best components available.

All these rods are built with the highest modulus graphite available and use carbon fiber scrim instead of glass. Most, if not all, use the latest and greatest resins to hold the blank together. This allows the rod to be lighter and more sensitive without sacrificing strength. Add the best components and a good design and you have a great fishing rod.

I am a big fan of everything about the St. Croix, except the guides. If it came with titanium framed guides with sic rings, it would be my pick. As it stands now, I would probably hold out for the Phenix.

[kennethdaysale]

@jrob78...could a good rod like the st croix be retrofited with better guides? If so would it be cost effective??

[Jrob78]

Originally Posted by kennethdaysale

@jrob78...could a good rod like the st croix be retrofited with better guides? If so would it be cost effective??

It could definitely be done but it would probably screw up the finish on the blank. That would be purely cosmetic though, you could do it without damaging the blank. I'm sure it would also void the warranty. As far as being cost effective, if you paid someone to do it, it wouldn't be cheap but it's a $400 rod anyway. I'm not saying that Recoil guides are bad, I just personally don't like them, St. Croix and Loomis do put them on their top end rods. The St. Croix Legend Elite rods use the same blank and titanium sic guides but they only come with a full cork grip and a foregrip. If you are paying that much money for a rod, it should be exactly what you want it to be, you shouldn't have to settle.

I realize this has been ruled out of this conversation but I have a LegendXtreme blank I'm going to build up exactly the way I want. All St. Croix blanks, Phenix blanks and the North Fork Composite blank that is used in the Kistler Z-Bone can be purchased and you can have a builder create the exact rod with the exact components and the exact layout you want. That's the main benifit of having a custom rod built, it will be exactly what you want, down to every last detail. I would go the custom route before I would alter a $400 rod.

[kennethdaysale]

If I've got a couple of long heavy Falcon rods that I use for braid applications and everything else I use mono or flouro then prob best to just use the St Croix's off the rack? I guess.

[Jrob78]

Originally Posted by kennethdaysale

If I've got a couple of long heavy Falcon rods that I use for braid applications and everything else I use mono or flouro then prob best to just use the St Croix's off the rack? I guess.

Yeah I would do that before I started trying to swap out guides. Or look at the Legend Tournament rods, they use a slightly lesser blank but are still very nice rods and come in different guide configurations. Or, you might find that you like Recoils and be totally happy with the Xtreme.

[DVT Mike]

Originally Posted by Jrob78

It could definitely be done but it would probably screw up the finish on the blank. That would be purely cosmetic though, you could do it without damaging the blank. I'm sure it would also void the warranty. As far as being cost effective, if you paid someone to do it, it wouldn't be cheap but it's a $400 rod anyway. I'm not saying that Recoil guides are bad, I just personally don't like them, St. Croix and Loomis do put them on their top end rods. The St. Croix Legend Elite rods use the same blank and titanium sic guides but they only come with a full cork grip and a foregrip. If you are paying that much money for a rod, it should be exactly what you want it to be, you shouldn't have to settle.

I realize this has been ruled out of this conversation but I have a LegendXtreme blank I'm going to build up exactly the way I want. All St. Croix blanks, Phenix blanks and the North Fork Composite blank that is used in the Kistler Z-Bone can be purchased and you can have a builder create the exact rod with the exact components and the exact layout you want. That's the main benifit of having a custom rod built, it will be exactly what you want, down to every last detail. I would go the custom route before I would alter a $400 rod.

x2 You get what you pay for up to a point, then experience diminishing returns on the investment. IMO the point of diminishing returns ona factory rod is around $300. Above that, (and often below as well) the same quality components can be used in a custom build, mixed and matched, fitted and designed exactly the way you want it. I don't know why anyone would spend $500 and up for a rod without at least talking with a builder.

[BigBassin144]

I've had/fished with a few G Loomis rods (mostly the IMX series) and the performance is great. However, I feel the newer Loomis rods don't cut it in other areas, especially compared to some of the new competition. Their components are sub-par in my opinion. The Fuji Alconite guides found on the IMX series are good quality guides, the material isn't what I would expect from a $250 rod. The cork is also extremely pitted. The craftsmanship isn't the best either. Looking the rods over, you can find defects in the thread wraps, epoxy, etc.

St. Croix is another good brand and arguably one of the best crafted rods on the market. My main complaint with Croix's is that they are tip heavy unless you're using a shorter rod. All the rods I fish with regularly are 7'-7'8". I don't have any on the water experience with St. Croix to give an opinion on performance, but I'm sure it's not lacking.

Dobyns Rods is my personal favorite. A newer brand that is quickly gaining popularity. I have 4 Dobyns (in the Champion and Champion Extreme series) and would have a hard time buying any other off the shelf rod. The components are up to par with SiC or Zirconia guides on their top of the line rods. Some people don't like the fact that they use Kigan guides, but I haven't had a single problem yet. The cork is the best I've seen next to some quality rod building cork which can cost $4 per inch.

The performance of the Champion series is equal to the Loomis IMX, but the Champion series blows the IMX out of the water with respect to looks, components, quality, and craftsmanship. The Champion Extremes are even better. All the rods are balanced, which I like despite the little added weight. With a lifetime warranty AND a $60 no questions asked return policy, the company stands by their product. You can also call up the company and talk to Gary Dobyns himself, or his son. I've heard nothing but good about their customer service.

There are plenty of good rod manufacturers out there, but Dobyns is where I choose to spend my money. That is, of course, until I can afford some Nelson Custom Rods.

BB

[hardhead]

My understanding is Century rods is getting into bass specific rods in a big way...I'm sure there is a lucrative market.The lastest 'super' blanks Phenix,Loomis,St croix probably won't have a lot on Century...if anything...they build some of the better surf rods/blanks and have for quite a while.

[hardhead]

Originally Posted by DVT Mike

x2 You get what you pay for up to a point, then experience diminishing returns on the investment. IMO the point of diminishing returns ona factory rod is around $300. Above that, (and often below as well) the same quality components can be used in a custom build, mixed and matched, fitted and designed exactly the way you want it. I don't know why anyone would spend $500 and up for a rod without at least talking with a builder.

X3 on the talk to a builder....all the new...latest...greatest...has been in the rodbuilder realm for a while

[WTL]

[wallywallace]

i luv reading yalls stuff, it amazes me, i would like to get a custom rod, made with my fav colors and stuff.

[ranger rider]

Originally Posted by wallywallace

i luv reading yalls stuff, it amazes me, i would like to get a custom rod, made with my fav colors and stuff.

my brother was at a tourney and broke his crankbait rod on the first day. so he bought one of those yellow skeet reese rods to get by. after the tourney he didnt want anyone to know that he had a skeet reese rod so he taped off the eyes and put a coat of white paint on it. it did not affect the action and it has lasted for a couple seasons. it looks like it was manufactured that way.

[wallywallace]

lol why, whatswrong with the skeet reese rod, i have one and they are descent

[WTL]

I would have bought a skeet reese rod earlier this year if not for the color. I also considered a boyd duckett, and nixed that based on the color.

Wish they'd stop trying to stand out and make a good looking rod - not a friggin light saber.

[bcklash]

Originally Posted by wallywallace

i luv reading yalls stuff, it amazes me, i would like to get a custom rod, made with my fav colors and stuff.

Here are some pictures of a rod I had WaffleJaw build my son for X-mas. Denver Broncos theme. The rod is awesome looking, feels great and balanced perfect.

[wallywallace]

Originally Posted by bcklash

Here are some pictures of a rod I had WaffleJaw build my son for X-mas. Denver Broncos theme. The rod is awesome looking, feels great and balanced perfect.

Attachment 7464 Attachment 7465

damn that is nice, also lmfao on the light sabers, they are all lined up together at Bp, and are them most colorful isle there, it is funny, you can see em from the enterance

[ranger rider]

well my brother is a very brand loyal person. he started out and had only all star rods. he broke one and something happened with the warranty so he sold them all. then he got on falcon, also a very good rod. thats when he got the skeet reese rod and he didnt want people to know that he strayed away from falcon to a "band wagon" rod. i personally have no reservations about the rod i have used his a couple of times and it is ok to me but i dont have that much exposure to it.