Best Rods?

[Bill Kish2]

Hey Folks!



I am thinking about upgrading my entire collection of Rod's to one of the following brands.



St. Croix

G. Loomis

All Star



I was wondering if any one could give me feedback on the rods and any in field use.



I am wanting to buy one brand of Rod's. Right now I have a mix of Rod brands, however I want to go all with one brand as I think it will help with feel and technique.



I have been thinking about this for over a year and this past weekend I talked myself into it.



I am almost decided on going with the St. Croix brand rods. I have fished them a couple times and have been very impressed with the quality and feel of the rod. However, I recently had the chance to fish with a All Star Rod and it also felt nice. I have been told the All Star Rods are good.



Thanks in advance.



Bill

 

[Jim B]

Well you narrowed it down to three good ones you may also want to add castaway to your list( your welcome Rob) they also make a very nice rod. The best one is kind of a tough question to answer because what one person may like the best another may not. I would try to use them all in real world fishing if you can, maybe borrow a friends for an hour or two during a trip or something like that. That way you can get the one that works for you the best.



My personal choice is St Croix, i like the way they feel in my hand and balance nicely with the shimano reels i use without me having to put any weight on them at all. I also like the sensitivity and they are very well built. The main reason i picked them over other brands when i went to a one rod mentality was the service. I have had two that had defects in the reel seat that they replaced without me even calling them, one day i had two new rods at my door step and a call tag for the old ones to send them back. They found out they had a problem and replaced the rods before it ever became an issue for me. It pays to send in the warranty card i guess. The only other times i have had problems I caused them myself and every time without fail they have repaired or replaced the rod for free. I offer to pay but they never take the money. Because of that they won me over as a customer. They dont sponsor me or anything like that(i wish ), i use them by choice. I have gotten rid of everything else i owned and now i have 14 of them.

 

[JT Kukucka]

I own a bunch of Loomis and St Croix rods as well as a couple of all stars. They are all good rods; however, I use Furnace Bay Rods almost exclusively. They are a smaller company and the rods can be difficult to get and are not cheap, but I think they are a better value than most rods out there. I carry about 15 of them in the boat. I agree that switching to one brand of rod can help with your "feel."

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Jim, don't forget me, I'm sponsored by CastAway also. I don't try to push any products on this board but I will tell you that I do not have a sponsor that I don't believe in 110%. (That Sue lady at GUEST is a little suspect though!!LOL!!!)



CastAway makes a great rod. Their distribution network is weak though, and I get bombarded for dealer locations all the time.



TOXIC

 

[Mark Kurtzner]

My vote would be for Castaway Rods, I've been on there pro-staff for the last three years. I have 16 Castaway's & never had a problem, I can get you a good deal if you call Bill at Anglers Paradise 1-877-702-2500, Just tell him that Mark Kurtzner told you to call, you'll also get a discount off of everything else. If you e-mail me your address I'll send you a Castaway catalog.

 

[Michael Snow]

Beware the pro-staffers . I'm a pro-staffer for St. Croix. You can guess which one I like the best.



Every St. Croix rod is made in the US. They manufacture their own blanks as well. The Legend Elite series ($300 or so) uses a carbon fiber scrim. The Avid and Premier series use a fiberglass scrim (as do most other rod companies). The Avid and Legend Elite have a lifetime warranty, the Premier has a 2-year warranty.



Allstar does make their Classic series in China (I believe). Shakespeare just bought All-Star (I cannot see it as a plus... it may not be a negative, but I don't see any value being added by the aquisition). That's my PERSONAL opinion. The other Allstar series are made in the US, though I don't know where their blanks are made.



St. Croix has a pricing policy where everyone charges at least the published price. Of course, there are instances where a store has a sale where everything is x% off, and in that case, you can buy them for less. This allows a couple of benefits. First, you can spend your money with the mom and pop shops rather than following the lowest price to the large chain stores. Second, the resale market is very strong for these rods. The negative of course is that you can't shop for bargains.



I have no info on the pricing policies of the other companies.

 

[JT Kukucka]

Furnace Bay also uses a carbon fiber scrim and are also made in the USA and feature a lifetime warranty. Most rods today are being manufactured overseas. Prices range from $180-$260. However, if you can track down a pro-staffer, there are deals to be had.



Jim C., the Adams apple trick is an old rod salesman ploy to fool you into believing their rods are bar none the most sensitive rods out there. The truth is that most rods with an exposed blank will allow you to feel the vibration of the Adams apple when pressed against it.

 

[Robert Lo]

I own a 7ft G.Loomis GL3, a 7ft AVID, a 7ft and a 6-1/2ft Rogue. If I closed my eyes I wouldn't be able to tell between the same action and length. Perhaps the Rogues are the best value but not in the same league as the best of G.Loomis and StCroix.

 

[Larry Harp]

Just my opinion but I think the great thing about having so many differant brands to choose from is that you can pick and choose the best of the best. One manufacturer may make a great flipping rod but fall short when it comes to spinning rods. I'm not saying that's the case with any of the brands you listed but why limit yourself? There are many other great rods not on your list such as Fenwick, Falcon, Lamiglas and Kistler. Don't forget custom made rods which I think would be the best deal of all.



Just something to think about.



Harpo
http://www.georgescustomrods.com/

 

[Buzz Bouvier]

I like Jim prefer the St. Croix rods, I'm not sponsored by anyone and pay for my equipment out of my pocket and I've broken 2 of the 22 Elite that I own setting the hook on rocks verus fish and just returned them and recieved 2 rods without and questions, great customer service is an important role when it comes to purchases as far as I'm concerned.



Buzz

 

[Ken Neeley]

Buzz is right......St. Croix has excellent Customer Service.



BUT....before you make a final decision, I'll hook you up with several of my Allstar's when we go out next and then you can eliminate or choose based on actually fishing and feeling them.



They have my approval.

 

[Casey Campbell]

Harpo's mention of Kistler would be worth your taking a second glance. You have got to feel one of their Helium LTA's in your hands... As they say, "Lighter Than Air".

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Personally, I think once you get into the "priemum" price range ($180 and up) the differences will be minor (with a few exceptions). At that point other factors come into play. If I pay $200+ for a rod, I better be able to feel a fish fart within 50 yards of my bait!! The differences become personal prefrence, advertising, warranty, looks, etc., the performance "should" be there. I know guys who think GLoomis is the only rod maker out there. I like GLoomis but with experience, I have found that there are a LOT of rodmakers that can match or exceed their quality.



TOXIC

 

[Larry Harp]

ROLF @ Toxic...It's all about farts with you isn't it?



Mac, could you work something up on fish farts?



;>))



Harpo

 

[gone bye bye]

All Star's blanks are made in Houston, Tx. With the exception of the new Classic Series.



I do not work for All Star anymore, part of the Shakespeare buyout, but I am still on the pro staff.



Mini

 

[Staci Matheis]

Sorry to hear that, Mini.

 

[Larry Harp]

Parting is such sweet sorrow.

 

[Bill Kish2]

Mini -



I think your related to my wife. Do you know Sam?

 

[Bill McElroy]

LOL,...Sam is his brother...ahahahahh

 

[Mr Bass]

I used Shimano, Daiwa, Rick Clunn's from Bass Pro, Quantum Tour Edition, Quantum PT's and have now bought a few G.Looomis Crankbait rods and all the IMX rods, going to test them tomorrow.

 

[Bill Kish2]

Well then thats funny. Mini is related to my Wife!



LOL



Bill

 

[Bill McElroy]

Yikes,...keep your doors locked!!..LOL

 

[Greg Meyer]

I should be careful... My favorite rod is a very old Lightning Rod... Caught more walleyes on it than I can remember... However, if you are looking for a "custom rod" at a reasonable price, one with an unconditional lifetime warranty try a Grandt. And, for sheer beauty look at some of the custom wrapped rods and handmade handles on the web site...
http://www.grandtrods.com

 

[gone bye bye]

My brother is related....lol



Mini