Advantage to high dollar rods?

[slipperybob]

Well, you will have to inspect the JM's and Bro's rods just the same as the St.Croix's.  Same problem...

[Ekruger01]

TB now has quivers on there site, and skip theres a batch of three YADs on the big big bay store for a good price if you wanna check em out!
EK

[Skipper]

I wont buy a rod off the internet, there is just no telling what you end up with. Rods are like shoes, it is best to try them on before getting the credit card out. I dont buy rods just for the sake of having them either, I use what I have and get rid of the rest. Growing up with packrat parents will do that to ya.

I have never heard anyone gripe about the quality of JM rods, but I suppose that they are imported too.

What is a bro rod? Does Brian Brosdahl have a line or are you talking thorne?

[hardwterhunter79]

ya bro has his own rods out by frabil.

[slipperybob]

The JM rods came out in competition with the Genz rods.  Frabill's answer to that was with "Bro" rods, came out last year?  JM rods have excellent action when fish is on but there are lots of other rods out there that are lighter in weight and have better light bite feedback.  Either I fail to see the hype or the hype was too high for my expectations.  My Thorne Bros. rods were bought and tested full of skepticism.  I don't allow my prelimary opinion to take influence over my assessment over a season of use.  When all is said and done, it goes to strictly opinions and all the "I wish it would do this better or that better" or "I wish it wasn't doing this or that" against known facts.  Even my Thorne Bros. rods were not immune to it.  Wishing for certain things and having those things in reality are two completely different things.

The routine I go through buying any rod is I picked the one rod that has the most straight blank, the most straight line guides, and the one with the best epoxy job, and the one with the rod bend curve that I think would prevent tip breakage.  You can pick up two identical rods at random and check their line guides and bend curve.  If they differ a lot, then there's going to be a lot more rod to rod comparison.  I don't just buy into regurgitated information - that's just like marketing dialogue that people pass on without actually experiencing and fully understanding it.  (Simple facts for example: flourocarbon does not have the same light refraction index as water and it has a shine when viewed at an angle, don't tell me it's invisible.  Both Superlines and flourocarbon actually stretch but do not have the elasticity of mono, don't tell me there's zero stretch.)  Personally I like to check the rod's spline as it can affect the performance while having a fish on.  I also like ceramic line guides as opposed to straight stainless steel guides.  Y frame line guides opposed to double footed line guide frames.  

I'm not the kind of person to ask, "If you can have only one rod what would that be?"  my answer is I can't.  So don't ask me about which reel or which lure either.

[dkfry]

Frabill's "Bro" series of rods are actually fairly decent for a foreign made mass production rod. I like my quick tip a lot. http://www.marinegeneralcatalog.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=5198

My 24" Yad UL rod is one of my favorites and only cost $20 and I prefer it over my expensive TB sweetheart by a long shot. I even use my HT Ice Blues rods with wooden handles a lot more than my TB rod. I have some old style Berkley Genz rods I really like also. Overall to me an expensive rod isn't necessarily the best or favorite.

[jimmygunns]

What is a bro rod? Does Brian Brosdahl have a line or are you talking thorne?

I fished with Bro when he had the prototype rods the year before Frabil made them.  It's the same pattern that TB used for the rods made for Brian (that's what he still will use when it isn't a photoshoot or show being taped).  That was his trademark pattern.  When things went sour at Clam Corp & he went with Frabil, I believe that was one of the things they wanted to make together, a cheaper quality rod.  The China rods they make now are nice for the money, but the originals were better quality by far.  Still a good rod for $20.  I have one as an extra for a newbie tag-a-long rod.  My TB's & Legends are for me only!  That way I don't yell at anyone but myself when the inevitable snap or damage occurs!

[John_BZ]

you finally broke down and got the legends eh jimmy. wait till you see the hotrod i made

[jimmygunns]

you finally broke down and got the legends eh jimmy. wait till you see the hotrod i made

I told you I picked up 2 of them last year!  I may pick up a third for MN later this year.  You go ahead & keep your hotrod to yourself!  You should be hitting the books, pulling on chainfalls, stuff like that.  You know, some 1st year apprentice stuff like that.  You quit BPS?  Or you staying on as long as possible to keep the St Croix (La Croix in Ebonics) Pro deals?

[John_BZ]

i still work there on sundays. i dont want to give up the pro deals son !  beleive me im learning as much as i can. im going to a copeland teardown course in waukegan on the 18th. that and a generac generator course and a carrier controls course within the next 6 months here. other than that i started the power auger and am charging the vexilar. i just have to respool the jigging rods and im ready for gametime if it ever happens ! on a side note a hair drier is great for getting the st. croix legend guides straight again

[jeffro9023]

saw someone reply about having an HT ice blues rod...i loved the 3 i bought but every damn one of em the tips broke on em...i bought a few ultra light gander mtn tournament pro something or others and havnt had a problem the reels are halfway decent im a happy customer

[slipperybob]

I have a high dollar rod and paired it with an even higher dollar baitcast reel and then put it work on those finicky fish that just seems to only breathe on the lures...well in the end...I give them no quarters...but oil bath.   

[Duckslayer]

All I know is I have a ton of cheapos that do nothing now but collect dust. I wish I could sell all of them and use the money to invest in one TB rod.
Then I'd have 6 TB rods! The more, the merrier 

[eroknroll]

After breaking numerous cheapos and a fairly nice ht last year I finally just got some ugly sticks.  legit real seats instead of cheap plastic rings, cork grips, and above all durable...  I think I am just prone to breaking poles, my summer fishing here in montana goes the same way.  If I take out an expensive pole, I break it.  So i have settled w an ugly stick for summer as well simply for the durrability. I can charge through thick bushes etc when i have to wo worry. Also ugly stick is a great name for a rod.  I love pulling out big trout on the streams and rivers w a night crawler, it really peeves all the yuppie fly fisherman that moved here from southern california and don't know what they are doing

[1moslab]

i have 1 of the gent sticks and love it ,reel sucks.also have a tb walleye ,you would think for 65 bucks they would label the rod with action ,line weight and stuff when i asked them why they didn't they told me the ice poles were to small to label.is it just me or does that sound stupid just typing it?just got bro quick-tip top 2 eyelets are just round steel will post how it fishes,reel really sucks!!!!!tb has there quick tips in listed for 75 bucks wonder if they are big enough to write on  ......

[slipperybob]

Custom rods normally don't get some kind of line weight, power, or action listed...it's why it's called custom.  You pretty much have to know which rod is which, once you're the owner of it.  I write on mine with a sharpie, eventhough not entirely sure if I really needed to.  It kind of goes along with the reels that get a little sticky label with the line test# and abbreviation for which line I have on.

[kchamp]

I love the 20.00 st.Croix