One thing that I’ve been meaning to make a post about for a while now is the topic of expensive fishing rods (and reels). These days you can find fishing rods that cost $20 and you can find fishing rods that cost $1000. So which one should you get? Is there really that much of a difference between an expensive rod and a less expensive rod? What about reels?
Like most things this is mostly a personal decision and there isn’t going to be one right answer. In my case I wouldn’t suggest paying less than $60 (MSRP) for a fishing rod and that seems to be the bar that I’ve found for as low as I’d personally go. On the other hand once you get into that range you start to get into the lowest price models that brands like Daiwa and Shimano offer and there’s probably a good reason for that. Retailers like Dick’s Sporting Goods also have some rods that you can find around this price if you are patient. For example as I write this Dick’s has the Lew’s Carbon Fiber Casting Rod on sale for $63 and I’ve actually owned one of those and would argue that’s a good value in terms of what you are paying and what you are getting back. For me I’ve found that I usually like to spend around $300 on a rod and you can find some really good ones around that price but you are most likely going to have to wait for it.
Another thing to take to consideration is what you will be using the rod for. For example, if I’m going to be throwing a bottom contact lure like a shakey head I am going to want a very sensitive rod and sensitivity increases with price. On the other hand, if I’m throwing something like a medium diving crankbait, I’m not really going to be as concerned with sensitivity although I will say that the weight of the rod can still be a factor and especially if you are going to be throwing a heavier lure or a lure with a fair amount of resistance on it like a crankbait.
Speaking of crankbaits, I like Dobyn’s for crankbait rods and use them exclusively for rods that will be used with any lure that ships with treble hooks on it. In my case I like the Champion XP and Kaden lines, but even their lower end lines like the Fury and they even have a crankbait rod in their Frenzy lineup, which is another lineup that was made for Dick’s Sporting Goods. I’ve personally used less expensive rods for crankbaits and more expensive rods and don’t feel like sensitivity is that important and so if you are going to be throwing a crankbait all day you might want to consider something in their Kaden or Champion XP line as you do still get what you pay for to some extent. On the other hand, the most expensive crankbait rod on Tackle Warehouse right now seems to be the Shimano Poison Adrena and while I own a couple of these and am very happy with them I don’t feel like I need that much sensitivity when I’m throwing a crankbait and as a result the Adrenas that I own are both spinning rods.
On the other hand, one of my favorite combos that I’ve ever owned is this G. Loomis GLX 854C MBR paired with a Lew’s BB-1 casting reel:
This rod retails for $550 and I also own a couple of Dobyns Xtasy rods with an even higher MSRP, however I waited and was able to get them on sale in the $300 range. The GLX is a very sensitive rod and I throw jigs and texas rigs with it and definitely want more sensitivity when I’m throwing a lure like that. There are also more expensive options out there (like the Loomis NRX or the Shimano Poison Ultima) and they are going to be a bit more sensitive, but I’ve found that this is the sweet spot for me when it comes to sensitivity and you start to get into diminishing returns after that where the increase in sensitivity doesn’t necessarily feel like it matches up with the increase in price…although you are still getting a bit of an increase.
I also really like the Lew’s BB1 casting reel paired up with the GLX. As you can see the colors match up very nicely, and while that isn’t as important for some people I guess I just feel like I want my setup to look good when I’m paying that much for it. I also like to try and make sure my rod and reel combo balance out, and in this case these two balance out perfectly. The BB1 can also be had for under $200 and I’d argue that the same sweet spot exists for casting reels and for me that’s usually found in the $200-$300 range. I also really like the previous gen Lew’s reels and currently own the Lew’s Custom, Tournament Pro and BB-1 and have been thoroughly enjoying all of them. Having said that, there are other options out there and if you are looking for the least expensive option that I personally use I’d suggest checking out my article on the Bass Pro Shops Johnny Morris CarbonLite Tech Baitcast Reel. If you want something a bit more expensive than that I also like the Shimano SLX XT A and Curado lines. I also own the Abu Garcia Zenon X and paired that up with my Dobyns Xtasy since it’s a very lightweight reel with a gear ratio that I like, and would argue it’s a pretty good value (when it’s on sale).
Ultimately most people are probably going to disagree with me or have their own opinions and that’s perfectly fine. In fact I’m sure there are people out there that are going to say that they’ve got a Cashion ELEMENT Z2 and that’s all they need. On the other hand you are also going to find people that own several Daiwa Steez casting reels and will tell you that they can’t live without them. I’ve never owned a reel that expensive and in my case the Abu Zenon is the most expensive one I’ve got. For spinning reels I like Shimano exclusively and will opt for their Ultegra reel or their Vanford depending on what I’m going to be doing. Again there will be people that say it’s better to get a more expensive spinning reel and there will be others that say that even these reels cost too much and you don’t need to pay more than $100. In my case I’ve tried a bunch and that’s just what I’ve landed on because that’s what feels right to me. I also realize this post may or may not have necessarily answered your question if you were wondering how much to spend on a rod and reel, but hopefully it’s at least helped someone out there.
