Looking for a new rod

[PainInTheBass]

What is your budget? For around $100, you can get a very decent medium action spinning rod.

[Eazy]

St. Croix rods are sometimes too expensive for the average angler, bought an 8'6" Salmon/Steelhead rod, worked great for

a year, then went to the river, went to toss the Mepps Aglia Long, and the rod snapped in half! $150 down the River!

I've had a Shimano Bob Izumi Signature Series Medium/Hvy rod for 5 years now, most versatile rod I've ever owned

[jim]

Both Browning and Fenwick are my top choices, with a 1500 Sedona. Great wally kit , very well balanced , and very sensitive . IMO

[Eazy]

Cabelas has some sweet deals on right now!

[Big Daddy]

Berkley Lightning Rod!!!! Like $50 or $60 for a good IM7 graphite rod. I have three and LOVE them. Hard to find in 7 foot length light-medium though, which is my preference. They have lots of 6.5 footers though. I also picked up a nice 7 foot light-medium walleye rod from BPS last year and have been quite impressed with it. Again, like $60, very sensitive and seems to be well built...

The St. Croix rods are AMAZING, but super pricey, and I'm not sure you can feel THAT much of a difference with them.

BD

[Roe+]

Berkley Lightning Rod!!!! Like $50 or $60 for a good IM7 graphite rod. I have three and LOVE them. Hard to find in 7 foot length light-medium though, which is my preference. They have lots of 6.5 footers though. I also picked up a nice 7 foot light-medium walleye rod from BPS last year and have been quite impressed with it. Again, like $60, very sensitive and seems to be well built...

The St. Croix rods are AMAZING, but super pricey, and I'm not sure you can feel THAT much of a difference with them.

BD

Big Daddy,

I have 3 Loomis rods and yes you can feel the difference. My wife has a Fenwick HMG with a 2000 Sedona and it's a very nice set up, but doesn't have the feel of my SR843 with a Stradic 2000. The sensitivity is something incredible. I bought that rod after I broke my second Lightning Rod. The first one broke setting the hook on a perch at Rice Lake.

Eazy,

Did you try taking the St. Croix that broke back? I think they have a lifetime warranty the same as my Loomis rods.

Bottom line is you get what you pay for. I have cheaper rods as well, but they don't have the balance or feel of the more expensive rods like St. Croix, Loomis or Fenwick.

Roe+

[eyeman]

I'd recommend a Lightning Rod, can't go wrong for the price. The med-lite is the better of the 2, more sensitive, I use it for jigs/spinners/dropshotting, and the med, I use for jerkbaits.

[DropTine]

Berkley Lightning Rod!!!! Like $50 or $60 for a good IM7 graphite rod. I have three and LOVE them. Hard to find in 7 foot length light-medium though, which is my preference. They have lots of 6.5 footers though. I also picked up a nice 7 foot light-medium walleye rod from BPS last year and have been quite impressed with it. Again, like $60, very sensitive and seems to be well built...

The St. Croix rods are AMAZING, but super pricey, and I'm not sure you can feel THAT much of a difference with them.

BD

You can use my St.Croix Premier 7' Med-Lite walleye rod when were up north, then you'll know

Matt

[Sauce]

Shimano Compre - cheapest rod out there that comes with lifetime warranty.

- Good quality guides play a more important role than the rod in the sensitivity department. Especially the tip guide.

Judging by the species, I would suggest a 6 1/2' - 7' Medium Power, fast action rod. If you lean more towards the Bass and Pike - go for the Medium Heavy Power.

[Sauce]

Those Ugly Sticks won't break, but I find they lack backbone through the lower end of the blank.