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Posts: 7
| I am in the market for a new musky rod before fishing season begins. This will primarily be for bucktails and for medium to magnum sized swimbaits. Quality of the rod and customer service is the primary consideration. Here are the ones I have looked at so far - please add more if I have overlooked one. |
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Posts: 2894
Location: Yahara River Chain | Best at what?
Value?
Performance?
Lightest?
Most durable?
Best feel?
There is no one "best" rod. Some are good at something,but lack in other areas. Best way it to try them out in your very own hands to see what best for you
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Posts: 242
| I am the lone vote for G Loomis (so far), because they make just great rods that are lightweight and really perform well (this is using the assumption cost is not considered in the term "best"). Though, for the greatest value (i.e., best in performance and comfort vs. what you pay), I would have to say Tackle Industries. I am really impressed with their rods and since having kids, my days of being able to spend $350 on a rod are over, so any future rod I will (and have) purchase are TI's. |
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Posts: 752
| Not sure if Predator needs to be on the list or should be part of St Croix. They are a propriatary St Croix Blank made for Thorne Brothers. Best out there IMHO but they are a St Croix product... |
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Posts: 93
| Yes I know that,but my Predator says Predator on it.I don't know what yours says on it???? Do you think that the other rods listed make their own blanks???Doubt it |
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Posts: 84
Location: Buffalo Grove, IL | Make their own blanks? Not many do. There is also a company on the list that gets their blanks directly from a company that does make their own blanks and it's USA made. |
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Posts: 752
| The high end manufacturers (St Croix /Loomis) manufacture the majority if not all of there own blanks as do many of the High vollume sellers (Shimano / Fenwick). The low end stuff (use your won judgment here I am not starting a war) are mostly outsourced I would imagine. For the record My 6 preds dont say antyhing other than my name....I have Lonnie paint them that way... |
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Posts: 93
| So then you don't have 6 Predators?,you have 6 St. Croix's!  |
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Posts: 752
| Exactly! |
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Posts: 270
Location: brooklyn park mn | Ti rods without a doubt across the board for me. Got rid of my predator and like my st croix avid custom rod but end up picking up the tackle industries rods more often. Lots of good brands out there but hard to beat ti rods imo |
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| Even if I removed the price tags I would pick the TI rods. Put the price tags back on and I would be happy because I could buy 3 TI rods for the price of one premium rod. Going to the Michigan show today to do just that. |
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Posts: 1224
Location: Okoboji | so your saying you would rather have a ti than a predator or a tournament legend if the prices were the same??? |
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Posts: 489
| I agree steve.most comfortable rod to fish with out there |
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Posts: 2089
| There is not a "best" rod, just as there isn't a best reel, bait, boat, net etc.. Several factors have to be considered, including PRICE POINT, construction, components, service and of course technique. I could throw a 4" Softtail Phantom with a 9' rod, but it's not the best tool for the job. There are reasons that one rod costs $100 and the other $300. Tooling, construction and components are the 1st things that come to mind. That being said, I've used some less expensive rods that I thought were great....for the price/technique etc.. Not all rods are constructed equal, period. One example I can use is "kit cars". That car looks just like a Lambo or Ferari etc., but underneath the "shell", it's a Datsun 300. The Beneli SBE and the Remington 870 are both shotguns.....which is better? Why? Just another example. Bottom line....buy the best tool you can afford and one that will help you enjoy the outdoor experience. Rods aren't status symbols, they're tools. My preference....Production-St. Croix, hands down......Custom-Frank's Custom Rods.(typically built on St.Croix blanks). Let the debate continue...hahahaha. |
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Posts: 7039
Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | I'm with the big dumb animal (Jonesi) on this one: too many factors to consider. Alot of these things have to do more with price point, personal preference, and application.
Honestly, if you think a $120 production rod is a better overall rod than a $500 custom made to order....(price point)
I really like the feel and weight of the GLoomis line, but the handles are too short for how I like my rods (personal preference)
I have a 7'6" H Lamiglas that just rocks for gliders and twitch baits, but would be a killer chucking double 10s all day (application).
But if you had to ask me the "overall best musky rod"....its an 8'5" H Franks Custom Rod with a 17" handle, extra guides, made from a Diamondback blank. Made to order and you'll have to wait til I die to get it from me... |
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Posts: 84
Location: Buffalo Grove, IL | And another issue to consider is that you would have to have fished with every single rod to know which one is best. You can't really compare rods when you haven't fished with every single one of them for every type of application. That being said it really is a personal choice. Most people have a pretty good idea of which manufacturers provide quality product. So from that point you must decide whether you like the idea of a custom rod or a production rod, how much you really want to spend and how it feels in your hands. And prestige can come into it as well. Everyone likes to own the "IT" rod, but if you go with quality (no matter who makes it) you won't ever have regrets about your purchase. And don't forget about customer service. Good customer service can go a very long way. |
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Posts: 242
| I have Mike's rod and I do really like it, but there are two reasons why I don't fish it that often. First, I wish the rear handle was a little longer. I do understand wanting a little shorter handle for Figure 8's, but I think a slightly longer handle would make casting Pounders (which is what I use it for when I use it) all day a little more comfortable. Second, I really have a problem with transporting 1 piece 9' rods. Granted, my second issue is not an on-the-water performance problem, but when packing my car, I tend to grab my telescopic 9 footers over Mike's rod just for convenience. Mike's rods do have a very unique action, which allows the rod to load up and handle a wide variety of baits (though, they do not cast 2-Pounder all that well, but no rod really does for that matter). As far as weight goes, they are light weight, but not the lightest weight rods on the market (St. Croix and G Loomis seems to have that title in my experience). Overall, if one doesn't have a problem transporting an 1 piece 9' foot rod and plans on using Mikes rod for a bunch of other baits besides real heavy plastic, then they are really a good buy (especially for $100). |
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Posts: 242
| SteveHulbert - 2/17/2012 12:14 PM
You're right....there is no BEST rod for every possible lure and every possible retrieve.
But if I only had one rod to fish with, I'd put a LJV on Mike's rod. It's just my opinion....but you can throw a small bucktail to a 1+ pound chunk of rubber with the same rod....you pretty much got everything covered. That covers about 99% of fishing you can do.
I would agree with you there (plus those LJV's are as close to perfect as a Muskie Reel can get) |
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Location: Contrarian Island | oh boy here we go again....can 1 rod throw little bucktails to pounders, sure but imho you are much better off to suit your rods/reels to the baits it will throw most of the time...better to have 4-8 combo's specifically for certain types or categories of lures than just 1 imo....Hard to beat St Croix rods/blanks on the higher end, but if you picked just one .... many of my friends own and love Tackle Industry rods and he backs them up, great overall rods at a good price..... |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | i love my original diamondback 8'6" (wish it was 9') made by Keith at Professional Edge ...
wish i could get another one built on a 9'2 blank ...
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| my favorite all-purpose rod is an 8' Shimano Calcutta Inshore with the handle extended. it does just about everything well, it's very lightweight, and carries a lifetime warranty. but they were pricey and they've been discontinued. now i use Black River Rods, the 8'6" XH works awesome. plenty of power but still has a forgiving tip, good components, and they're made by good people. http://blackriverrods.com/ i carry a whole lineup for different applications because certain powers/actions just plain work better for certain uses. but if i had to reach for just 1, it'd be that 8'6" Black River. |
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Posts: 3240
Location: Racine, Wi | What's the margine of error in this pole (yes, pun intended, and no, I'm not that smart by some standards). |
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Posts: 981
| ....yeah give me some money too
haha ANYWAYS... ill give 4 votes....1 for thorne bros predator, 1 for st croix LT, 1 for TI and 1 for Migizi...allllll depends on what you can afford, what specs you like, etc. if you like custom and american made- thorne bros or one of vince's rods. if you like high end production- st croix LT. if you cant afford one of the above or would rather use extra funds for more gear and still want a great product then a TI cant be beat...
steve I know nothing about you (other than the personal information youve openly shared and that people logging in under guest names and decided to bring into a question about rods) or your brother but youre doing him a biiiig disservice with this type of "advertising" |
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| I find any poll like this, regardless of product, to be kind of funny. As if you don’t use multiple products how can you intelligently claim one is the best, or better than another? It’s like bows and bowhunting. Usually what you own is what you think is best until you buy the next brand, and then that becomes best. I loved St. Croix when I first got into the game, but that was all I had. Then I got another brand and loved that. Each brand I got I thought was better than the previous. I currently sit at one of the brands listed above with barely any votes and love them. Can I say they are better than St. Croix or any of the others I have used in the past? No I cannot as I don’t own any of their current rods.
When looking for what is the best out there I think you are better off asking for the pros/cons of a product, and ask for how a person uses their rods. |
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Posts: 2089
| And HOW OFTEN a person uses the rods. How can one say a rod is the "best" without even using it for a season. Because it cost a lot? |
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Posts: 209
| lambeau - 2/17/2012 3:01 PM
my favorite all-purpose rod is an 8' Shimano Calcutta Inshore with the handle extended. it does just about everything well, it's very lightweight, and carries a lifetime warranty.
Completely agreed. Best combination of finesse and power I've ever used. I may literally cry when mine dies on me since they don't make them anymore... And I'm soon to be stuck with an awful decision: Re-tie the guides (they're getting loose) and void the warranty, or give it up for the vastly inferior Teramar (they actually give you 2) which they're using to replace them on warranty.. Hmmm... |
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Posts: 78
| Over the years I've used several different rods. From low end Gander Mtn. rods to high end St. Croix rods. My take is get the rod you can afford & get out there & use it. The longer your in the game,the more you come to love it & appreciate what we have. Don |
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Posts: 147
Location: Chesterton, Indiana | I will stick with my St. Croix Rods. I use them for all kinds of fishing whether it be for Musky or with my river rods for steelhead. Never had a problem with a rod yet. To each his own. If everyone liked the same things there would be no reason to go to fishing shows and play with the new stuff each year. |
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| DBJr - 2/17/2012 7:52 PM
Over the years I've used several different rods. From low end Gander Mtn. rods to high end St. Croix rods. My take is get the rod you can afford & get out there & use it. The longer your in the game,the more you come to love it & appreciate what we have. Don
Well said. I agree 100% |
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| This is a great poll. Pretty eye opening for me...anybody else take note that the #2 is like 1/3 the price of the #1? Looks like I need to take another look...impressive. |
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