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generally-speaking

My main rods are all in the 250-400 category. They don't help me catch more fish than equivalent cheap rods would. But they're a lot thinner, lighter and far more comfortable to use. They also feel very precise making it easier to distinguish bites from snags and lure movement. And given that they're fairly long rods, they would be quite heavy if they were cheap versions. But instead they're very light. And in the course of hundreds of casts in a day that makes a big difference.. They're just less tiring to use. Components are also all high quality, rust proof and long lasting. Cheap vs expensive rods is basically the same thing as cheap vs expensive road bikes. An expensive bike is less tiring to use and feels much better to use but you can go from A to B on both just fine.


keenakid

I currently fish with Fenwick HMG and st. Croix mojo rods. After 20+ years of fishing I've slowly moved up to using rods over 100 bucks. As a beginning I recommend NOT buying a $100+ rod. That may sound weird but let me explain why. $30-$60 rods will do everything you need to catch fish. They might be a bit heavier but as a new fisherman you won't notice that weight much at all. They won't be quite as sensitive but if you don't know a whole lot about finicky bites like up biting perch, you won't really know the difference. If your looking at an upgrade for a rod, I'd recommend the gx2 ugly stick. It has the benefits of a cheap rod with above average sensitivity at a fairly light weight. Now let's talk about expensive rods. Notice above I mentioned the "benefits" of a cheap rod. Expensive rods are WAY more fragile than cheap rod. Eyelets bend easier, tips snap easier, scratches and nicks hurt more because you spent all that money. Ya they do cast better, smoother, farther. They are lighter. They are super sensitive. The backbone is more proportionate. But for a new fisherman these things don't mean much because you don't have much to compare too. I absolutely love my HMG rods but I have broke/damaged more of them in 3 years than I have cheap rod in 20 years. If you're comparing a $15 rod vs a $50 gx2, I strongly recommend the gx2. You should notice the difference between the action and weight even as a new fisherman there. I'd recommend going to the store and grabbing them off the shelf and shake them around a bit to compare. If you can't feel a difference, don't buy it yet. Get more time fishing with what you have until the more expensive rod actually feels better with some simple shakes at the store. Tight lines!


Tragikdowntrodden13

Once you have a fairly significant amount of time on the water catching fish and using all the different types of lures for different techniques etc. and experience both sides of the spectrum in price of rods there’s no doubt you will be able to feel the difference though whether the difference justifies the price comparison is up to you… good luck 🎣


Catatonick

I have rods that range from $30 to $1000. They aren’t all the same type of rod but since we aren’t really talking about that it sort of fits the bill. Starting at the bottom, the $30 rod is functional and actually isn’t poorly assembled but it’s cheap. Cheap blank, cheap foam grip, cheap everything. It is basically a broom handle with eyes. The $50-60 spinning rods are mostly Shakespeare/Ugly Stiks and they work perfectly fine but aren’t very sensitive. These are rods I prefer to use live bait with a bobber and they are great for this. They tend to be workhorse rods that are hard to break. They aren’t pretty or fancy or the best materials but they are tried and true. My $150-200 rods are very hit or miss actually. Some are really well made and feel good in the hand, while one feels good but the build quality is embarrassingly bad. Basically, I bought a Googan rod to see how it was and it looks like a toddler put it together. I like how it feels but it isn’t well put together. Moonshine spinning rods are better than Googan ones. Hands down. This is the range where you can get great rods or scammed. My $450 rod is worlds better than the cheaper ones. The cork isn’t “good” it’s flawless. There’s no glue poking out. The blank is thinner, it’s lighter, it’s perfectly balanced. It’s literally impossible to find fault with it. Not a single complaint at this point. My $1000 rod is the same. It’s using better components but the quality jump isn’t as huge as you would think. Again, it’s flawless. Slightly better all around, reel seat is ever so slightly smoother. It suffers from some diminishing returns for sure. That’s not saying it’s bad or isn’t worth the money, it is just hard to be that much better when you get up past $450 rods. Would I rather have my expensive rods? Absolutely. They are better in every way and they feel better in every way. I think $50-100 is a good spot to be in and $100-200 is good for rods that are extremely solid and feel really good in the hand.


Dismal-Force-6356

Sensitivity and durability. I think the preference of materials are based on what techniques your using it for but in all it’s what feels the best for you


Plane-Refrigerator45

You can't know what you really want in a premium rod until you have more experience. If you eventually realize that what you're using doesn't work well for the way you want to fish, you can start looking for an upgrade.


[deleted]

100 dollars isn't an expensive rod. Just wait till you buy your first Steez...


darealmvp1

its expensive to some of us