What Rods do you guys/girls use?

Hey guys, Stijn (the belgian angler here) i wanted to buy 4-6 new rods and i was wondering what you guys are using. There is no price limit so just say what you use and why u like them. I want to use the rods mainly for throwing jigs/ flutter spoons, crankbaits and texas rig and dropshot. It may be spinning rods and baitcasters.
Try to convince me from your choise.
Kind regards,
Stijn Lens

Dobyns Champion XP is my go to brand and model. If money isn't an issue, and I prefer these for dragging techniques, I use the Dobyns Extreme.

Hey Stijn, good to hear from you--saw some of those LMB pics from Spain.

Some brands tend to be on the more parabolic side and some brands tend to be stiffer.
For almost all presentations except finesse bottom bottom contact baits, I prefer brands on the more parabolic side.

I'm frugal, so my recommendations will be cost effective

Spinning rods--finesse bottom contact presentations (drop shot, light jigs, neko rig, etc)
Abu Garcia Vendetta Medium The Abu Garcia Vendetta series is the stiffest blank I've tried. Their Medium rods feel like a M+

Spinning rods for small cranks/small topwaters/small spoons--I like the All Star (AS and Classic series) for their parabolic actions. Medium or Medium Heavy


Bait Casting rods--I like Falcon rods (Jason Christie series and Bucoo) for their light weight and parabolic action. Their Heavy rods feel like a MH+

For a slightly stiffer feel, the Fenwick Silver Hawk series.

Lews custom speed stick lite and custom speed sticks. Great price, good feel, and well made. I'm not a fan of cork grips or full length grips. The lite uses the winn grip and the speed stick uses Eva foam.

Dobyns champions for moving baits and general use. Dobyns champion extremes for bottom contact techniques.

G Loomis GLX or Dobyns Champion Extreme

I don't care what anyone says there is not one rod company that makes the best rod for all techniques.

That being said my rods are currently either,

Custom made
Okuma
Megabass
Power Tackle

I keep a variety of rods on my boat depending on techniques:

BPS Cranking Sticks, TFO GLS, Skeet Reese, Kistler, ARodsmith.

I use 100% dobyns rods. I love the versatility of their rods, they have done a great job on building rods that fit more than one technique. I think the price point is fair and the quality is awesome. Dobyns also have series of rods at almost every price point with a variety in each series to get the job done. I have been completely happy with their product.

Rod selection can definitely be a personal and individual things. Power and action vary by manufacturer. Here's a general idea of what I like and for what application:

G. Loomis GLX for jigs and worms.

G. Loomis Deep Flex for medium diving crankbaits.

Dobyns 806 CB for deep diving crankbaits.

St. Croix Avid and G. Loomis IMX spinning rods for finesse and small plastics.

I also use TFO and Fenwick rods on occasion for multiple applications.

Manley Rods!

St Croix

G-Loomis IMX

Power Tackle

I mostly use Gloomis NRX and St Croix rods

Powell

Daiwa Zillion rods. Their rod actions are built the way I like them.

Dobyns Fury Series rods - great quality and feel at a great price.

Dobyns Champion XP and Champion Extreme - extremely high quality, sensitivity and feel.

Duckett Micro Magic Pro - lightweight for the price (I use mine as a flipping' stick), strong, feels great.

All of them are for cranking, dragging, jigs, weightless, top water, really everything.

Loomis GLX and IMX Pro or the EDGE rods made by Gary Loomis

Megabass- mostly the Orochi XX lineup with a few U.S. Destroyer models mixed in. Got a Levante or two in the mix as well but all are Megabass.

MHX & Rainshadow

I use Dobyns rods for my setups. Because they are LIGHT and SENSITIVE!!!!!!!!!!!1 BEST CRANKING rods in the business I have found. I like the Champion and the Fury rods, but primarily the Champion. Champion extreme in some cases, like drop shot or jigs/T-rigs. Hard to beat teh whole lineup for Dobyns. Hope this helps. Tight lines, keep safe and good luck.

Thad Rains

I have split between Loomis (mostly GLX or GL2) and Kistler (Helium and KLX). I use the GLX and Helix for bottom contact baits and the GL2 and KLX for moving baits.

A few weeks ago I asked if anyone had tried Alpha Anglr Rods but didnt get any responses. I went ahead and bought a used Alpha DSR (Drop Shot Rod) just to give them a try (didnt want to do a $300 test). I have to say, it is the best Drop Shot Rod I have ever held, I am actually going to sale my old drop shot rod (GL2) when I get around to it because I like this one so much. I obviously havent tried their other rods but I will probably use the funds from the sale to buy a different model as well (hopefully I can find another used one). I cant seem to find one negative review about them and at this point I dont have anything negative to say either.

I have the $100 TFOs that I love and Falcon Bucos(sp?) that are good too. I have fished with just about all of them but rods at this $100 or so price point seem to be plenty light, and plenty sensitive for what I do. I don't cry too hard when I break one since they are not too pricey.

Custom built from leviathan rods, best rods I have ever owned and have yet to have a single issue with one. Not so much as loosing a eye insert. Slowly working on having only their rods in my boat.

Mine run the gamut.

Academy H2O Ethos rods for punching, flipping, Carolina rig, and heavy crankbaiting.
Megabass for jigs and light flipping
Diawa Steez rods for frog, t rig, and smaller crankbaits
Diawa Zillion for heavy flipping and another for big swim baits
Diawa Tatula for bladed jigs
Cashion for top waters
Falcon Cara ST for weightless worm and an all purpose Amistad
Diawa Tatula for light spinning (drop shot)
Shimano Expride for shaky head


I'm sure I'm forgetting a few....

Daiwa
Dobyns
Duckett
G Loomis
Shimano
Power Tackle
Powell
Kistler
Megabas
Low Down custom (swim bait rod)
Several customs from Reel Time Rods


I like them all.

For the Texas rig, it's hard to beat the Megabass Orochi Extreme Mission. I have that paired with a Shimano Metanium XG, and I have been nailing them on the Texas rig with it. Probably my favorite setup of the moment.

I use G Loomis NRX and Dobyns Champion CB rods.

Hey Stijn,

I've gone to mostly Kistler Heilum and KLX series with a couple of Classic series and a ZBone.
Very light and sensitive rods made by a great Texas company. I will be glad to let you demo a few for a while to see what you think. I still have a few Power Tackle, Falcon and TFO rods that your welcome to try as well.
I'm going back to Texoma this Saturday, your more than welcome to tag along if you don't already have plans. I'm practicing for the FLW Costa in two weeks and would enjoy your company. Hit me up on messenger or my cell 903-348-4834

For where you live, Shimano and Daiwa are going to be the best options because the local dealers will carry them and both companies have offices nearby. Just thinking about after service when you purchase a high end rod...

The Shimano Expride and Zodias lines are both very nice rods.

Falcon LowRiders & Caras

Mostly StCroix Legend Tournament and StCroix Avid for baitcasting, GLoomis Pro Green for spinning but have several other brands that I also like. Prefer rods that have full cork grips.

I've tried a bunch of them but I always go back to the G. Loomis IMX or GLX series. I have two 7 foot IMX rods that are older than you, Stijn and still catching bass.

Power Tackle

Most all my Rods are G. Loomis and Dobyns.

Dobyns champion Xp, falcon cara and powell

I use a mix of Falcon Caras and Lowriders. I like the sensitivity, weight, and balance of the Caras. The Lowriders are simple excellent performers at their price point. They have been around a long time and are proven. In general, I find Falcon to be great for price vs performance.

Caras for jigs, t-rig, c-rig, weightless, finesse
Lowriders for moving baits: spinnerbaits, crankbaits, chatterbaits, frogs, buzzbaits

My wife has all spinning tackle comprising of BPS Extremes and Bionic Blades. They have proven to be a great value also.

NRX

I would look at Falcon rods but Champion makes a great rod as well. Personally, I like Falcon rods and their customer service should you ever break one or have any issues is top notch.

I'm obviously biased but if you want to send me a PM, we can try to connect some time and I will let you play around with some of my Dobyns. They really are as great as advertised and with the new lines in the lower cost range that don't compromise quality, there's something for everyone.

You can also swing by Lake Fork Resort and see Ernie. He is VERY knowledgeable on the line and has a very nice selection in stock.

I have to agree with what an earlier poster said. I don't believe one rod maker can nail down every type of rod needed for specific techniques. I believe most of us shop by technique rather than brand. Personally, I will not pay over $200 for a rod.It's just a rule I have to keep me in check. There may be subtle differences and I am sure those 400-500 rods are great, but they are not twice as good, which is what you are paying, twice as much!! Brands such as Falcon, BPS, Abu, Lews, Daiwa, Shimano, All Star, Castaway are what you will see in my boat. I usually purchase at BPS or Academy because there is never a question if I need to take one back.

I have used a lot of really good rods through the years, Falcon, All Star, Castaway, Duckett,etc but never knew how great a rod could be until I started getting custom made rods done by Shamrock Rod and Reel Services. Get the rod blanks, grips, guides, color and everything to my specs.
The best rods I have ever had and saves me money also on comparable rods sold retail.

For anything that requires feel I will use Kistler rods. If I am not touching the rods and my boys are using them I hand them Bass Pro stuff, they seem to like it, and I don't cringe when they do what boys do. The BPS rods are durable.

Mostly off the rack BPS rods and Garcia 4600C reels for me and I seem to do pretty well with them. Never owned a $300 rod so can't compare them but I've never had one of mine break or eyes come loose and they cast just fine so I'm happy.

Dobyns Extreme for me. The dobyns is just a very sensitive, very strong well built rod and they have different models for price and different ways of fishing. I had a 743 Extreme Dobyns down red fishing a while back. I caught a 27# red fish that I had been fighting for a while he started towards the boat, and it looked like he was giving up. When the fish got to the boat he headed straight toward the trolling motor and before we could get it up he wrap the line around the shaft so I hit the button and let the fish take a little run while we where getting the trolling motor up and I was thumbing the reel to try and keep the fish on while getting the line off. I hit the spool a little to hard once as the red was just taking off on another long run he wrap the rod around the shaft for just a second a complete wrap till I could get off the spool. we unwrapped the rod and line got the trolling motor up and I landed the fish. I caught about twenty more big reds over the next couple days and no problems with the rod. The guide was so amazed he is buying dobyns for him and his clients said he has been red fish guiding for 17 years and never seen anything like that rod for strength and durability.

For the money, I use Abu Garcia Veritas Rods and never had an issue with them at all.

Dobyns all the way!
they are very durable rods. I use the SA/SS 735 and SS/SA 766 flip 95% of the time. I like throwing big worms and big jigs. these models are so light and sensitive you almost forget you're holding them and you can literally almost feel the fish breathing on them LOL. and customer service is top notch if you ever find yourself having to get one replaced. plus they have a wide price line ranging from 79$ to 359$ that targets different fishing styles and levels.

All Falcons, from the Originals to the Cara's. I probably have 75% of the Cara series

G-Rods International ( not G Loomis )
Megabass
Falcon

St Croix rods, Mojo and legend tournament.
Legend rods for soft/light bites
Mojo for moving baits.

Power Tackle Rods

Kistler

Dobyns champion and Duckett for cranking, t rigs, & other plastics. Megabass for dropshot.

NRX, GLX and CRB series loomis.....

Dobyns or G.Loomis if you have no budget

Sorry for the late reaction Danny ,
Im not so active on tff but i would be glad to test firs some of your rods before i make any decissions.
Kind Regards Stijn

Thank you for the advice i will make some contact with Ernie he is a friend of my.

+1

abu garcia rods

Fished with Shimano rods/reels for 15+ years with no complaints until Shimano changed their warranty from lifetime to one year. Decide to switch to IRods rods and Lews super duty reels last year and have no complaints! Matt Newman (owner of IRods) is an awesome angler and will take care of any issue you have!! His customer service is top notch.

Lamiglass
have for 20 years they just work.

My entire arsenal is built on Batson Rainshadow Revelation and Immortal series blanks. No complaints