well...was your question answered?

now that's funny right there.

"Good deal" is super subjective.

Under $200? Blank sensitivity is about par across the board. Weight and durability can vary a bit there though. I like a Crucial for under $200, also had good experiences with Falcon and St. Croix.

$200-$300? Its a Falcon Cara or a Loomis IMX for me.

$300-$400? I haven't fished anything more sensitive than the new Shimano Exprides here, the Megabass Orochi XX is pretty close.

$400++++ NRX, Poison Adrena or Steez.

It is quite entertaining to see all the different opinions, but I'll give a vague yes that the question has been answered because I know much more now than I did before asking the question. However my choice in getting a new rod has been made even more difficult. It seems as though if money were not a factor, a G Loomis NRX or a Dobyns Champion would be the one to go with. At the moment, I have nothing more than rods that came with combos from Academy.

What I meant by "good deal" is if a person feels that the rod they bought was truly worth every penny they spent on it. For example, it seems as though I need to get my hands on an NRX to experience how it handles and see if I think it's truly worth the $500 that it's priced at. Or if I can find one that may be used at a discounted price, it may be worth just trying out.

Ok. Best rod for a "deal"!

Get a Falcon Bucoo Micro. $129. Very good rod. Out performs most at $200.

Load it with flourocarbon or braid. Use tungsten weights. It will blow away any pre packed combo you have ever owned. Get the Lizard dragger. It is stiff. And light. Around 4-5 ozs. Has a great warranty. Is Made in USA. It also works great with most techniques. It has a sanded blank, Fuji seat and guides. And that OH SO COOL made in USA and the American flag predominately placed between the split grips. It has compressed foam grips for better sensitivity. I have owned several of them. When I upgraded , I had to spend $250 a rod to get a better rod. And, again, it was a Falcon.

Now I will not compair it to a Steez rod or a Megabass rod. Because it isn't. The better rods use titanium guides and silicon carbide inserts. The Bucoo uses the standard Fuji Micros. The differences start to come in deminishing returns for the money with rods beyond what a Bucoo has to offer. The cost difference are mainly in a rods build quality with regards to longevity. The higher end rods use much better resins and guides. Sensitivity doesn't change drastically, again, beyond the Bucoo with a sanded graphite blank and Fuji parts. Expensive rods just get stronger/lighter with ability to last for more trouble free years. And some are tailored a bit more specifically to braided lines. Etc.

I totally understand the step up between $130 to $200+. I'm all about buying great quality and certainly having it last longer. Somewhat like buying a TV. That is a pretty good explanation of what comes with that jump in price.

GLX but those jokers ain't cheap. If you are on a budget get you a TFO

And I am NOT saying a Bucoo wouldn't last a very long time. You'd just have to be careful about using aggressive lines on it. The alconite guides can groove over time with some braid. They can groove with worn out flourocarbon and mono as well. Las a line gets dirty or worn it becomes abrasive. If you used a Bucoo and kept the line in good condition and cleaned the rod often, it should last a lifetime. If you are abusive, and by that I mean USE IT A LOT without cleaning and fresh line, you might need a rod with SiC guides.

Ah. Well I don't fish braid very often and I tend to change out my fluorocarbon quite often. So it should last me a while then.

I really liked my St. Croix 7' baitcasting rod until all the eyes started to rust.

I found a GLX for 1/2 price in excellent condition that's the only reason I have one. $550 for a rod is too steep for me. I got lucky and found one for a great price and I've been very pleased with it.

Everyone has opinions. Many people are so brand loyal that it skews their opinion. I'm not
Particularly brand loyal. I have several different quality rods.

Take it for what it's worth, IMO most of the rods being talked about are good.

Me too. Bought a new GLX drop shot rod yesterday. Regular price was $455. Paid $233 for it, a sock, some jigs, and weights

Gotta love the clearance rack at southwest service.

Now just gotta decide between the Stella or the Steez.