what do you all think pretty good? Can you get them in DFW locally? I'm looking for something beefy enough to handle fairly big cats while sensitive enough to catch 2-3 pound channels as well. Is that too much to ask for one rod?

Berkley rods from Walmart are pretty good and the Big Cat rod will swing a 5' long alligator gar.

Sounds like your asking for options. Whisker seekers are ok but a little pricey in my opinion.
Might check out medium pro anglers. Decent price and don�t think they would disappoint you.

Ok thanks all, right now I'm running a ugly stik, its great for huge blues and the like, but I feel like i'm missing some smaller fish who can't move the tip if you know what i mean. Could be doing something else wrong I don't know.

I went on a guided trip once and when I got home I tried to copy the equipment used on the trip. I realize now that was likely a mistake, as the huge blues on Tawakoni are a far cry from the channels and occasional small blues where I fish.

I use the mediums all winter on twok for trophy blues and now using the same rods for eater blues and channels on Lewisville

I believe there is a whole lot of fishing knowledge in the above quote. I also use the same rods and have for a long time and feel they are the best all around rod for the money.

I use all Whisker Seeker Rods. Have about 20 of them and they work great. For me they are the perfect combination of soft tip and good backbone that work well with circle hooks. They have handled everything from 1 lb channel cats, to 57 lb flathead for me well.

I�ve used pro angler rods in the past and I have nothing negative to say about them, they are great rods without breaking the bank, I now use Whisker Seeker rods and I have a dozen of them that does everything that you are looking for in your description. Unfortunately I don�t know of anymore places that carry them in the DFW area. They were sold at Olsen�s in Lake Worth but I don�t think they carry them anymore (I don�t know why). Cabelas carried them for awhile but no longer carry them since they merged with Bass Pro. I�ve really enjoyed my Whisker Seekers.

All my cat rods are Ugly Stik's. I really like the Striper edition as it has a softer tip and strong backbone. Work really well casting or drifting.

The Berkley Big Game rod is a little too big for tiny little channel, but rigged with a Shimano Calcutta 400 and strong line, the big fish don't stand a chance (well they do, but less chance)

This fish didn't even pull drag and was swung into the boat.

No, that's not too much to ask and that's exactly what the MH rod was designed for, it can handle the small channels and the big fish as well.

Lots of great suggestions on this thread but if you handle one of the Whisker Seeker Tackle rods you'll see they're a different animal from fiberglass rods. The blank is a mixture of s-glass, graphite and carbon fiber so it's lighter and more sensitive than most other rods on the market yet still maintains the strength and backbone needed to land big fish. That's not a jab at any of the other options presented but it's an apples and oranges comparison.

For local retailers Pond King in Gainesville should have some as should Marine Outlet in Waco. There will be some more new retailers in the DFW area soon as well but I'm not 100% sure on timeline.

If you have other questions please feel to email me.

I own 2 whisker seeker rods and they are great. I have eight pro angler rods. Whisker seeker is awesome with customer service. I broke one of mine and mentioned it on this forum I got a text from Chad asking for my number. I told him I did not want a replacement because I got my rod broke in my automatic garage door opener which was totally my fault. The president of whisker seeker called me and told me he wanted to replace it and in a couple if days my new rod arrived. You can call them expensive but customer service is worth a price. I think whisker seeker rods work great and well worth the price you pay. I will be buying more if I could break my pro angler rods. I think for channel catfish I prefer the whisker seeker over all for sensitivity reasons. Channel cat at fork bite gently and sensitivity is key.

Yeah i'm pretty much sold on whisker seeker i think. Is the consensus still that Abu Garcia C4 Ambassaduer a good reel for the rod? I already own one and am considering another.

OK HumanSeine what kind of ProAnglers do you have casting or spinning-medium heavy or medium action and what grips cork or evo? What will you take for those old wore out worthless rods?:I'll buy em and donate them to my collection of 40+ Pro Anglers. Here again I don't like em all that much and some of mine or at least 10 years old and they get used about 4-6 days a week, That is about like the regular fisherman doing about 30 years of wear and tear.

Jackie, if I ever decide to get rid of a pro angler I will keep you in mind. I have 3 baitcaster and the rest are spinning rods. I have salt striker reels on spinning and 6500s on my baitcasting. I buy the eva handles and have a mix of medium and medium heavy. I prefer the medium on fork because I mainly catch channel catfish on that Stubbys cheese bait. Now the fish bite so quick I rarely fish with more than one rod at a time. I have them all rigged so when I bend my treble or break one I just grab another rod. Just to let you know the best customer service is never needing it. There is a reason I own eight pro angler rods and that is I have never had a single issue with one of b.c them . I do prefer fishing with mbthe whisker seeker rod for channel catfish because they are more sensitive in my opinion. I rig my rods all the same with power pro braid for sensitivity also. I use 65 pound test because you get hung on fork and I rather bend a hook than break a line. Pro anglers cannot be beat for performance for price and I prove that almost every week at lake fork. I fish every week because strokes forced me to retire early and fishing is the thing that I do now. I went from working 60 hours a week to zero and that was a tough transition for me. Now it is rough on lake fork catfish but stubby sells me loads of bait which I mostly buy at marinas but I go visit Stibby to talk shop sometimes.