Hey thanks for the tip on Jarvis walkers. I forgot about them.
But I have one of their combos and love it.Have used it for 3 years now. I have set ups that cost almost three times as much but the Walker has been a good rod and decent Reel.
And yep Doors and tailgates will win all contest against any rod!

guys, i don't work for Team Catfish. I do deal the gear because it is quality stuff. i ain't talking it up for that reason either. Just put out input about a good rod for serious catfishermen. I have used Ugly Stiks for years and I never said there was anything wrong with them, just had a lifespan of about 4 years with heavy use. That has been my experience... if the Team Catfish rod outlasts that by double and is a better quality rod to boot, then it is not necessarily more expensive. I don't think there is a doubt that they are a good bit better that Ugly Stiks. You are talking value of rod per cost and to each his own. please don't toss me under a bus for putting out my opinion. these rods really do handle fish better....... you can catch a big cat on a barbie rod, but that doesn't make it a good rod. someone brought up the fact that they don't like foam handles, but that leaves you with cork which will wear away over time if not protected. just plain personal preferences are great. go with what you trust is the best alternative.

I dont think anyone is throwing u under the bus, just giving our opionion about rods is all..Of course if you sell their products that is a bit of a conflict of intrest, of course you are gonna give them a high endorsement.. I believe most everyone said that the team catfish rods seem to be real solid rods, just a little pricey is all.. Not sure how you came up with the 4 year lifespan of an uglystik cause I have many of them that are over 10 yrs. old and I fish 3 to 5 days a week .. I have broken them in the past due to operator error not quality issue.. Damn tailgates! lol As for my Jarvis walkers have only had them for about 3 years but so far they seem to be every bit as good as the uglystiks.. I guess time will tell whether or not the Team catfish rods will stand the test of time as well, since they have only been out for about a year or so.. I will probably get a couple of them to compare and will see for myself..

If they have a lifespan of 4 years,send them back under the 7 year warranty. The spec of the team catfish rods is not very impressive imo. It is an e-glass blank. Same style reel seat as ugly stik. Good guides. To me they look like a catfish safari rod with different handle and colors. BTW, catfish safari rods are only $80.

Those $12 TC rods are fantastic. I never would have believed a rod that cheap could be so tough, but they are. And the yellow color is great for visibility.

They are all I use now for catfishing.

Hey Mike, I was at Academy in Lewisville today, they still don't have the yellow Tournement-Choice rods, they have a 7'0 green rod for $5.95, and a 7'6" black one for $9.95, I bought some a couple of weeks ago, I just like a stiffer tip, they did have some Shamano 7'0 rods for $12.95 I bought one today and they are a lot stiffer than the Tournement-Choice rods that they have now! I know, I know, if I would have put my money together I could have bought an Ugly Stick, but now I have 4 rods that I have paid $34.80 instead of one, I didn't say I wouldn't use them!!!

if you can help me find the receipts then i would i am not sure the warranty covers the guides. that is what breaks over time (FOR ME). I normally lose the inserts out of the tips first. Never broken one except for hanging it on a tree while the boat was moving. I am pretty hard on my gear and don't give it too much babying, so I can see someone else making things last longer.

Catfish rods are not like bass rods in that most folks don't need super lightweight blanks and can afford to have heavier gea. No real need to pay top dollar for a 3 ounce rod that will sit in a holder. What most rods don't have is long handle. I love th longer handles and the catfish series US was the only one that suited me before the Team Catfish gear. I wanted TC gear because it had everything I thought was needed in a rod. I am putting them through their paces as much as my wife will let me and can keep you posted on how it turns out. So far I am impressed with what i see. i have used several of the cheaper rods out there and there are plenty that will do the trick. there however, is a big difference if you are fighting big fish a lot. those days when you catch 10-15 fish over 20 pounds will wear your gear down. getting that rod wrapped around the boat a few times can be hard on them.

That's going to suck if Academy is no longer selling the Yellow 7' TC rods. I have a spare rod or two, but I can be pretty careless so I like to know I can always replace what I'm using wiht the exact same thing as I broke.

I am amazed everyone has such good luck with those Academy Rods. I bought 6 or 8 of them about 4 years ago. We landed 31 fish over 30 lbs with them the first day. Several of them broke and the ones that did not break had stress cracks all in them.

One positive I did have is I loaded them all up and took them back and Academy gave me my money back for every last one of them.

www.txcatfishguide.com
www.lewisvillefishingguide.com
www.catfishbaitsoap.com
www.whiskerkitty.com

What kind of fishing were you doing with them (31 fish over 30 lbs in one day?) I think they work fine for catfishing and I haven't had any issues with them so far (and if I do you can't really beat the $11 replacement)
The color shows up against the water better and the guides are a little tougher/bigger and harder the crush if someone accidentally steps on one.

hmmmm...interesting discussion guys.

Funny thing for me is that after thinking about it, the two biggest cats I caught this past year were both caught with a Calcutta bamboo pole that I cut myself from a grove I found growing up at Blue Ridge.

Total cost: I dunno...whats the cost of 20 - 30 feet of 100lb test spider wire and a couple wraps of electrical tape?

It doesn't cast worth a flip though.
but hey, it comes with the added benefit of the envious stares you get from people as you drive to the lake with it tied to the outside of your car. Really classy look.

If your not in much of a hurry to get the rods hold off until Academy has their big rod sales... They have some AWESOME deals during that sale.

I use the Shakespear Tide Water Rods, have several of them that are pusing 7+ years old, not one problem, not one breakage and use them for bull reds, sharks catfish, and even tuna.

They have taken beatings on top of my SUV, bent inside the car, banged around on the deck and in the rod holders, dropped overboard and recovered and much more. No indication of a failure even coming.

Fishing for trophy blues. They all cracked or broke within the first trip which was a 5 hour day.

Others may have success with them but I was not impressed and again they did take them back BUT I would rather have the right gear the first time and not have to fool with it.

Plus I am partial to 8'6" rods.

www.txcatfishguide.com
www.lewisvillefishingguide.com
www.catfishbaitsoap.com
www.whiskerkitty.com

There are also shakespeare sturdy stiks. Have one over 10 yrs old still kicking.