I have 6 berkley lightning rod shock (gold/split grip) with revos on all, 2 rodsmith, 2 veritas, 2 bps im8 (one is 7'6"), 5 berkley mixed rods (all top of the line at the time) bionix and another name.

catch plenty of fish on them and none were over 100.00, holding a baitcast and split grip im8 rod all day is not a big deal after swinging a 28 oz hammer for over 30 yrs.

would like to try a couple of high end rods some time but probably will never be able to afford them.

Well put

Cranking rod - not real important to me.

Worm/jig rod - very important.

Weight plays as big of a part as sensitivity does. Two days of holding my BIG ROD up can get tiresome!

Hey Hop, when you gonna try one of my Trokar jigs? I'm not that far from you there in Guthrie!

yup I've had g Loomis etc but I find most rods 150-200 are overall better rods and are just as good as the pricey ones. Rods under $100 seem to have one good feature and the rest is junk. The only rod under 120 I'll buy is a 13omen.

I fish with mostly H2O rods and they are basically all that I know because I can't justify spending that much on a rod. I have picked up the pricier rod and compared it to the H2O and I can't tell the difference. At the same time, I have never got a single bite in Academy, so I can't really compare the two on a level playing field.

I dont buy expensive rods! I stay in the 50-100.00 range

When it comes to cost of fishing gear I think we tend to associate higher cost with being "The Best" not all high end products offer superior characteristics over the cheaper stuff, its all about what works for you.

How sensitive can a rod get?? The fish bites a bait that is attached to your line and that rides along the guides that are then glued to a rod/blank along with a the cork or foam and reel.

This is just the way I look at stuff I mean its just fishing no need to over complicate it, who knows prolly why i dont catch fish anymore, lol!

I'm sure women buy Coach/Prada purses because of the high quality also....At some point you're just paying for the label. I'm sure there are some small differance but does it justify paying 4X as much? Not in my opinion. I think those highend rods/ fishing equipment catch more fisherman than fish. Just my humble opinion.

Would you rather be known for highest quality or lowest prices...Thats the question i ask

It is whatever makes you feel the most confident with...People buy things because of the way it makes them feel

There is absolutely a difference, and it is worth it. I can build a cheap rod, with cheap components, and tell it throughout the building process. High end rods are so much finer to build.

I decided to buy 2 spendy G-Loomis rods and put Shimano Curado's on them. What an awesome setup. Then decided for backup rods I would buy some $80 Falcons with Curado's. The Falcon's are the same color and honestly unless I read the branding I don't notice the difference. Save some $$$$ - the fish don't care.

I've used many rod brands for flipping grass over the years, this is what I've found:

Broken rods : H2o rods... broke4 rods at the handle , Kistler... broke 5 at the tip 1 at the handle , Shimano...4 at tip, Berkley 2 mid rod, All Star...2 mid rod
Rods intact: GLoomis, Castaway, Duckett, Falcon.
All these rods were heavy actions and designed for flipping.
My point is the 180$ and up are still swinging fish in the boat.

I think of it just like different shafts in golf clubs. Bottom line is you still have to have the skills to catch fish or hit a golf ball, but spending the extra money on a higher quality rod or golf shaft is in an effort to optimize your performance even for the slightest edge over the competition. And it is also preference.