Thread: shakespear mirco lite rod

I approach most of my fishing with the viewpoint that the folks specializing in technique specific equipment, are probably not going to steer you wrong. Otherwise, they wouldn't be leaders in that industry. That being said, I've never spent more than $80.00 for any of the rods that I have, including bass tackle. Am I missing out? Probably, but in all good consciousness, I couldn't go fishing with a $300.00 rod and not be scared to death that I might break it! Just how I am.

Folks like the B n' M company & Grizzly Jig have staked their reputations on the line for their products. They've been in business a very long time. I respect that and feel very confident in purchasing their tackle. For my money (<$50.00) you'd be hard pressed to find a better casting rod than the B n' M Sam Heaton's Super Sensitive in the 7' length. About as good as it gets in my opinion.

Originally Posted by Crestliner08

I approach most of my fishing with the viewpoint that the folks specializing in technique specific equipment, are probably not going to steer you wrong. Otherwise, they wouldn't be leaders in that industry. That being said, I've never spent more than $80.00 for any of the rods that I have, including bass tackle. Am I missing out? Probably, but in all good consciousness, I couldn't go fishing with a $300.00 rod and not be scared to death that I might break it! Just how I am.

Folks like the B n' M company & Grizzly Jig have staked their reputations on the line for their products. They've been in business a very long time. I respect that and feel very confident in purchasing their tackle. For my money (<$50.00) you'd be hard pressed to find a better casting rod than the B n' M Sam Heaton's Super Sensitive in the 7' length. About as good as it gets in my opinion.

300 dollar rod? If your using one of those than your either sponsored or just have enough disposable income than it doesn't matter. Any rod, even if it's a Huck/Fin stick will catch fish, some are better than others for sure, just have to weigh the price versus how much and serious you are about fishing. My Daughter caught a moster jumbo perch on a 20 dollar set up and my Son caught the biggest Large Mouth I've ever seen in person on a 30 dollar set up. There's hundreds of video's on people catching fish on 30-40 dollar WalMart set ups. Just comes out practice and experience. I personally think there's a big difference in my TEC-LITE that retails for 60 bucks versus my Ugly Stik I bought at WalMart for 19.99 years ago.

Originally Posted by floaterguy

300 dollar rod? If your using one of those than your either sponsored or just have enough disposable income than it doesn't matter. Any rod, even if it's a Huck/Fin stick will catch fish, some are better than others for sure, just have to weigh the price versus how much and serious you are about fishing.

I think you might have to re-read my comment. I was not advocating the purchase of $300.00 rods. Quite the opposite. But I do know many of my bassin' friends that regularly buy Fenwick & GLoomis rods - and they start at about $275.00 & up! And you will see this in many bass clubs today. (Which is why I no longer belong to any of them.)

I stand by my statement that the 7' SHSS surpasses many rods in our chosen field of crappie fishing. Again, this is just my opinion!

I have 4 of the rods you speak of and like them all. Something not mentioned so far is the line used. With light jigs I feel that the lighter the line the better you will feel what's going on. That has been said somewhere. What hasn't been said is why. Mono has a memory and it is more pronounced in heavier line. Basically, the memory is like a pigs tail or spring, keeping the line from being straight and transmitting sensation, actually helping absorb sensation.When I pick up a rod that hasn't been used for a while I take some of the line off and try to stretch it a little as I do, thus taking out a lot of the coil and improving the contact with the jig. Pulling it through one hand held tight will do the trick. If you look in the fly section of any catalog that carries that stuff, you will find a straightener the consists of two leather tabs similar to a key ring tab, rough sides towards one another. It improves control and contact.

I'm sure that a high dollar rod has things that make them more sensitive, but I've never given more than $50 for a rod that I cam remember and some of mine absolutely jump in my hand. I think that once you learn to feel for the subtle instead of the pronounced and become a line watcher you'll be as pleased as I am with my "cheap" rods. A lift bite is never felt but seen as the line falling to the water before you know it has hit bottom. They hit it on the rise and hold it briefly before spitting it back out. I've had a few days when 60% or more of my bites were seen like this and never felt.

Good luck with the learning process and keep us posted, you'll be teaching someone yourself.

I build all of my own rods now days. There is NOT a ton of money in selling custom rods but there is a small following. Once people fish with one, they tend to never buy another COTS (commercial off the shelf) rod (if they can help it). There is a difference between a 10 dollar blank and a 200 dollar blank. There is a huge difference in the reel seat arbor that goes under the reel seat on a cheaper rod. When you purchase a custom rod, you get exactly what you want. Hard to walk in to the store and say "I want a 7 foot, Light weight fast action, two piece rod, with a six inch rear cork grip, a 4 inch fore grip, a graphite arbor, recoil guide eyes, and I want it to weigh less than 1.8lbs total!

I am very selective now days of who I make and sell rods to. Like I said, just not a ton of money in it. Plus, people get sticker shock. I have a current build going on right now and the out the door cost for this customer (one purpose) rod is $385.00. He only purchases custom rods and it is used for one purpose. He cannot purchase this rod off the shelf at any store. He is not a tournament angler.

Trust me, they are not for everyone and there are people that will always say... "you can catch just as many fish on this 10 dollar rod". Well, that is a hard statement to make if you have never used another one side by side to tell the difference or feel the bites that you are missing! Remember, it is one thing to be talking crappies and crappie fishing, completely different if we are talking bass, walleye, trout, salmon, steelhead, or the tons of other fish in the lakes and streams. Many applications now days are very specific and rods can be built and or manufactured to allow the bait to perform as advertised.

Two years ago I built a custom blank for a guy doing what is referred to as "hotshoting". It is salmon or steelhead fishing in a river where you anchor above the hole and drift a plug back into the hole and allow the current to work the rod. This rod was "specifically" designed to run lipped crank baits and get the most action as possible out of that bait. Sure, you might go through 100 rods off the shelf to get 1 that works best, or, you can save yourself and purchase one that is going to work flawlessly. We took a lipped crank and put it on one rod (off the shelf) and the same crank on this custom rod and put them in the water. The difference in action of the bait was a complete joke.

My point... In some instances, you get what you pay for. Sure, you can purchase IM6 graphite and it might work great (for your application) but.... Japanese Torey Graphite might be 10 to 20 times better. It might also cost you 10 to 20 times more.

Originally Posted by Crestliner08

I approach most of my fishing with the viewpoint that the folks specializing in technique specific equipment, are probably not going to steer you wrong. Otherwise, they wouldn't be leaders in that industry. That being said, I've never spent more than $80.00 for any of the rods that I have, including bass tackle. Am I missing out? Probably, but in all good consciousness, I couldn't go fishing with a $300.00 rod and not be scared to death that I might break it! Just how I am.

Folks like the B n' M company & Grizzly Jig have staked their reputations on the line for their products. They've been in business a very long time. I respect that and feel very confident in purchasing their tackle. For my money (<$50.00) you'd be hard pressed to find a better casting rod than the B n' M Sam Heaton's Super Sensitive in the 7' length. About as good as it gets in my opinion.

Don't be scared to fish with a $300 dollar rod. Most of them carry a no questions asked, lifetime warrenty. At least the blanks I purchase and sell to customers. One company I use even pays for the shipping to and from their factory. Of course, I've yet to have one returned to my shop to be sent back either.

Originally Posted by wicklundrh

I build all of my own rods now days. There is NOT a ton of money in selling custom rods but there is a small following. Once people fish with one, they tend to never buy another COTS (commercial off the shelf) rod (if they can help it). There is a difference between a 10 dollar blank and a 200 dollar blank. There is a huge difference in the reel seat arbor that goes under the reel seat on a cheaper rod. When you purchase a custom rod, you get exactly what you want. Hard to walk in to the store and say "I want a 7 foot, Light weight fast action, two piece rod, with a six inch rear cork grip, a 4 inch fore grip, a graphite arbor, recoil guide eyes, and I want it to weigh less than 1.8lbs total!

I am very selective now days of who I make and sell rods to. Like I said, just not a ton of money in it. Plus, people get sticker shock. I have a current build going on right now and the out the door cost for this customer (one purpose) rod is $385.00. He only purchases custom rods and it is used for one purpose. He cannot purchase this rod off the shelf at any store. He is not a tournament angler.

Trust me, they are not for everyone and there are people that will always say... "you can catch just as many fish on this 10 dollar rod". Well, that is a hard statement to make if you have never used another one side by side to tell the difference or feel the bites that you are missing! Remember, it is one thing to be talking crappies and crappie fishing, completely different if we are talking bass, walleye, trout, salmon, steelhead, or the tons of other fish in the lakes and streams. Many applications now days are very specific and rods can be built and or manufactured to allow the bait to perform as advertised.

Two years ago I built a custom blank for a guy doing what is referred to as "hotshoting". It is salmon or steelhead fishing in a river where you anchor above the hole and drift a plug back into the hole and allow the current to work the rod. This rod was "specifically" designed to run lipped crank baits and get the most action as possible out of that bait. Sure, you might go through 100 rods off the shelf to get 1 that works best, or, you can save yourself and purchase one that is going to work flawlessly. We took a lipped crank and put it on one rod (off the shelf) and the same crank on this custom rod and put them in the water. The difference in action of the bait was a complete joke.

My point... In some instances, you get what you pay for. Sure, you can purchase IM6 graphite and it might work great (for your application) but.... Japanese Torey Graphite might be 10 to 20 times better. It might also cost you 10 to 20 times more.

I have two rods I had made for me by a local rod builder who happens to be a good friend. I ordered the material I wanted used, both are salmon- steelhead rods, 8'6" long and one is med. lite action with microwave guides and the other is med. action.
I have caught salmon on both and the med. lite action rod I also use for crappie and it works fantastic. the other med action I also use for bass and saugeye . I've never had GOOD rods my whole life until these two and I spent well over $200 on each but you most certainly can tell the difference when fishing with them compared to a less expensive rod.
Now most of my fishing is done with rods I have spent no more than $50 - $60 for , for good reason , because I kind of throw my stuff around . But of course with the other two I handle much differently .

Originally Posted by Crestliner08

I think you might have to re-read my comment. I was not advocating the purchase of $300.00 rods. Quite the opposite. But I do know many of my bassin' friends that regularly buy Fenwick & GLoomis rods - and they start at about $275.00 & up! And you will see this in many bass clubs today. (Which is why I no longer belong to any of them.)

I stand by my statement that the 7' SHSS surpasses many rods in our chosen field of crappie fishing. Again, this is just my opinion!

Oh no, I'm agreeing. I don't think you need a big dollar rod to be successful, my point was (in a very round about way lol) was I do think there's a difference in a very cheap rod versus a 50 dollar and up rod. I'm sure in those clubs there's a "keep up with the Jones" thing going on too.