Northwest Fishing Reports

what is the best bass rods for both spinning or casting for the money

Bass Pro Shops rod, Or Cabella's rod. My Bass Pro Shops rods have been great.

Amx wrote:Bass Pro Shops rod, Or Cabella's rod. My Bass Pro Shops rods have been great.

I agree. Cant go wrong with BPS.

I've been using the Shimano line ups. The clauris is decent rod for it's price, both spin and cast, no complaints.

Are you looking for low price, or are you looking for a good rod thats worth the money? For low price, I totally agree with BPS, and Cabelas brands. If your looking for a mid range priced rod that are well worth the money, I fish St Croix rods, you can get a great rod with a 5 year warrantee for $100. I fish their Legend Tournament series rods which are $200+, but have a lifetime warrantee, and are American made(which is always a consideration for anything I buy), and I have never regreted spending that much for them. Of course there are many many more good rods out there, and everyone has their preferences, but if you fish alot, and can afford it, I believe it's worth looking into a better grade of rod. Just my opinion though.

It really depends on what you are looking for and in what price range. I have both higher end Lamiglas and Loomis rods that I love as well as some more inexpensive rods that are great for what they are. My present favorite spinning rod for bass is a St. Croix Mojo bass rod. Fairly inexpensive, but well built with good action and decent sensitivity. I can't recall the exact price I paid, but it was under $100 on sale at Sportco.

I would take a strong look at the Denali Jadewood Series. From all I can gather on these rods, they are fantastic sticks for the price. A buddy of mine is sponsored by Denali and he said these rods feel like rods that are in the $200 price range. I have not personally seen them yet, but I will be checking out their line of rods soon. I would also look at Kistler. You can get some great deals on them on ebay. Great rods too.

Tough question, no real answer for those that are truthful IMHO.

I have a Shakspear 7' ML baitcaster that I got on Clearance for $15 bucks that is perfect for some of my trout and light bass fishing. I liked it so much I got a second one.

I have a $30 Berkley amp spinning rod that is super sensitive, strong, an outstanding rod in every way, except for the eyes I may need to replace in a couple of years.

How in the world can I put cheap down after considering the above rods.

I have a $450 Shimmano, love it to death for conditions where I need a stout rod. I have a $750 Winston Fry Rod. They are worth every penny, at times, but they not worth any more then the above two rods, at times.

I have Cabelas rods, and Bass Pro Shops rods, and will get more in time, and some of them are excellent, some are garbage.

It is not the brand but the blank, not the color but the material the eyes are made of, not the lengh or action, but the suitability of that length or action for what you are doing.

So, what is your goal? How do you define "best for the money"?

PS, Cabelas and BPS both have reviews from users on their web site. They are not filtered and you will get stinkers as well as winners when you look at the reviews. I have seen some give rods a 1 because they have not caught a fish (like that is the rod's fault) and I have seen a 5 given in the past because they caught a fish on the first cast (again, the rod did that ?). Still, review the rods in your price range and then good luck. Still, I like to get my hands on the rod before I buy. That is how I could get the cheap rods that make me happy.

The best bass rod is the one your catching fish with. High dollar rods don't catch fish you do. Keep it simple don't over think bass fishing. A good fast action rod is an all around good fishing rod. Ulgy Stick Med-Heavy cheep and will catch any bass with ease. From Cranking to Worm fishing. Good luck !!

I'm totally sold on Loomis rods for Bass Fishing. The models would depend on what kind of lure or presentation you're using. They are incredibly sensitive and make a real difference especially on "sensitive" presentations such as working a plastic worm. The only thing I would not use them for is if you were shore bound instead of on a boat. If you take a misstep and fall on the rocks it would make you cry if you broke the rod. For that I'd switch to a medium price range rod so it doesn't hurt so much. I like BP for that.

"what is the best bass rods for both spinning or casting for the money"

YODOG ,
I purchased my first line of bass rods over 10 years ago , they were ALLSTAR RODS . At that time $50-$100 was the price range i could afford and those rods worked for me just fine .. As i grew as within my bass fishing i realized years later that i required lighter and more sensitive Bass rods , so i whiched to LAMIGLAS Bass Rods . Those rods retailed for $75-160 and that was affordable for me and they got the job done . As of about 3months ago I decided that i wanted yet another upgrade of bass rods , well since lamiglas discontinued there top shelf bass rods "XMG" series that put me back into the market for yet another brand . I currently use DOBYNS bass rods , they range from $150-360 and they offer 3 different series within those price ranges . These are to date the most expensive bass rods i was ever owned and im very pleased with the product 100% , yes im on there pro staff however i wanted to give you my honest and non bias outlook as to how i personaly have evolved with bass rods over a 10 year period ..

I tell anglers all the time to always purchase what will work for "them" ! If your not a tourney angler and spending more than 100days per season on the lake fishing for bass , IMO why would you need to spend $500 on a bass rod !
I ask you to Put some thought into what your looking for in a bass rod first then establish how much your willing to invest into each rod that meets your current needs , by doing that you can answer your own question and not be disappointed later.

Thats my advise to ya yogo ! Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions about bass rods in general

BBD

I fish for bass with an ugly stick UL seven foot. It was fifty or so dollars, and it works for everything. I don't bass fish that often, and it's the same rod I use for trout fishing. But I dont bass fish often, but I brought in a ten pound plus bass on the thing, so I'd say it works. It really depends on how you are going to fish with it. dropshotting, jigging, and throwing crankbaits will ask you to have a little less give in your rod. If you're throwing an unweighted senko than you'll want the sensitivity to feel the slightest movement at the lure that wasn't you.

I hesitate to say get a lami or loomis. I fish both for steelhead/salmon, but when I bass fish I don't use either, just because I don't need 'em. Go to the store and feel the rods, get a good idea of what you're going to use 'em for, and choose for yourself.

If you take care of your equipment and feel that you will continue to fish for the rest of your life, then spend a little more and buy a few less. I feel that it is better to have 2 rod reel combos that are good, rather than 4 that are not so good. If you take care of them they will last a long time, and you will find that your confidence will improve as you are not second guessing the purchase. I still fish with reels that were considered "High End" 10 years ago. They work well still with just a bit of maintenance every year, and I would have purchase numerous cheaper reels because they would have lasted only 1 or 2 seasons. So would I really have saved money? I would have fished with lower quality gear, had potentially more problems and frustrations, and possibly less fish at the end of the day. Gas and travel expenses are way to high today to have problems when you get to the fishing spot. Ultimately buy what you can afford, but my motto is to buy less and spend more. Better quality is going to be more satisfying much longer than cheaper prices. Just my opinion.

In my mind, the perfect bass rod is a personal choice. It might be an Ugly Stick or a Loomis NRX. For me, it's one that does a lot of things...jigs, cranks, topwater, jerkbaits...hard to find one that does. Fishing from a float tube, you have keep things to a minimum and make the best of what you can. I can fish one rod in a number of different ways, and I catch fish. Does it optimize the technique? Maybe not..but you would be surprised how versatile one rod can be without investing in "rod specifics" i.e. crankbait rod, drop shot rod, spinnerbait rod, etc. If you can swing it...good on you..otherwise you have to compromise. My advice is...if you can borrow a rod and test it, then you can make a choice or two. Good luck.

Good words there Jerry. I know my rods and reels have expanded to allow me to switch what technique I am doing quickly and now fishing off a boat more often I am granted that flexablity. But I still have one rod and reel that I fall back one. I was shown the St Croix Mojo Bass rod a couple years ago fishing with BassDood and really liked it. It is my go to and would be the one I had if I was forced to take just one.

At. Croix mojo bass rods are hard to beat!! Cabelas has a few good rods also just bought a 7 ft med heavy for flipping jigs and punchin, nice split grip rod.. All star has a nice line up also, for the price I'd go with mojo bass.

Dez brought up another great brand! DOBYNS! I've fished his rods before, AMAZING, I've also competed in tournaments with him&his son, man those guys are sticks! Price is higher up, but the savvy series is an unbeatable deal!!

One you can afford and feels good in your hands. Thats why I fish with about 3 different brands of the 12 technique specific rods I own.

Brands I own are Bass Pro shops-Jerk Bait and spinner bait rod, Ordella for my flipping sticks/cranking rods-No longer made, Powel for my drop shots .

Go with what you can afford and feels good in your hands.

Russ